Citation
(2007), "Adolescents' food choices", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2007.01737fab.041
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Adolescents' food choices
Adolescents' food choices
A better understanding of adolescent food choice is being gained through a major EU project – HELENA – involving 26 partners from ten countries. The findings will help companies develop and promote products that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle amongst European 13-16 year olds.
Qualitative research through 44 focus groups with 304 adolescents across five countries has explored eating habits, influences on food choice, favourite foods and lifestyle factors. In all countries, taste was the most important factor influencing choice, followed by parents. Habit was more important in Belgium and Spain, whereas in Sweden meal choices are influenced more by school. Adolescents in all countries identified similar barriers to eating healthily, citing taste, effort, price and lack of immediate concern about unhealthy eating habits.
This research has been used to develop a quantitative "food choices and preferences questionnaire" to gather information from adolescents in ten countries. This will explore in greater detail aspects such as snacking behaviour, preference for and barriers to healthy eating and factors that influence food choice.
For further information go to: www.helenastudy.com