Andrea Worsley

Australian ten year olds' perceptions of food: I. Sex differences

Two studies of senior primary school childrens food perceptions are reported. In the first 481 boys and girls judged twelve foods on eleven food properties (attributes). Few differences between the sexes’ perceptions were found. The boys and girls appeared to view the foods along two cognitive dimensions. The first was a food belief continuum contrasting “fattening” and “healthy” foods; the second was a sensory preference continuum. In the second study 570 children completed two forms. On each form there was a random selection of ten foods which were to be judged against twelve attributes. In all, the childrens perceptions of 38 foods on sixteen attributes were examined. Again, the childrens perceptions were represented along “goodness” and sensory‐preference dimensions. Reported food intakes were more related to sensory properties and perceived maternal food intakes, than to “healthful” aspects of foods. Major differences between the boys’ and girls’ perceptions of certain foods, mainly snack foods, w...

Reported food consumption and dietary habits of New Zealand adolescents

Abstract Six hundred and sixty‐seven fifteen year old members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development study cohort completed a self‐administered food frequency and dietary habits inventory. The results show that only 14 foods were consumed on a regular basis by more than 80% of the cohort. Statistically significant differences were found between the numbers of boys and girls consuming a variety of foods; generally, more girls consumed fruits and green vegetables and more boys consumed foods rich in fat and sugar. Several differences were observed in the food consumption of three income groups: fewer adolescents in low income families consumed expensive foods such as steak. The implications of these food consumption findings and their associated gender and income differences for nutrition promotion and food policy are discussed.

The weight control practices of 15 year old New Zealanders.

Abstract More than 800 15 year old members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development study cohort completed a questionnaire designed to provide descriptive data concerning the weight control behaviours of this sample of New Zealand adolescents.

Australian ten year olds' perceptions of foods: II. Social status effects

Two studies were carried out into the relationships between paternal social status and ten year olds’ perceptions of food. The first examined 420 childrens views of fourteen foods on eleven food properties. The influence of paternal social status was minimal. The second study, of 580 children, examined their views of 40 foods over 16 attributes. A randomized sample of foods was presented to each child on two forms. The results showed major differences between the perceptions of children from different social backgrounds, particularly those of high and low paternal social status. The differences are described and possible causes examined.

The influence of “the body owner's program” on ten-year-olds' food beliefs

Abstract We measured the food beliefs of 519 South Australian ten-year-olds before and after they took part in a large nutrition and physical education program that was designed to evaluate the effects of either self-monitoring or health-information dissemination, or a combination of these two teaching strategies on large sets of cognitive, behavioral, and biomedical outcome variables. Multivariate analysis of the data revealed that the childrens food beliefs could be represented by two mutually independent components: a “healthiness” versus “sweet-fattening” dimension and a sensory-evaluation dimension. These cognitive structures were highly stable during the duration of the study (six months). The greatest change occurred in the beliefs of the self-monitoring plus health-information treatment group. Specifically, at the end of the project these children applied the concept “gives you energy” more appropriately than previously. We discuss the relevance of the findings to nutrition education.

Mothers, work and food consumption: Going out to work changes mothers’ diets?

The usual dietary habits of mothers employed outside the home (n = 337) and mothers “at home” (n = 297) were compared as part of the Victorian Nutrition survey, which was conducted by mail during late 1985 among a random population sample of adults living in the State of Victoria, Australia. The results showed that mothers employed outside the home consumed more varied intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods than mothers “at home,” who in contrast tended to consume more from a lesser range of foods, particularly traditional cereals, fruits and fried foods. Several other differences in dietary habits were observed. The discussion focuses on the possible effects of affluence, convenience, the pursuit of novelty and health, and the family lifecycle.

What should you eat? A survey of south Australian women's food consumption norms.

In a random population survey, 418 South Australian women rated the desirability of consumption of 48 common foods, according to their perceived health relevance. Multidimensional scaling of the womens responses yielded three dimensions which accounted for 87% of total variance. The first two dimensions were related to healthiness (low fat, salt and sugar contents) and traditional-artificial nutrient-reduced foods respectively. Younger women rated healthy foods more highly. The mean ratings also formed a unidimensional scale which had high internal reliability (Cronbachs alpha = 0.80). These unidimensional scores were correlated with reported food intakes of a random sample of respondents in the State of Victoria, using mean values for demographic subgroups (r = 0.50). The results suggest that food intake, or alternatively recalls of food intake, may be influenced by such prescriptive norms.

NATURALISTIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL VALUES IN THE MODERN WORLD

A 29-item attitude inventory, reflecting technical and naturalistic aspects of modern life, was administered by post to a random sample of 700 women in Adelaide, South Australia. The response rate was 65%. The total scale had adequate internal reliability (Cronbach α = 0.78). Cronbach alpha values for two subscales, Nature and Technology, were 0.66 and 0.55, respectively. The scores were negatively related to McClosky and Schaars 1965 measure of anomy and to educational background, early school leavers having higher scores. The Nature subscale was negatively related to positive attitudes toward food processing, and Technology was inversely related to pronaturalistic food attitudes. Regular users of dietary supplements had higher Nature scores and lower Technology scores than nonsupplementers.

Dietary supplementation, naturalistic values and attitudes to the food supply among australian women

The results are discussed in relation to two postulated causal pathways, a stress‐symptom, and a natural‐foods one, of dietary supplementation practices. The study showed views of the food supply to be related to anomy, naturalistic and technological aspects of the modern world. A survey instrument designed to assess naturalistic and technological values orientations, food beliefs and dietary supplementation practices was administered to a random sample of women in Adelaide, South Australia. Four hundred and eighteen women responded, a response rate of 65%. Regular users of dietary supplements had more positive opinions of natural foods (p < 0.001) than nonsupplementers. They also evaluated naturalistic aspects of modern life more positively than nonsupplementers. In addition, several relationships were observed between their values orientations and food beliefs.