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Turnwald BP, Fishbach A. Thinking of food: The mental representation of healthy foods as unprepared. Appetite 2024; 200:107510. [PMID: 38795945 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
We find that people implicitly and explicitly represent healthy foods they categorize as healthy in their purest, least prepared forms but represent foods they categorize as unhealthy in their most prepared forms (e.g., a veggie patty is represented as frozen while a beef burger is represented in a bun with melted cheese and ready to eat). We find this effect across several studies using both image and word sorting measures in explicit tasks and implicit association tasks. The effect results from the perception of health and taste as two conflicting goals. Preparation (e.g., cooking, adding toppings) makes food more delicious, which creates categorization ambiguity. Hence, healthy food is thought of as unprepared. Indeed, individual differences in perceived health-taste goal conflict moderate the effect. Critically, the representation of healthy foods matters for food decisions. In an experiment that manipulated the descriptive language on a restaurant menu, emphasizing the preparation of foods increased participants' preference for healthy foods (with no improvement for unhealthy foods).
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2
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Ares G, De Rosso S, Mueller C, Philippe K, Pickard A, Nicklaus S, van Kleef E, Varela P. Development of food literacy in children and adolescents: implications for the design of strategies to promote healthier and more sustainable diets. Nutr Rev 2024; 82:536-552. [PMID: 37339527 PMCID: PMC10925906 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Food literacy has emerged as a key individual trait to promote the transformation of food systems toward healthy and sustainable diets. Childhood and adolescence are key periods for establishing the foundations of eating habits. Different food literacy competencies are acquired as children develop different cognitive abilities, skills, and experiences, contributing to the development of critical tools that allow them to navigate a complex food system. Thus, the design and implementation of programs to support the development of food literacy from early childhood can contribute to healthier and more sustainable eating habits. In this context, the aim of the present narrative review is to provide an in-depth description of how different food literacy competencies are developed in childhood and adolescence, integrating the extensive body of evidence on cognitive, social, and food-related development. Implications for the development of multisectoral strategies to target the multidimensional nature of food literacy and promote the development of the 3 types of competencies (relational, functional, and critical) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gastón Ares
- Sensometrics & Consumer Science, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Pando, Canelones, Uruguay
| | - Sofia De Rosso
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Carina Mueller
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kaat Philippe
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Abigail Pickard
- Center for Food and Hospitality Research, Cognitive Science, Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center, Lyon, France
- Laboratoire d’Etude de l’Apprentissage et du Développement–Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5022, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Nicklaus
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Ellen van Kleef
- Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paula Varela
- Nofima AS, Ås, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Science, Ås, Norway
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3
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van den Brand AJP, Hendriks-Hartensveld AEM, Havermans RC, Nederkoorn C. Child characteristic correlates of food rejection in preschool children: A narrative review. Appetite 2023; 190:107044. [PMID: 37717623 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Dietary habits formed in early childhood are key for establishing a healthy diet later in life. Picky eating and food neophobia - the two main forms of food rejection in young children - form an important barricade to establishing such healthy habits. Understanding these types of food rejection is thus essential for promoting healthy eating behaviour in both children and adults. To this end, the present narrative review aims to provide an overview of food rejection research in preschool-aged children, focusing on recent advances in the cognitive literature. Specifically, we evaluate the link between children's cognitive development, chemosensory perception and affective evaluation of food, food knowledge, decision-making strategies, anxiety and disgust sensitivity, and food rejection behaviour. Longitudinal and experimental studies are necessary to establish how the relationships between food rejection and cognitive processes develop over time and to determine their causal directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk J P van den Brand
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
| | - Anouk E M Hendriks-Hartensveld
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Remco C Havermans
- Laboratory of Behavioural Gastronomy, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Maastricht University Campus, Venlo, the Netherlands; Youth, Food, and Health, Maastricht University Campus, Venlo, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Nederkoorn
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
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4
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Sigelman C, Jami I, D'Andria E. What Children and Adolescents Know and Need to Learn about Cancer. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2022; 183:294-311. [PMID: 35509191 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2022.2070453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite cancer's devastating effects on health and longevity, and the critical role of health habits formed during childhood and adolescence in its prevention, children's knowledge of contributors to cancer is understudied. In this paper, the first developmental analysis of the literature, we outline relevant theoretical perspectives and three early emerging intuitions about illness evident among preschool children-contagion/germ, contamination, and unhealthy lifestyle theories-and then review research on elementary and secondary school students' awareness of risk factors for cancer in light of these early intuitive theories. Our analysis centers on the 16 studies we could locate, done in seven countries, that allowed calculating the percentages of children of different age groups who mentioned various risk factors in response to open-ended questions or endorsed them in response to structured questions. Awareness of primary known risk factors (led by smoking), lifestyle contributors, and personal factors (genetics and old age) increased with age, while contact myths decreased with age until adolescents began to show awareness of sexual contact as a contributor to certain cancers. In addition, the analysis revealed higher levels of awareness in response to structured questions than in response to open-ended questions; a glaring need for research asking young school-aged children about key risk factors and exploring not only their knowledge but their causal understanding; a need for attention to sociocultural influences; and connections between preschool children's intuitive theories of disease and older children's patterns of belief about cancer that can help guide school-based cancer education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Sigelman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Imani Jami
