Exploring the functional mealtime associations of older adults through consumer segmentation and a means-end chain approach

Parents' food choice for their preschool-aged children: A means-end investigation

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing literature on the importance of parental feeding practices, the factors that influence how parents make decisions regarding the foods they offer to their young children are not fully understood. Means-end theory and its associated methodology known as laddering provide a useful framework for characterizing the relationships between the attributes of a choice option (e.g., a food item), the consequences (i.e., the benefits or costs/risks) associated with those attributes and the personal values (i.e., enduring beliefs) those consequences help reinforce. The present research uses this means-end perspective to enrich our understanding of how parents make food choices for their preschool-aged children.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with parents (N = 33) of 3- to 5-year-old children to explore the factors underlying parents' decisions regarding the foods they recently offered, prefer to offer and avoid offering to their preschooler. The resulting data were transcribed, content analysed and summarized in a series of summary diagrams known as hierarchical value maps (HVMs).

RESULTS

Study results indicate that although most parents reported trying to make food decisions because they want their child to be healthy, factors such as avoiding fights/battles and low perceived likelihood their child would eat a food may be barriers to offering certain foods.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these study findings enhance our understanding of the range of meanings underlying parents' food choice decisions and suggest opportunities for interventions to improve the quality of foods that parents offer to their children at home.

Adding Flavours: Use of and Attitudes towards Sauces and Seasonings in a Sample of Community-Dwelling UK Older Adults

Adding flavours can encourage food intake in older adults for health benefits. The use and attitudes of 22 community-dwelling UK older adults (15 females, aged 65–83 years) towards foods and products that add flavour, e.g., sauces and seasonings, were investigated. Participants used foods/products to add flavour when cooking and eating from 0 to 17 times/day. Taste and flavour were important, and foods/products could add flavour, make foods more pleasant and did not cause discomfort. There were concerns, however, over the healthiness of some foods/products, while consuming a healthy diet and one’s health were important. Reasons for adding flavours largely centred around ‘meal enhancement’, reasons for not adding flavours focused on ‘the product itself’ and ‘characteristics of the meal’, but there was ‘variation’ and many ‘individual differences’. Our findings highlight the benefits of adding flavours for food intakes, particularly the use of naturally flavoursome foods, such as herbs, spices, onion and garlic.

Influence of different levels of ethnocentrism of the Brazilian consumer on the choice of dulce de leche from different countries of origin

Dulce de leche, a concentrated dairy product with high added value, is an essential product of Brazilian culture. However, with a competitive market among economic blocks, it is important to know if the country of origin influences the perception of consumers and the intention to purchase a product, aiming to boost production in the domestic market. This study aimed to assess the impact of different levels of ethnocentrism on the consumer perception and buying behavior toward dulce de leche (DL) from other countries (Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil). Through an online survey, participants' demographic data (n = 224) was collected. Then they were encouraged to identify the purchase motivation using the Hard Laddering (HL) methodology and to assess the consumer's level of ethnocentrism (CE) with CESTSCALE. Three distinct groups were identified: high, moderate, and low ethnocentric. Consumers with high CE declared themselves conservative, with a more significant number of self-employed workers, and prefer and always buy national products. This group had a robust dominant chain only for the national product, highlighting the flavor and quality, and values ​​of nationalism and solidarity with local producers. On the other hand, consumers with low CE were self-declared liberal and had a higher level of education. They demonstrated significantly more favorable attitudes and intentions towards purchasing imported products due to improved quality, although patriotic behavior was also evident. We conclude that with CETSCALE, it was possible to identify that the sample of the Brazilian population studied has different levels of CE, which strongly impact the purchase attitude of products, especially the imported ones. However, it was only through the HL technique that it was noticed that, in addition to its intrinsic characteristics, patriotism is an important factor for the product and can be used as a sales motivator. This study demonstrated the importance of promoting the development of DL in the domestic market and encourage aspects of the origin, as they are fundamental in the choice of this product by the consumer, which helps local industries.

Psycho-Behavioural Segmentation in Food and Nutrition: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Literature

Inadequate dietary intakes are a key modifiable risk factor to reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. To encourage healthy eating and behaviour change, innovative public health interventions are required. Social marketing, in particular segmentation, can be used to understand and target specific population groups. However, segmentation often uses demographic factors, ignoring the reasons behind why people behave the way they do. This review aims to explore the food and nutrition related research that has utilised psycho-behavioural segmentation. Six databases from were searched in June 2020. Inclusion criteria were: published 2010 onwards, segmentation by psycho-behavioural variables, outcome related to food or nutrition, and healthy adult population over 18 years. 30 studies were included; most were quantitative (n = 28) and all studies used post-hoc segmentation methods, with the tools used to segment the population varying. None of the segments generated were targeted in future research. Psycho-behavioural factors are key in understanding people's behaviour. However, when used in post-hoc segmentation, do not allow for effective targeting as there is no prior understanding of behaviours that need to change within each segment. In future, we should move towards hybrid segmentation to assist with the design of interventions that target behaviours such as healthy eating.

