Food menus evaluation for most liked products in children from Puna, region of Argentina

Is it possible to obtain food consumption information through children's drawings? Comparison with the Free Listing

The aims of this research were 1) to study the children's drawings to obtain scientific information about food consumption; 2) to compare this method with an existing one (Free Listing); and 3) to compare fruits- and vegetables-consumed by children of different cultural groups within a same country. Children (n = 105) from two Argentinian cities (Salta in the northwest and 9 de Julio in the Pampean region), reported the fruits and vegetables they consumed, with the Free Listing and the new Free Drawing methods. Contingency tables were built and cognitive saliency indexes (CSI) were calculated. Children evoked 57 fruits and 54 vegetables by both methods, which were then grouped into 31 fruit and 27 vegetable categories. The advantages and limitations of the methods are discussed. Throughout Free Drawing, each food was defined by its name, shape and colour, which allowed better discrimination between varieties. Children from Salta reported consuming more fruits (63.7%) and vegetables (68.6%) than those from 9 de Julio (p < 0.05). Differences between cultural groups were found in 10 fruits and 7 vegetables, mentioned more frequently in Salta, where regional crops arose principally by Free Listing. The CSI did not depend on the method used but, for vegetables, they were affected by the cultural group. The fruits with the greatest CSI were banana and apples followed by orange (CSI≥0.19). Tomatoes, carrot and pumpkins showed the highest CSI in 9 de Julio; while carrot, tomatoes, varieties of lettuce and potatoes had the highest CSI in Salta (0.17 ≤ CSI≤0.33). Free Drawing is a qualitative alternative to study food consumption in children populations through a fun activity without the need for assistants.

Measuring Food Culture: a Tool for Public Health Practice

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Food culture is a ubiquitous aspect of all societies. This review provides an overview of methods for measuring food culture, and emphasizes the importance of these measures not just for description, but also for strengthening public health practice, primarily through the development of better interventions; to monitor and evaluate changes in diet and nutrition; and for the development of strategies for sustainability and dissemination.

RECENT FINDINGS

Food culture measurement has enriched public health practice through its use of myriad approaches, including interviews, cultural domain analysis, visual methods, observation, time allocation studies, focus groups and community workshops, household studies, and textual analysis. Food culture measurement is essential for public health practice related to food and nutrition, and can lead to, among other outcomes, improved implementation research in nutrition, understanding household dynamics that impact nutritional outcomes, innovative textual analysis to identify food culture through language, and the selection of interventions conveyed through multiple strategies, including digital means, such as via social media.