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Eleanor D'Andria
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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5
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Brecic R, Gorton M, Cvencek D. Development of Children’s implicit and explicit attitudes toward healthy Food: Personal and environmental factors. Appetite 2022; 176:106094. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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6
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Chollet S, Sénécal C, Woelki L, Cortesi A, Fifi V, Arvisenet G, Valentin D. How protein containing foods are represented in memory? A categorization study. Food Qual Prefer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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7
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Colley P, Seabrook JA, Woodruff SJ, Gilliland J. Examining Elementary School Children's Knowledge about Food and Nutrition in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. CAN J DIET PRACT RES 2022; 83:59-67. [PMID: 35014546 DOI: 10.3148/cjdpr-2021-037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Knowledge is fundamental to helping children make nutritional choices that support lifelong healthy behaviours. This study (i) investigates elementary school children's knowledge about food and nutrition and (ii) identifies sociodemographic factors influencing children's reported knowledge.Methods: In 2017-2019, a survey was administered to 2443 students (grades 5-8) at 60 schools across southwestern Ontario, Canada, and a parent survey was used to validate self-reported sociodemographics. Multiple regression was used to analyse children's knowledge scores and related sociodemographic factors. A total knowledge score was calculated by summing correct responses derived from 46 individual questions in the student survey.Results: Mean total knowledge score was 29.2 out of a possible 46 points (63.5% correct). Students demonstrated some knowledge and awareness of strategies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption, healthy food selection, nutrition, and food preparation skills, although knowledge of food guide recommendations and locally sourced produce were limited. Female sex, family income, and rurality were associated with higher knowledge scores.Conclusions: Results provide insight regarding strengths and gaps in elementary-school children's food and nutrition knowledge. Poor performance of students on specific food guide-related questions suggests that the general guidance of the 2019 Canada's Food Guide might be better understood by children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Colley
- Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON
| | - Jamie A Seabrook
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College at Western University, London, ON
| | | | - Jason Gilliland
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON
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8
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Foinant D, Lafraire J, Thibaut JP. Strength or Nausea? Children's Reasoning About the Health Consequences of Food Consumption. Front Psychol 2021; 12:651889. [PMID: 33897560 PMCID: PMC8061313 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.651889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Children’s reasoning on food properties and health relationships can contribute to healthier food choices. Food properties can either be positive (“gives strength”) or negative (“gives nausea”). One of the main challenges in public health is to foster children’s dietary variety, which contributes to a normal and healthy development. To face this challenge, it is essential to investigate how children generalize these positive and negative properties to other foods, including familiar and unfamiliar ones. In the present experiment, we hypothesized that children might rely on cues of food processing (e.g., signs of human intervention such as slicing) to convey information about item edibility. Furthermore, capitalizing on previous results showing that food rejections (i.e., food neophobia and picky eating) are a significant source of inter-individual variability to children’s inferences in the food domain, we followed an individual approach. We expected that children would generalize the positive properties to familiar foods and, in contrast, that they would generalize more often the negative properties to unfamiliar foods. However, we expected that children would generalize more positive and less negative properties to unfamiliar sliced foods than to whole unfamiliar foods. Finally, we expected that children displaying higher levels of food rejections would generalize more negative properties than children displaying lower levels of food rejections. One-hundred and twenty-six children, aged 3–6 years, performed an induction task in which they had to generalize positive or negative health-related properties to familiar or unfamiliar foods, whole or sliced. We measured children’s probability of generalization for positive and negative properties. The children’s food rejection score was assessed on a standardized scale. Results indicated that children evaluated positively familiar foods (regardless of processing), whereas they tend to view unfamiliar food negatively. In contrast, children were at chance for processed unfamiliar foods. Furthermore, children displaying higher levels of food rejections were more likely to generalize the negative properties to all kinds of foods than children displaying lower levels of food rejections. These findings entitle us to hypothesize that knowledge-based food education programs should take into account the valence of the properties taught to children, as well as the state of processing of the food presented. Furthermore, one should take children’s interindividual differences into account because they influence how the knowledge gained through these programs may be generalized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Foinant
