Listening to the voices of adolescents for the design of strategies to promote healthy eating: an exploratory study in a Latin American country

Bringing down barriers to children's healthy eating: a critical review of opportunities, within a complex food system

This narrative review revises the scientific evidence of recent years on healthy eating in children and adolescents, making sense of promising avenues of action, from a food system perspective. A conceptual framework is provided to better understand how eating habits of children and adolescents are shaped to identify key multisectoral approaches that should be implemented to promote healthier diets. The following influencing factors are discussed: individual factors (physiological and psychological factors, food preferences and food literacy competencies), factors within the personal and socio-cultural food environments, external food environments, and the supply chain. In each section, the main barriers to healthy eating are briefly discussed focussing on how to overcome them. Finally, a discussion with recommendations of actions is provided, anchored in scientific knowledge, and transferable to the general public, industry, and policymakers. We highlight that multidisciplinary approaches are not enough, a systems approach, with a truly holistic view, is needed. Apart from introducing systemic changes, a variety of interventions can be implemented at different levels to foster healthier diets in children through fostering healthier and more sustainable food environments, facilitating pleasurable sensory experiences, increasing their food literacy, and enhancing their agency by empowering them to make better food related decisions. Acknowledging children as unique individuals is required, through interpersonal interactions, as well as their role in their environments. Actions should aim to enable children and adolescents as active participants within sustainable food systems, to support healthier dietary behaviours that can be sustained throughout life, impacting health at a societal level.

'I Knew I Should Stop, but I Couldn't Control Myself': a qualitative study to explore the factors influencing adolescents' consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and sugary snacks from a socio-ecological perspective

OBJECTIVE

To explore the factors influencing Taiwanese adolescents' consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and sugary snacks from a socio-ecological perspective.

DESIGN

This study adopted a qualitative design by using face-to-face, in-depth interviews guided by a semistructured questionnaire.

SETTING

Eight junior high schools in New Taipei City and Changhua County, Taiwan, September to November 2018.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-nine participants aged 12-14 years participated in this study.

RESULTS

Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. This study identified four themes to address the multifaceted factors that influence adolescents' consumption of SSB and sugary snacks. At the intrapersonal level, physiological factors, psychological factors, individual economic factors and taste preferences were mentioned in connection with people's consumption of SSB and sugary snacks. Positive or negative influences of parents, siblings, peers and teachers on SSB and sugary snack intake were identified at the interpersonal level. The availability of SSB and sugary snacks at home, their availability in vending machines or in school stores in the school environment and participants' access to convenience stores and hand-shaken drink shops in the broader community influenced SSB and sugary snack consumption. Additionally, food culture and food advertising were identified as influencing societal factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this qualitative study determined not only that the consumption of SSB and sugary snacks is influenced by intrapersonal factors but also that interpersonal, environmental and societal factors affect adolescents' increased sugar intake. The findings are helpful to broaden the options for designing and developing interventions to decrease SSB and sugary snack consumption by adolescents.

Healthy or Not Healthy? A Mixed-Methods Approach to Evaluate Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels as a Tool to Guide Consumers

This study explored how South African food labels could be improved, to enhance customer evaluation of the overall healthiness of packaged food. Focus was given to the comparison of front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels as a quick assessment tool. The exploratory sequential mixed-methods design used qualitative interviews (n = 49) to gain insight into labeling challenges and select FOP nutrition labels for consumer testing. Consumers (n = 1261) randomly assessed two out of six possible FOP nutrition labels relative to a ‘no-label’ control in one of 12 online surveys, applied to a fictitious cereal product. A mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare the differences in health ratings for the different FOP nutrition labels. The interviews revealed three themes for label improvement, that are presented over three time horizons. In terms of helping consumers identify less healthy products, the effect sizes were most prominent for health warnings (p < 0.01) and low health star ratings (p < 0.01). The findings of this research not only clarify whether FOP nutrition labeling formats used in other regions such as Europe, South America and Australia could be useful in the South African context, but they can assist policymakers and decision-makers in selecting an effective FOP label.

'Even if you don't pay attention to it, you know it's there': A qualitative exploration of adolescents' experiences with digital food marketing

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to digital food marketing. However, research on adolescents' recall, awareness, and opinions of this type of marketing is still scarce. Accordingly, the present study aimed to conduct an in-depth examination of adolescents' experiences with digital food marketing. A convenience sample of 209 adolescents was recruited at two private educational institutions and a public health facility in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted, recorded in audio and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using content analysis based on a deductive-inductive approach. Results showed that participants were highly exposed to digital food marketing, as they all remembered having seen advertisements, with those of fast-food restaurants and food-ordering apps being the most frequently mentioned. According to the adolescents' accounts, images, colors, music, oversized portions, product novelty, price promotions and celebrities were the most memorable aspects of food advertisements. Participants recognized the effect of advertisements on product awareness and wanting, and, to a lesser extent, on actual purchase and consumption behavior. Factors that were thought to mediate the impact of digital marketing on food choice were also identified. In the final part of the interviews, participants proposed strategies to reduce the effect of digital marketing on their food choices, which included both regulatory approaches to reduce exposure to digital marketing of unhealthy foods and behavior change communication. Together, the current findings provide insights for the development of multifaceted strategies to reduce the effects of digital food marketing on the eating habits of adolescents.

Factors That Influence Snacking Behaviors of Adolescents From Urban Communities: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE

To qualitatively explore factors that influence snacking behaviors of adolescents from urban communities.

DESIGN

One-time, semistructured phone interviews based on Social Cognitive Theory.

SETTING

Boys and Girls Club in New York City.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 30 adolescents (aged 12-18 years; mean age 15.2 years, mostly female [57%], and Black or African American [83%]) were purposively recruited. This sample is representative of adolescent members at this Boys and Girls Club in New York City.

PHENOMENON OF INTEREST

Adolescents were asked about personal, environmental, and behavioral factors influencing snacking.

ANALYSIS

Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and transcripts were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach in NVivo (version 12).

RESULTS

In terms of personal factors, adolescents' snacking was influenced by preference (eg, taste and brand), health benefits, and health concerns. Regarding the social environment, adolescents remarked that snacking with peers promoted unhealthy snacking, while snacking, with family promoted healthier snacking. The family culture was also a salient factor. In addition, adolescents discussed how proximity to corner stores in their physical environment fostered unhealthy snacking. Finally, behavioral factors that influenced frequent snacking were high self-efficacy and food autonomy.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Snacking among adolescents from urban communities is influenced by preference, health, family/peer influence, neighborhood availability/access, and high autonomy. These factors can be targeted in interventions to improve snacking among this demographic.