e ating the m he y said Im a squar e fo r Dr Ra c he l Po ve y - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

“ T e ating the m ” he y said I’m a squar e fo r Dr Ra c he l Po ve y Asso c iate Pr o fe sso r in He alth Psyc ho lo gy Ce ntr e fo r He alth Psyc ho lo gy @po ve yr ac he l r .po ve y@staffs.ac .uk

“ T he y said I’m a squar e fo r e ating the m ”  T his pre se nta tio n will e xplo re : 1. Childre n’ s b e lie fs a b o ut e a ting fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s 2. T he c ha lle ng e s tha t a re fa c e d whe n trying to c ha ng e c hildre n’ s e a ting b e ha vio ur 3. De ve lo pme nt o f psyc ho lo g ic a l inte rve ntio ns to c ha ng e c hildre n’ s e a ting b e ha vio ur

1. Childre n’ s b e lie fs a b o ut e a ting fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s

“ T e ating the m ” he y said I’m a squar e fo r Childre n’ s b e lie fs a b o ut fruit a nd ve g e ta b le c o nsumptio n in E ng la nd isa Co wa p 1 & L  Ra c he l Po ve y 1 , L uc y Gra tto n 2  1 Sta ffo rdshire Unive rsity 2 Sta ffo rdshire Co unty Co unc il   Po ve y, R., Co wa p, L . & Gra tto n, L . (2016). Childre n’ s b e lie fs a b o ut fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s. Br nal , 118, 12, 2949-2962. DOI : 10.1108/ BF J-03- itish F o o d Jo ur 2016-0131

Ba c kg ro und  T he pe rc e nta g e o f c hildre n c la ssifie d a s o b e se o n le a ving prima ry sc ho o l (19.1%) is o ve r do ub le c o mpa re d to tho se sta rting prima ry sc ho o l (9.3%) (NCMP 2015/ 16).  Childre n a re still fo und to b e e a ting die ts with to o muc h fa t a nd no t e no ug h fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s c o mpa re d with the sta nda rd die ta ry g uide line s (Na tio na l Die t a nd Nutritio n Surve y, 2014).  As die ta ry ha b its in c hildho o d influe nc e b e ha vio ur la te r in life , a n unde rsta nding o f de te rmina nts o f e a ting b e ha vio ur in c hildho o d is ke y.

Wha t we did  E le ve n c hildre n we re inte rvie we d a t a n a fte r sc ho o l c lub in a de prive d a re a in the We st Midla nds.  Da ta we re g a the re d using a se mi-struc ture d inte rvie w c o nsisting o f six q ue stio ns suc h a s: “Wha t do yo u think a re the g o o d/ b a d thing s a b o ut e a ting fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s? ”  E a c h inte rvie w wa s tra nsc rib e d a nd the n a na lyse d using induc tive the ma tic a na lysis.

Wha t we fo und  Six ma ste r the me s e me rg e d fro m the da ta : 1. E ffe c t o n the Se nse s 2. F e e ling s to wa rds F ruit a nd Ve g e ta b le s 3. He a lthy ve rsus Unhe a lthy fo o ds 4. E ffe c ts o n He a lth 5. Co nve nie nc e 6. F a mily a nd F rie nds

1. E ffe c t o n the se nse s  While fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s a re usua lly linke d to ta ste , se ve ra l c hildre n a lso judg e d the m b y the ir sme ll, a ppe a ra nc e a nd te xture o f the fo o ds the y ha ve trie d.  T wo c hildre n c o mpa re d the te xture o f the se fo o ds to wha t it wo uld b e like if the y we re e a ting a nima ls: “I t’ s the flavo ur o f the m [mushro o ms] and ho w so ft the y are . T he y make me fe e l like I ’ m e ating a small furry animal” (Christo phe r, a g e d 9) “[mushro o ms] taste like slimy wo rms and the y are yuc k!” (Ruth, a g e d 10)

2. F e e ling s to wa rds fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s  So me o f the c hildre n spo ke a b o ut fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s using e mo tio na l la ng ua g e suc h a s “ lo ve ” a nd “ hate ”.  So me c hildre n fe lt e a ting fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s wa s a c ho re , using wo rds suc h a s “ g o t to ” a nd “ fo rc e d to ”.  “ Ye ah, I do say that I have five fruit and ve g a day, b ut late ly I have to b e fo rc e d to e at ab o ut fo ur ” (Ruth, a g e d 10).

3. He a lthy ve rsus Unhe a lthy F o o ds  F ruit a nd ve g e ta b le s we re o fte n we ig he d up a g a inst unhe a lthy fo o ds.  Unhe a lthy sna c ks we re a lso se e n a s a re wa rd fo r o ne pa rtic ipa nt who c o mme nte d tha t he r g ra ndmo the r b uys the m to spo il he r.  I nte rvie we r: “What do e s yo ur Grandma do ? What do e s she say? ”  Ruth: “She says “yo u do ne e d to e at mo re fruit and ve g inste ad o f c risps and c ho c o late ”, b ut I g e t spo ile d b y he r [g randmo the r] anyway, b e c ause she b uys me the c ho c o late ”.

4. E ffe c ts o n He a lth  Ab o ut ha lf o f the c hildre n re po rte d tha t fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s g ive yo u e ne rg y to e na b le yo u to b e physic a lly a c tive . “ Make s yo ur e ne rg y g o re ally, re ally hig h, so yo u’ re b o unc ing and stuff ” (L a ure n, a g e d 10).  Se ve ra l c hildre n a lso me ntio ne d tha t the y g a in nutrie nts fro m e a ting fo o ds, suc h a s fib re , vita mins a nd c a lc ium.  So me c hildre n a lso ide ntifie d ne g a tive e ffe c ts o n he a lth suc h a s ho w e a ting to o ma ny fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s ma y ma ke yo u put o n we ig ht.