- LEAD - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR-5022, Université Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France.,Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center, Ecully, France
| | | | - Jean-Pierre Thibaut
- LEAD - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR-5022, Université Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
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9
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Appetite self-regulation declines across childhood while general self-regulation improves: A narrative review of the origins and development of appetite self-regulation. Appetite 2021; 162:105178. [PMID: 33639246 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This narrative review discusses the origins and development of appetite self-regulation (ASR) in childhood (from infancy to age 6 or 7 years). The origins, or foundations, are the biological infrastructure associated with appetite regulation and appetite self-regulation. Homeostatic regulation in infancy is examined and then evidence about developmental change in components of ASR. The main ASR-related components covered are: delay-of-gratification, caloric compensation, eating in the absence of hunger, food responsiveness/hedonics and fussy eating. The research included behavioral measures, parent-reports of appetitive traits and fMRI studies. There were two main trends in the evidence: a decline across childhood in the components of ASR associated with food approach (and therefore an increase in disinhibited eating), and wide individual differences. The decline in ASR contrasts with general self-regulation (GSR) where the evidence is of an improvement across childhood. For many children, bottom-up automatic reactive processes via food reward/hedonics or food avoidance as in fussy eating, appear not to be matched by improvements in top-down regulatory capacities. The prominence of bottom-up processes in ASR could be the main factor in possible differences in developmental paths for GSR and ASR. GSR research is situated in developmental science with its focus on developmental processes, theory and methodology. In contrast, the development of ASR at present does not have a strong developmental tradition to access and there is no unifying model of ASR and its development. We concluded (1) outside of mean-level or normative changes in the components of ASR, individual differences are prominent, and (2) there is a need to formulate models of developmental change in ASR together with appropriate measurement, research designs and data analysis strategies.
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10
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Pickard A, Thibaut JP, Lafraire J. Strawberries and Cream: The Relationship Between Food Rejection and Thematic Knowledge of Food in Young Children. Front Psychol 2021; 12:626701. [PMID: 33664697 PMCID: PMC7921690 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.626701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing healthy dietary habits in childhood is crucial in preventing long-term repercussions, as a lack of dietary variety in childhood leads to enduring impacts on both physical and cognitive health. Poor conceptual knowledge about food has recently been shown to be a driving factor of food rejection. The majority of studies that have investigated the development of food knowledge along with food rejection have mainly focused on one subtype of conceptual knowledge about food, namely taxonomic categories (e.g., vegetables or meat). However, taxonomic categorization is not the only way to understand the food domain. We also heavily rely on other conceptual structures, namely thematic associations, in which objects are grouped because they share spatial-temporal properties or exhibit a complementary relationship (e.g., soft-boiled egg and soldiers). We rely on such thematic associations between food items, which may not fall into the same taxon, to determine the acceptability of food combinations. However, the development of children's ability to master these relations has not been systematically investigated, nor alongside the phenomenon of food rejection. The present research aims to fill this gap by investigating (i) the development of conceptual food knowledge (both taxonomic and thematic) and (ii) the putative relationship between children's food rejection (as measured by the Child Food Rejection Scale) and both thematic and taxonomic food knowledge. A proportional (A:B::C:?) analogy task, with a choice between taxonomic (i.e., bread and pasta) and thematic (i.e., bread and butter) food associates, was conducted on children between 3 and 7-years-old (n = 85). The children were systematically presented with either a thematic or taxonomic food base pair (A:B) and then asked to extend the example type of relation to select the respective thematic or taxonomic match to the target (C:?). Our results revealed, for the first time, that increased levels of food rejection were significantly predictive of poorer food identification and decreased thematic understanding. These findings entitle us to hypothesize that knowledge-based food education programs to foster dietary variety in young children, should not only aim to improve taxonomic understanding of food, but also thematic relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Pickard
- Center for Food and Hospitality Research, Cognitive Science, Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center, Lyon, France.,LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | | | - Jérémie Lafraire
- Center for Food and Hospitality Research, Cognitive Science, Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center, Lyon, France
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11
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12
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Who decides? Mothers’ and children’s beliefs about food disagreements. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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From foods to artifacts: Children’s evaluative and taxonomic categorization across multiple domains. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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14
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Rohlfs Domínguez P. New insights into the ontogeny of human vegetable consumption: From developmental brain and cognitive changes to behavior. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100830. [PMID: 32736313 PMCID: PMC7394763 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is research gap regarding how mental growth and brain maturation may impact on vegetable consumption. We have identified particular brain maturation and mental growth patterns that may affect child vegetable consumption. Both of these developmental patterns partially match with the Piagetian theory of development. We have identified a series of potential modulating factors. The 3–4 and 4−5 age ranges might potential sensitive periods for acquisition of brand knowledge of foods and health-related abstract concepts.