A Theoretical Framework on the Determinants of Food Purchasing Behavior of the Elderly: A Bibliometric Review with Scientific Mapping in Web of Science

The past few years have seen significant demographic changes in most regions, including an increased elderly population. Subsequently, elderly citizens comprise an important market segment of consumers, with the food industry one of the most affected areas in this context. However, food market managers previously believed that elderly consumers’ needs were stereotyped in nature. The lack of focus on this sector, therefore, left elderly consumers as an untapped market, without realizing the financial independence of this segment regarding their nutrition. This research will attempt to provide the key determinant factors on elderly consumers’ behavior related to food. For that purpose, a complete literature review of more than 123 papers regarding these concepts has been carried out. Once analyzed, we highlight the common insights to give clear guidance for supermarket managers and food manufacturers to have a better knowledge of the reasons behind elderly people’s food acquisitions.

Relating oral physiology and anatomy of consumers varying in age, gender and ethnicity to food oral processing behavior

The aim of this study was to link parameters describing oral physiology and anatomy of consumers varying in age, gender and ethnicity to food oral processing behavior. Three groups of healthy consumers were compared: Dutch, Caucasian adults (18-30 yrs, n =32), Chinese, Asian adults (18-30 yrs, n =32) and Dutch, Caucasian older adults (65-85 yrs, n =32). Mastication performance, salivary flow rate (stimulated and unstimulated) and dental status were quantified to characterize oral physiology. Volume of oral cavity, tongue dimensions, facial anthropometry, height and weight were quantified to characterize anatomy. Oral processing behavior of three solid foods (carrot, cheese and sausage) was quantified by video recordings and eating rate (g/s), average consumption time (s), chews per bite (-) and average bite size (g) were determined. Dutch, Caucasian older adults had smaller volume of oral cavity, lower number of teeth and larger head width compared to Dutch, Caucasian adults. Chinese, Asian adults showed significantly higher mastication performance and larger head width compared to Dutch, Caucasian consumers, while dental status did not significantly differ between groups. Males had significantly larger volumes of oral cavity and larger head height and width compared to females. Dutch, Caucasian adults had a shorter average consumption time (s), less chews per bite and consumed the three foods with higher eating rate (g/s) compared to Dutch, Caucasian older adults. Chinese, Asian adults had a significantly longer average consumption time (s), more chews per bite, smaller average bite size (g) and lower eating rate (g/s) compared to Dutch, Caucasian adults. Twenty-one significant relationships were found between oral physiological and anatomical parameters and oral processing behavior. Body weight resulted in the largest β-values, indicating to be the anatomical parameter of largest influence on oral processing behavior. We conclude that only few oral physiological and anatomical parameters related with food oral processing behavior. We suggest that other factors, including cultural factors contribute to variation in food oral processing behavior between different consumer groups more than saliva flow, volume of oral cavity, mastication performance and dental status.

Inadequate Protein Intake at Specific Meals Is Associated with Higher Risk of Impaired Functionality in Middle to Older Aged Mexican Adults

Purpose

To describe the proportions of inadequate protein intake (IPI) per day and per meal and their association with functionality in middle to older aged Mexican adults.

Materials and Methods

In a cross-sectional design, we evaluated the protein intake and functionality of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and activities of daily living (ADL) of 190 middle to older aged Mexican adults. IPI was considered as any protein intake: <1.2 g/kg/day, <30 g/meal, or <0.4 g/kg/meal. Functionality was organized into three groups: high, middle, and low scores. The first was set as the reference, and the other was considered as impaired functionality. With a multinomial logistic regression, we analyzed the association between IPI per day and per meal with impaired functionality.

Results

A high proportion of participants showed IPI per day. The meal with the highest proportion of IPI was dinner, followed by breakfast and lunch for both criteria. IPI at lunch was a significant risk factor for impaired functionality in ADL when assessed with the 30 g/meal criterion (low scores, OR 3.82 (95% CI, 1.15–12.65); middle scores, OR 2.40 [1.03–5.62]). For the 0.4 g/kg/meal criterion, IPI at dinner was a significant risk factor for IADL middle scores only (OR 7.64, [1.27–45.85]).

Conclusion

IPI per meal is high in middle to older aged Mexican adults, and at specific meals, it is a significant risk factor for impaired functionality in activities of daily living.