5. Co nve nie nc e  Inc re a se d a c c e ssib ility fo r so me c hildre n ma de it e a sie r fo r the m to e a t the se fo o ds.  T he wa y tha t fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s we re pre pa re d a lso inc re a se d c hildre n’ s a c c e ssib ility to the se fo o ds. So me sa id tha t ha ving fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s disg uise d in sa uc e s o r so ups ma de it e a sie r fo r the m to e a t.  So me c hildre n sa id it wa s e a sie r to e a t fruit if it wa s slic e d up, fo r o the rs, this pre pa ra tio n o f fruit wa s a b a rrie r. “Yo u c an just pic k so me thing s up to e at, whe re as so me thing s yo u have to pre pare ” (Ale xe i, ag e d 9)

6. F a mily a nd F rie nds  F o r the ma jo rity o f pa rtic ipa nts, the fa mily unit we re se e n a s po sitive influe nc e s.  F a mily me mb e rs tha t we re no t po rtra ye d a s po sitive influe nc e s we re so me o f the pa rtic ipa nts’ b ro the rs who te a se d the m.  F rie nds we re ma inly pe rc e ive d a s ne g a tive so c ia l influe nc e s. “My frie nds… said I ’ m a sq uare fo r e ating the m” (Ruth, a g e d 10) “T he y think it’ s a b it stupid… the y say that yo u sho uld e at junk fo o d” (L a ure n, a g e d 10)

Co nc lusio ns  I nte rvie ws sho we d tha t de spite g ro wing up in a de prive d a re a , c hildre n e of the he alth be ne fits o f e a ting fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s. we r e awar  Ne g a tive b e lie fs we re a sso c ia te d with se nso ry pe rc e ptio ns (suc h a s ta ste , te xture , a ppe a ra nc e a nd a ro ma ), a va ila b ility, a nd the c o mpe ting de sira b ility o f o the r, unhe a lthy fo o ds.  Altho ug h pa re nts (o r c a re rs) a re ke y fa c ilita to rs fo r fruit a nd ve g e ta b le c o nsumptio n, sib ling s a nd frie nds a re a lso influe ntia l. Siblings and fr ie nds we r e found to have a ne gative e ffe c t thr ough te asing, and thr ough the ir uit and ve ge table s . own ne gative attitude s towar ds fr

Re c o mme nda tio ns  Pra c tic a l re c o mme nda tio ns fo r inte rve ntio ns inc lude :  inc re a sing the a va ila b ility o f pre -pre pa re d fruits a nd ve g e ta b le s in b o th ho me a nd sc ho o l e nviro nme nts  I nc re a sing the a ppe a l o f fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s.  We a lso re c o mme nd tha t a n a ppro a c h to e a ting mo re fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s whic h fo c use s o n sib ling s o r frie nds is ke y, a s the y se e m to pla y a ke y ro le in pro mo ting the c o nsumptio n o f the se fo o ds.

2. Wha t c ha lle ng e s a re fa c e d whe n trying to c ha ng e c hildre n’ s e a ting b e ha vio ur?

Cha lle ng e s  I nc lude :  I t is no t just the c hild b ut the fa mily… pa rtic ula rly fo r prima ry-sc ho o l a g e d c hildre n  Pe e rs a nd the ir influe nc e s  F ruit a nd ve g a re n’ t pe rc e ive d a s “c o o l”  Ava ila b ility in sho ps o f sna c ks a nd swe e ts (ne a r c o unte r, o n lo we r she lve s)  Cha ng ing pe rc e ptio ns/ b e lie fs  Swe e t sna c ks/ c a ke s/ c ho c o la te – ta ste nic e !

What c an we do ab o ut it?

3. De ve lo pme nt o f psyc ho lo g ic a l inte rve ntio ns to c ha ng e c hildre n’ s e a ting b e ha vio ur

I nte rve ntio ns b a se d o n pla nning a nd c ha ng ing mo tiva tio n  Study o f 198 se c o nda ry sc ho o l c hildre n in Sta ffo rdshire (a g e d 11-16).  F ruit a nd ve g e ta b le s me a sure d b y 7 da y se lf-re po rt.  Ra ndo mly a llo c a te d to thre e c o nditio ns: (1) c o ntro l (2) mo tiva tio na l a nd (3) pla nning . Gra tto n, L ., Po ve y, R. & Cla rk-Ca rte r D. (2007) Pro mo ting c hildre n’ s fruit a nd ve g e ta b le c o nsumptio n: I nte rve ntio ns using the T he o ry o f Pla nne d Be ha vio ur a s a fra me wo rk. British Jo urnal o f He alth Psyc ho lo g y, 12, 639-650

Wha t we did 7 da y fo o d dia ry MOT I VAT I ONAL PL ANNI NG CONT ROL He a lthy a c tivity Ma ke a pla n a b o ut Aske d to ma ke a she e t c ha lle ng ing ho w, whe n a nd pla n to c o mple te b e lie fs a b o ut e a ting whe re to e a t 5 ho me wo rk (c o ntro l) 5 po rtio ns fruit & ve g po rtio ns fruit & ve g T wo we e ks la te r: 7 da y fo o d dia ry

Wha t we fo und Numb e r o f po rtio ns o f fruit a nd ve g e ta b le s b y time 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 T ime 1 T ime 2 Pla nning Mo tiva tio na l Co ntro l