Relatively little is known about how mental development during childhood parallels brain maturation, and how these processes may have an impact on changes in eating behavior: in particular in vegetable consumption. This review aims to bridge this research gap by integrating both recent findings from the study on brain maturation with recent results from research on cognitive development. Developmental human neuroscientific research in the field of the sensory systems and on the relationship between children’s cognitive development and vegetable consumption serve as benchmarks. We have identified brain maturation and mental growth patterns that may affect child vegetable consumption and conclude that both of these developmental patterns partially match with the Piagetian theory of development. Additionally, we conclude that a series of potential modulating factors, such as learning-related experiences, may lead to fluctuations in the course of those particular developmental patterns, and thus vegetable consumption patterns. Therefore, we propose a theoretical predictive model of child vegetable consumption in which the nature of the relationship between its correlational and/or causal components should be studied in the future by adopting an integral research perspective of the three targeted study levels: brain, cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Rohlfs Domínguez
- Department of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Extremadura, Faculty of Nursing and Occupational Therapy and Faculty of Teaching Training, Avenida de la Universidad, s/n 10004, Cáceres Spain.
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15
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Thibaut JP, Lafraire J, Foinant D. A time for a meal? Children’s conceptions of short-term and long-term effects of foods. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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16
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Menendez D, Jiang MJ, Edwards KM, Rosengren KS, Alibali MW. Evaluating and communicating about the healthiness of foods: Predictors of parents' judgments and parent-child conversations. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020; 55. [PMID: 32699467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Parents are typically in charge of purchasing the food that their children eat, but little is known about how parents decide if particular foods are healthy for their children and how their beliefs about nutrition influence their children's beliefs. In two studies, we investigated how parents of children ages 4 to 12 (N = 826) make decisions about the healthiness of foods, when presented with different representations of the same nutritional information. Providing parents with nutritional information did not influence their ratings of how healthy food items are, compared to when they are shown only pictures of the foods. Parents reported talking with their children about nutrition, believed they are the best source of information for children about nutrition, and believed their nutrition beliefs influence their child's beliefs. Our findings highlight the role of prior knowledge in food cognition and how beliefs about foods are transmitted from parents to children.
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DeJesus JM, Gelman SA, Lumeng JC. Children's implicit food cognition: Developing a food Implicit Association Test. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020; 54. [PMID: 32863571 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Assessing children's reasoning about food, including their health knowledge and their food preferences, is an important step toward understanding how health messages may influence children's food choices. However, in many studies, assessing children's reasoning relies on parent report or could be susceptible to social pressure from adults. To address these limitations, the present study describes the development of a food version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The IAT has been used to examine children's implicit stereotypes about social groups, yet few studies have used the IAT in other domains (such as food cognition). Four- to 12-year-olds (n = 123) completed the food IAT and an explicit card sort task, in which children assessed foods based on their perception of the food's healthfulness (healthy vs. unhealthy) and palatability (yummy vs. yucky). Surprisingly, children demonstrated positive implicit associations towards vegetables. This pattern may reflect children's health knowledge, given that the accuracy of children's healthfulness ratings in the card sort task positively predicted children's food IAT d-scores. Implications for both food cognition and the IAT are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine M DeJesus
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Susan A Gelman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan.,Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan.,Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
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Dial LA, Musher-Eizenman DR. Power of packaging: Evaluations of packaged fruits and vegetables by school-age children in the U.S. Appetite 2020; 148:104591. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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19
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Raman L, Marchak KA, Gelman SA. Children’s understanding of food and activities on body size. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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20
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DeJesus JM, Du KM, Shutts K, Kinzler KD. How information about what is "healthy" versus "unhealthy" impacts children's consumption of otherwise identical foods. J Exp Psychol Gen 2019; 148:2091-2103. [PMID: 30973249 PMCID: PMC6927673 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Can brief messages about health influence children's consumption of identical foods? Across a series of studies, we manipulated children's consumption of identical foods (fruit sauces) by pairing those foods with brief messages about each food's health status. What initially appeared to be a preference for foods described as healthy among 5- to 6-year-old children (Studies 1-2) actually reflected a preference for alternatives to foods described as unhealthy (Studies 3-5), including comparison foods that were described with negative or neutral content. Although the 2 foods on each trial were identical, children consistently ate more of the alternative to a food described as unhealthy. Similar effects were observed among 8- to 9-year-old children (Study 6). These results demonstrate that children's eating behavior is affected by messages they receive from other people, including messages about health. Further, these studies reveal basic psychological mechanisms that contribute to children's choices among foods, which could lead to effective interventions in the food domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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21
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Wertz AE, Wynn K. Can I eat that too? 18-month-olds generalize social information about edibility to similar looking plants. Appetite 2019; 138:127-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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22
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Dial LA, Musher-Eizenman DR. Healthy? Tasty? Children’s evaluative categorization of novel foods. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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23
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DeJesus JM, Gelman SA, Herold I, Lumeng JC. Children eat more food when they prepare it themselves. Appetite 2019; 133:305-312. [PMID: 30448413 PMCID: PMC6768385 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Encouraging children to participate in food preparation is recommended by pediatric guidelines and has been included in public health interventions. However, little is known about whether the act of preparing a food specifically increases children's intake of that food, nor is it known whether this effect might differ for healthy and familiar unhealthy foods. The present study examines whether 5- to 7-year-old children eat more of a food they prepared themselves compared to the same food prepared by someone else. Children participated in a laboratory study in which they prepared either a salad or a dessert and then had the opportunity to eat the food they prepared and/or a nearly identical food prepared by someone else. We found that children ate more of a food they prepared themselves, but no significant difference was observed in children's ratings of each food. In addition to eating more healthy foods they prepared themselves, children ate more unhealthy foods they prepared themselves, including familiar and well-liked desserts. More specific recommendations are needed if the goal of involving children in food preparation is to promote health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine M DeJesus
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States.
