Impact of Taste on Food Choices in Adolescence—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bawajeeh, Areej; Albar, Salwa A.; Zhang, Huifeng; Zulyniak, Michael A.; Evans, Charlotte; Cade, Janet

doi:10.3390/nu12071985

Cited by 29 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(170 reference statements)

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“…Previous literature often cites the taste or physical properties of food as a top factor in food choices, among both adults (Köster, 2009) and adolescents (Neumark-Sztainer et al, 1999;Contento et al, 2006;Holsten et al, 2012;Sommer et al, 2014;Bawajeeh et al, 2020). However, we found that taste was only a predominant factor in discussions about food choices at school.…”

Section: Factors In Adolescent Food Choicescontrasting

confidence: 58%

An Ecological Perspective of Food Choice and Eating Autonomy Among Adolescents

et al. 2021

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Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a transition from primarily parental-controlled eating to self-directed and peer-influenced eating. During this period, adolescents gain autonomy over their individual food choices and eating behavior in general. While parent-feeding practices have been shown to influence eating behaviors in children, little is known about how these relationships track across adolescent development as autonomy expands. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that impact food decisions and eating autonomy among adolescents. Using the food choice process model as a guide, four focus groups were conducted with 34 adolescents. Focus group discussion was semi-structured, asking teens about influences on their food choices across different food environments, their involvement with food purchasing and preparation, and perceived control over food their choices. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using deductive and inductive code creation and thematic analysis. This study found six leading influences on adolescents' food choices and identified additional factors with prominence within specific environmental contexts. This study distinguished a broader spectrum of factors influencing adolescent food choice that extend beyond “convenience” and “taste” which have previously been identified as significant contributors. The degree of control that teens reported differed by eating location, occasion, and social context. Finally, adolescents demonstrated various levels of engagement in behaviors related to their eating autonomy. Identifying the emergent themes related to adolescent autonomy was the first step toward the goal of developing a scale to evaluate adolescent eating autonomy.

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Section: Factors In Adolescent Food Choicescontrasting

confidence: 58%

An Ecological Perspective of Food Choice and Eating Autonomy Among Adolescents

et al. 2021

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“…Adolescents belonging to this cluster declared high preference only for snacks and fruit but not for other products. Such observation is in compliance with other studies, which confirm that younger-aged individuals show a higher preference toward products characterized by a high content of sugar [ 38 ]. It corresponds with the fact that in our own study, the ‘hedonists’ cluster more often declared buying pastries or cakes than two other clusters, both in the female and male subgroups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Association between Food Preferences and Food Habits in a Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

2021

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Food preferences are among the most influential factors of food habits in the vulnerable period of adolescence; in addition, gender-dependent differences in food preferences are also observed. The aim of the present study was to analyze differences in food habits between individuals stratified based on their food preferences in a population-based sample of adolescents aged 15–20. The study was conducted within the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study population in a group of 2419 secondary school students who were randomly chosen to participate in the study using a random quota sampling procedure. The food preferences were determined on the basis of a validated Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ) (which enables assessing preference of vegetables, fruit, meat/fish, dairy, snacks, and starches), whereas food habits were determined on the basis of the Adolescents’ Food Habits Checklist (AFHC) (which enables assessing food purchase, preparation, and consumption habits). The analysis involved three homogenous clusters (‘low-preferring’, ‘hedonists’, and ‘high-preferring’), which were identified using the k-means algorithm. It was found that for a number of the assessed food purchase, preparation, and consumption habits, there were statistically significant differences between the ‘low-preferring’, ‘hedonists’, and ‘high-preferring’ clusters. Within food purchase habits, the food preference influenced frequency of buying pastries/cakes and frequency of eating takeaway meals for all the respondents, while for female respondents, it influenced also choice of desserts in restaurants, and for male respondents, it influenced choosing a low-fat lunch away from home (p < 0.05). Within food preparation habits, the food preference influenced the fat content in desserts at home, the frequency of eating at least one serving of vegetables/salad with an evening meal, the frequency of spreading butter/margarine on bread thinly, and the frequency of having cream on desserts for all the respondents; meanwhile, for female respondents, it also influenced the frequency of avoiding fried foods and the frequency of including chocolate/biscuits in their packed lunch (p < 0.05). Within food consumption habits, the food preference influenced the frequency of eating a dessert/pudding, eating at least one serving of fruit a day, eating at least one serving of vegetables/salad a day, avoiding sausages/burgers, trying to ensure they eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and frequency of choosing fruit as a snack for all the respondents; meanwhile, for male respondents, it also influenced the frequency of eating sweet snacks and eating at least three servings of fruit most days (p < 0.05). Taking into account that some improper food habits may be typical for the specific clusters, there is an urgent need to analyze and address them for the purposes of public health and to bear in mind that some of those habits are gender-dependent.

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“…Both school and clinical study samples had fun parks as the highest rated item, followed by less healthy foods/beverages and activities, and the healthiest items rated as least liked. Greater preferences were observed for sweet, salty, and fatty foods—as well as lower liking of healthier foods with strong flavors and textures—which is consistent with preference patterns in adolescents that are influenced by genetic and sensory nutrition influences [ 40 ]. Strong taste, flavor, and/or texture are key determinants of vegetable preference in children [ 41 ] and adults [ 42 ] and, in multivariate modeling, social-behavior factors influencing the preference for vegetable, which in turn, influencing the consumption of vegetables [ 43 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS) with Tailored Nutrition Education Messages: Application to a Middle School Setting

Hildrey

Karner

Serrao

et al. 2021

Foods

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We tested the feasibility of a school-based, liking-based behavioral screener (Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS)) and message program to motivate healthy diet and activity behaviors. Students, recruited from middle- (n = 195) or low-income (n = 310) schools, online-reported: likes/dislikes of foods/beverages and physical/sedentary activities, scored into healthy behavior indexes (HBI); perceived food insecurity; and sleep indicators. Students received tailored motivating or reinforcing messages (aligned with behavior change theories) and indicated their willingness to improve target behaviors as well as program feasibility (acceptability; usefulness). Although HBIs averaged lower in the lower versus middle-income school, frequencies of food insecurity were similar (39–44% of students). Students in both schools reported sleep concerns (middle-income school—43% reported insufficient hours of sleep/night; low-income school—55% reported excessive daytime sleepiness). Students across both schools confirmed the PALS acceptability (>85% agreement to answering questions quickly and completion without help) and usefulness (≥73% agreed PALS got them thinking about their behaviors) as well as the tailored message acceptability (≥73% reported the messages as helpful; learning new information; wanting to receive more messages) and usefulness (73% reported “liking” to try one behavioral improvement). Neither message type nor response varied significantly by food insecurity or sleep measures. Thus, this program feasibly delivered students acceptable and useful messages to motivate healthier behaviors and identified areas for school-wide health promotion.

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Impact of Taste on Food Choices in Adolescence—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 29 publications

References 61 publications

An Ecological Perspective of Food Choice and Eating Autonomy Among Adolescents

An Ecological Perspective of Food Choice and Eating Autonomy Among Adolescents

Association between Food Preferences and Food Habits in a Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

Pediatric Adapted Liking Survey (PALS) with Tailored Nutrition Education Messages: Application to a Middle School Setting

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