| | - Susan A Gelman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Isabella Herold
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, United States; Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, United States
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Girgis H, Nguyen SP. Shape or substance? Children’s strategy when labeling a food and its healthfulness. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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25
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Owen LH, Kennedy OB, Hill C, Houston-Price C. Peas, please! Food familiarization through picture books helps parents introduce vegetables into preschoolers' diets. Appetite 2018; 128:32-43. [PMID: 29807124 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Repeated taste exposure is an established means of increasing children's liking and intake of fruit and vegetables. However, parents find it difficult to offer children disliked foods repeatedly, often giving up after a few attempts. Studies show that familiarizing children to fruit and vegetables through picture books can increase their interest in tasting targeted foods. This study explored whether looking at picture books before providing foods to taste improved the outcomes of a home-delivered taste exposure regime. Parents of 127 toddlers (aged 21-24 months) identified two 'target' foods they wanted their child to eat (1 fruit, 1 vegetable). Families were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Parents and children in two experimental groups looked at books about either the target fruit or vegetable every day for two weeks; the control group did not receive a book. Parents in all three groups were then asked to offer their child both target foods every day during a 2-week taste-exposure phase. Parental ratings of children's liking and consumption of the foods were collected at baseline, immediately following taste-exposure (post-intervention), and 3 months later (follow-up). In all groups, liking of both foods increased following taste exposure and remained above baseline at follow-up (all ps < .001). In addition, compared to the control group who experienced only taste exposure, looking at vegetable books enhanced children's liking of their target vegetable post-intervention (p < .001) and at follow-up (p < .05), and increased consumption of the vegetable at follow-up (p < .01). Exposure to vegetable books was also associated with smaller increases in neophobia and food fussiness over the period of the study compared to controls (ps < .01), suggesting that picture books may have positive, long-term impacts on children's attitudes towards new foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura H Owen
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
| | - Orla B Kennedy
- Hugh Sinclair Human Nutrition Unit, Dept. of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, UK
| | - Claire Hill
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
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26
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Porter L, Bailey-Jones C, Priudokaite G, Allen S, Wood K, Stiles K, Parvin O, Javaid M, Verbruggen F, Lawrence N. From cookies to carrots; the effect of inhibitory control training on children's snack selections. Appetite 2018; 124:111-123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Rosengren KS, Jiang MJ, Kalish CW, Menendez D, Hernandez IG. COMMENTARY: WHAT HEALS AND WHY? CHILDREN'S UNDERSTANDING OF MEDICAL TREATMENTS. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2018; 83:175-183. [PMID: 29668053 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Lockhart and Keil have written an interesting monograph focusing on the development of reasoning about medicine, a relatively underexplored area of research with potentially broad implications with respect to the design of more-effective medical interventions. In a set of 15 studies with well over 2,200 participants, they examine how children and adults combine aspects of biological and psychological reasoning to create working models of medicine. Lockhart and Keil explore developmental changes in reasoning about illness and its treatment using medicines in terms of dualism (e.g., psychological vs. physical), spatial proximity, differential timing of effects, potential side effects, and treatment tradeoffs. This commentary highlights the novel contributions of this monograph, examines issues that need additional considerations, and makes suggestions for future research.
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28
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Mura Paroche M, Caton SJ, Vereijken CMJL, Weenen H, Houston-Price C. How Infants and Young Children Learn About Food: A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1046. [PMID: 28790935 PMCID: PMC5524770 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early childhood is a critical time for establishing food preferences and dietary habits. In order for appropriate advice to be available to parents and healthcare professionals it is essential for researchers to understand the ways in which children learn about foods. This review summarizes the literature relating to the role played by known developmental learning processes in the establishment of early eating behavior, food preferences and general knowledge about food, and identifies gaps in our knowledge that remain to be explored. A systematic literature search identified 48 papers exploring how young children learn about food from the start of complementary feeding to 36 months of age. The majority of the papers focus on evaluative components of children's learning about food, such as their food preferences, liking and acceptance. A smaller number of papers focus on other aspects of what and how children learn about food, such as a food's origins or appropriate eating contexts. The review identified papers relating to four developmental learning processes: (1) Familiarization to a food through repeated exposure to its taste, texture or appearance. This was found to be an effective technique for learning about foods, especially for children at the younger end of our age range. (2) Observational learning of food choice. Imitation of others' eating behavior was also found to play an important role in the first years of life. (3) Associative learning through flavor-nutrient and flavor-flavor learning (FFL). Although the subject of much investigation, conditioning techniques were not found to play a major role in shaping the food preferences of infants in the post-weaning and toddler periods. (4) Categorization of foods. The direct effects of the ability to categorize foods have been little studied in this age group. However, the literature suggests that what infants are willing to consume depends on their ability to recognize items on their plate as familiar exemplars of that food type.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha J Caton
- School of Health and Related Research, Section of Public Health, University of SheffieldSheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hugo Weenen
- Danone Nutricia ResearchUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Carmel Houston-Price
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading MalaysiaIskandar Puteri, Malaysia
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29
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Harrison K, Moorman J, Peralta M, Fayhee K. Food brand recognition and BMI in preschoolers. Appetite 2017; 114:329-337. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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30
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Szocs C, Lefebvre S. The blender effect: Physical state of food influences healthiness perceptions and consumption decisions. Food Qual Prefer 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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31
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Children's knowledge of eating: An integrative review of the literature. Appetite 2016; 107:534-548. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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32
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Frerichs L, Intolubbe-Chmil L, Brittin J, Teitelbaum K, Trowbridge M, Huang TTK. Children’s Discourse of Liked, Healthy, and Unhealthy Foods. J Acad Nutr Diet 2016; 116:1323-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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33
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Meals and snacks: Children's characterizations of food and eating cues. Appetite 2016; 97:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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34
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Nguyen SP, Gordon CL, Chevalier T, Girgis H. Trust and doubt: An examination of children's decision to believe what they are told about food. J Exp Child Psychol 2015; 144:66-83. [PMID: 26704303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The domain of food is one that is highly relevant and vital to the everyday lives of children. However, children's reasoning about this domain is poorly understood within the field of developmental psychology. Because children's learning about food, including its evaluative components (e.g., health, taste) is so heavily dependent on information conveyed by other people, a major developmental challenge that children face is determining who to distrust regarding food. In three studies, this investigation examined how 3- and 4-year-olds and adults (N=312) use different cues to determine when to ignore informant information (i.e., distrust what an informant tells them by choosing an alternative) in food- and non-food-specific scenarios. The results of Study 1 indicated that by age 4 years, children are less trusting of inaccurate sources of information compared with sources that have not demonstrated previous inaccuracy. Study 2 revealed that these results are applicable across the domain of objects. The results of Study 3 indicated that by age 4, children trust benevolent sources more often than malevolent ones. Thus, when reasoning about the evaluative components of food, by age 4, children appraise other people's untrustworthiness by paying attention to their inaccuracy and malevolence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA.
| | - Cameron L Gordon
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
| | - Tess Chevalier
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
| | - Helana Girgis
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
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35
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Harrison K, Peralta M, Jacobsohn GC, Grider DT. The placemat protocol: Measuring preschoolers' healthy-meal schemas with pretend meals. Appetite 2015; 96:209-218. [PMID: 26363422 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nutrition instruction can lead to more healthful food choices among children, but little is known about preschoolers' healthy-meal schemas because there are few developmentally appropriate measures. This study validated the Placemat Protocol, a novel measure of preschooler healthy-meal schemas using realistic food models to assemble pretend meals. Preschoolers (N = 247, mean age 4 years 8 months) created 2 meals (preferred and healthy), completed measures of verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and were weighed and measured for BMI. Parents reported healthy eating guidance, child dietary intake, and family demographics. Children used an average of 5.1 energy-dense (ED) and 3.4 nutrient-dense (ND) foods for their preferred meal, but reversed the ratio to 3.1 ED and 5.1 ND foods for their healthy meal. Healthy meals contained fewer estimated kcal, less fat, less sugar, and more fiber than preferred meals. Meal differences held for younger children, children with lower verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and child subgroups at higher risk for obesity. Placemat Protocol data correlated with parent healthy eating guidance and child obesogenic dietary intake as expected. The Placemat Protocol shows promise for assessing developing healthy-meal schemas before children can fully articulate their knowledge on verbal measures.
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Affiliation(s)
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- University of Illinois, United States
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36
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37
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Varela P, Salvador A. Structured sorting using pictures as a way to study nutritional and hedonic perception in children. Food Qual Prefer 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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38
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Díaz Beltrán MDP. Factores influyentes en el comportamiento alimentario infantil. REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE MEDICINA 2014. [DOI: 10.15446/revfacmed.v62n2.45414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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39
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Johnson SL, Boles RE, Burger KS. Using participant hedonic ratings of food images to construct data driven food groupings. Appetite 2014; 79:189-96. [PMID: 24769294 PMCID: PMC4104662 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Little is known regarding how individuals' hedonic ratings of a variety of foods interrelate and how hedonic ratings correspond to habitual dietary intake. Participant ratings of food appeal of 104 food images were collected while participants were in a fed state (n = 129). Self-reported frequency of intake of the food items, perceived hunger, body mass index (BMI), and dietary restraint were also assessed. Principal components analysis (PCA) was employed to analyze hedonic ratings of the foods, to identify component structures and to reduce the number of variables. The resulting component structures comprised 63 images loading on seven components including Energy-Dense Main Courses, Light Main Courses and Seafood as well as components more analogous to traditional food groups (e.g., Fruits, Grains, Desserts, Meats). However, vegetables were not represented in a unique, independent component. All components were positively correlated with reported intake of the food items (r's = .26-.52, p <.05), except for the Light Main Course component (r = .10). BMI showed a small positive relation with aggregated food appeal ratings (r = .19; p <.05), which was largely driven by the relations between BMI and appeal ratings for Energy-Dense Main Courses (r = .24; p <.01) and Desserts (r = .27; p <.01). Dietary restraint showed a small significant negative relation to Energy-Dense Main Courses (r = -.21; p <.05), and Meats (r = -.18; p <.05). The present investigation provides novel evidence regarding how individuals' hedonic ratings of foods aggregate into food components and how these component ratings relate to dietary intake. The notable absence of a vegetable component suggests that individuals' liking for vegetables is highly variable and, from an empirical standpoint, not related to how they respond hedonically to other food categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L Johnson
- The Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Richard E Boles
- The Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kyle S Burger
- The Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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40
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Tatlow-Golden M, Hennessy E, Dean M, Hollywood L. Young children's food brand knowledge. Early development and associations with television viewing and parent's diet. Appetite 2014; 80:197-203. [PMID: 24859112 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Brand knowledge is a prerequisite of children's requests and choices for branded foods. We explored the development of young children's brand knowledge of foods highly advertised on television - both healthy and less healthy. Participants were 172 children aged 3-5 years in diverse socio-economic settings, from two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland with different regulatory environments. Results indicated that food brand knowledge (i) did not differ across jurisdictions; (ii) increased significantly between 3 and 4 years; and (iii) children had significantly greater knowledge of unhealthy food brands, compared with similarly advertised healthy brands. In addition, (iv) children's healthy food brand knowledge was not related to their television viewing, their mother's education, or parent or child eating. However, (v) unhealthy brand knowledge was significantly related to all these factors, although only parent eating and children's age were independent predictors. Findings indicate that effects of food marketing for unhealthy foods take place through routes other than television advertising alone, and are present before pre-schoolers develop the concept of healthy eating. Implications are that marketing restrictions of unhealthy foods should extend beyond television advertising; and that family-focused obesity prevention programmes should begin before children are 3 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Tatlow-Golden
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Eilis Hennessy
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Moira Dean
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Lynsey Hollywood
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK
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41
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Tatlow-Golden M, Hennessy E, Dean M, Hollywood L. ‘Big, strong and healthy’. Young children’s identification of food and drink that contribute to healthy growth. Appetite 2013; 71:163-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Revised: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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Gripshover SJ, Markman EM. Teaching young children a theory of nutrition: conceptual change and the potential for increased vegetable consumption. Psychol Sci 2013; 24:1541-53. [PMID: 23804961 DOI: 10.1177/0956797612474827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In two experiments, we used a novel approach to educating young children about nutrition. Instead of teaching simple facts, we provided a rich conceptual framework that helped children understand the need to eat a variety of healthy foods. Using the insight that children's knowledge can be organized into coherent belief systems, or intuitive theories, we (a) analyzed the incipient knowledge that guides young children's reasoning about the food-body relationship, (b) identified the prerequisites that children need to conceptualize food as a source of nutrition, and (c) devised a strategy for teaching young children a coherent theory of food as a source of diverse nutrients. In these two experiments, we showed that children can learn and generalize this conceptual framework. Moreover, this learning led children to eat more vegetables at snack time. Our findings demonstrate that young children can benefit from an intervention that capitalizes on their developing intuitive theories about nutrition.
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43
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The joint effect of tangible and non-tangible rewards on healthy food choices in children. Appetite 2012; 59:403-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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44
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Osborne CL, Forestell CA. Increasing children's consumption of fruit and vegetables: Does the type of exposure matter? Physiol Behav 2012; 106:362-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2011] [Revised: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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45
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Thompson K, Blunden S, Brindal E, Hendrie G. When food is neither good nor bad: children's evaluations of transformed and combined food products. J Child Health Care 2011; 15:261-71. [PMID: 21996681 DOI: 10.1177/1367493511414449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study examined children's subjective perceptions of 'good' and 'bad' foods. Four interactive focus groups were conducted with 27 children aged 5-9 in South Australia. Each focus group was engaged in a food picture sorting activity. Whilst most children were able to discriminate good and bad whole foods or ingredients, they were less able to agree at a group level on the categorization of combined and transformed food products with which they are most likely to be presented in their 'everyday' lives. We discuss this confusion using Mary Douglas's (1966) theory of 'matter out of place'. Accordingly, health promotion messages should cultivate the skills required to reconcile the co-presence of 'good' and 'bad' ingredients in one product or meal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirrilly Thompson
- School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia.
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46
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Sweitzer SJ, Briley ME, Roberts-Gray C, Hoelscher DM, Harrist RB, Staskel DM, Almansour FD. Psychosocial outcomes of Lunch is in the Bag, a parent program for packing healthful lunches for preschool children. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2011; 43:536-542. [PMID: 21852196 PMCID: PMC3222455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2010.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Revised: 10/25/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This pilot study evaluated effects of Lunch is in the Bag on behavioral constructs and their predictive relationship to lunch-packing behaviors of parents of young children. METHODS Six child care centers were pair-matched and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 3) and comparison (n = 3) groups. Parent/child dyads participated. Constructs of knowledge, outcome expectations, perceived control, subjective norms, and intentions were measured by a pre/post questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression was used, and P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS There were significant increases in knowledge (P = .01); outcome expectations for whole grains (P < .001); and subjective norms for fruit (P = .002), vegetables (P = .046), and whole grains (P = .02). Perceived control, outcome expectations, and intentions significantly predicted packing vegetables and knowledge predicted whole grains. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Lunch is in the Bag is a feasible intervention to improve the lunch-packing behaviors of parents of preschool-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Sweitzer
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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47
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Nguyen SP. The role of external sources of information in children's evaluative food categories. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2011; 21:216-235. [PMID: 23049450 DOI: 10.1002/icd.745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Evaluative food categories are value-laden assessments which reflect the healthfulness and palatability of foods (e.g., healthy/unhealthy, yummy/yucky). In a series of three studies, this research examines how 3- to 4-year-old children (N = 147) form evaluative food categories based on input from external sources of information. The results indicate that children prefer to ask a mom and teacher over a cartoon and child for information about the evaluative status of foods. However, children are cautious to accept information about healthy foods from all of the external sources compared to unhealthy, yummy, and yucky foods. The results also indicate that providing information about the positive taste of healthy foods helps to encourage children to select healthy foods to eat. Taken together, these results have potential implications for children's health and nutrition education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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48
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Nguyen SP, McCullough MB, Noble A. A theory-based approach to teaching young children about health: A recipe for understanding. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2011; 103:594-606. [PMID: 21894237 DOI: 10.1037/a0023392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The theory-theory account of conceptual development posits that children's concepts are integrated into theories. Concept learning studies have documented the central role that theories play in children's learning of experimenter-defined categories, but have yet to extensively examine complex, real-world concepts such as health. The present study examined whether providing young children with coherent and causally-related information in a theory-based lesson would facilitate their learning about the concept of health. This study used a pre-test/lesson/post-test design, plus a five month follow-up. Children were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: theory (i.e., 20 children received a theory-based lesson); nontheory (i.e., 20 children received a nontheory-based lesson); and control (i.e., 20 children received no lesson). Overall, the results showed that children in the theory condition had a more accurate conception of health than children in the nontheory and control conditions, suggesting the importance of theories in children's learning of complex, real-world concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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Morizet D, Depezay L, Masse P, Combris P, Giboreau A. Perceptual and lexical knowledge of vegetables in preadolescent children. Appetite 2011; 57:142-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Nguyen SP, Gordon CL, McCullough MB. Not as easy as pie. Disentangling the theoretical and applied components of children's health knowledge. Appetite 2011; 56:265-8. [PMID: 21232567 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2010] [Revised: 12/24/2010] [Accepted: 01/05/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
While there has been substantial research on children's dietary habits and physical activity level, there has been little work linking children's understanding of these concepts and how they apply them. This study aims to elucidate the association between two concepts that have not been distinguished in previous work; theoretical and applied health knowledge. Four-year-old children completed measures of theoretical and applied health knowledge regarding vegetables, fatty foods, physical, and sedentary activities. Results indicate that children's theoretical and applied health knowledge are distinct concepts that are positively associated. That is, children who accurately identify the relative health of foods and activities are more likely to be able to select foods and activities that promote their body's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5612, USA.
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