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5 pages, 181 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children

by Monica Laureati

Foods 2022, 11(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020203 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3066

Abstract

According to recent findings, action is urgently needed to promote healthy eating habits among children, especially to increase daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 646 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Food Texture Acceptance, Sensory Sensitivity, and Food Neophobia in Children and Their Parents

by Maddalena Cappellotto and Annemarie Olsen

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2327; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10102327 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5330

Abstract

This study aims to explore whether children’s food texture preferences are associated with different levels of sensory sensitivity and food neophobia, as well as with other variables, such as parental texture preferences. An online questionnaire was completed by 70 children aged 6–13 years [...] Read more.

This study aims to explore whether children’s food texture preferences are associated with different levels of sensory sensitivity and food neophobia, as well as with other variables, such as parental texture preferences. An online questionnaire was completed by 70 children aged 6–13 years old, alongside one of their parents. Generic texture preferences of children and parents were investigated with the Child Food Texture Preference Questionnaire (CFTPQ). Parents provided background information about their children by completing the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The results showed that children who differed in their texture-liker status also differed in their levels of food neophobia and sensory information processing: children who preferred softer and non-particulate versions of foods were found to be more neophobic and sensory sensitive across all sensory domains. No relationship was found between parental and children’s texture preferences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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24 pages, 42138 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Meat Reduction in 5 to 8 Years Old Children—A Survey to Investigate the Role of Parental Meat Attachment

by Julia Erhardt and Annemarie Olsen

Foods 2021, 10(8), 1756; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10081756 - 29 Jul 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5130

Abstract

It is by now well established that a plant-based and meatless or reduced-meat diet is an important contribution to a sustainability and healthy diet. This work discusses important determinants for parents of implementing a meat reduced diet for their children. A questionnaire was [...] Read more.

It is by now well established that a plant-based and meatless or reduced-meat diet is an important contribution to a sustainability and healthy diet. This work discusses important determinants for parents of implementing a meat reduced diet for their children. A questionnaire was conducted with 90 parents of children aged 5–8 years living in Germany, where they had to choose one out of three options of a dish, namely meaty, reduced meat and no meat, for their child. The results show that the parent’s attachment to meat and the associated attitudes and habits play a crucial role in their meal choice and therefore eating behaviour, including consumed amounts of meat, of their child. Moreover, perceived tastiness, healthiness and balanced serving style, as well as the child’s preferences influences the parent’s decision. The findings of this work provide valuable insights to the food industry and food producers, health professionals and public health, as it highlights the background, as well as some drivers and barriers for parents choosing a dish with less meat for their children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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20 pages, 1023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimising Repeated Exposure: Determining Optimal Exposure Frequency for Introducing a Novel Vegetable among Children

by Klelia Karagiannaki, Christian Ritz, Louise Grønhøj Hørbye Jensen, Ellen Hyldgaard Tørsleff, Per Møller, Helene Hausner and Annemarie Olsen

Foods 2021, 10(5), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10050913 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4044

Abstract

Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, but unfortunately many children are not consuming enough to meet the recommendations. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies towards increasing the acceptance of this food group. This study aims to investigate the [...] Read more.

Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, but unfortunately many children are not consuming enough to meet the recommendations. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies towards increasing the acceptance of this food group. This study aims to investigate the effect of different repeated exposure frequencies on fruit and vegetable acceptance using a novel vegetable, daikon, among 3–6-year-old children. One hundred and fifty-nine children participated in this study. Eight kindergarten teams were assigned to one of the following groups: Three different intervention groups with varying exposure frequencies, but all receiving seven exposures: Twice a week (n = 47), once a week (n = 32) and once every second week (n = 30), and a control group (n = 50). Liking and familiarity of daikon and other vegetables (cucumber, celery, celeriac, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and two follow up sessions (3 and 6 months) to test for potential generalisation effects and observe the longevity of the obtained effects. Intake of daikon was measured at all exposures and test sessions. Results showed significant increases (p ≤ 0.05) in liking and intake of daikon for all three frequencies and the control group. Over the exposures, intake of daikon increased until the 4th exposure for all the groups, where a plateau was reached. No systematic generalisation effects were found. Repeated exposure was a successful approach to increase liking and intake of a novel vegetable with all exposure frequencies to be effective, and no particular exposure frequency can be recommended. Even the few exposures the control group received were found to be sufficient to improve intake and liking over 6 months (p ≤ 0.05), indicating that exposures to low quantities of an unfamiliar vegetable may be sufficient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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26 pages, 2196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimising Repeated Exposure: Determining Optimal Stimulus Shape for Introducing a Novel Vegetable among Children

by Klelia Karagiannaki, Christian Ritz, Ditte Søbye Andreasen, Raphaela Achtelik, Per Møller, Helene Hausner and Annemarie Olsen

Foods 2021, 10(5), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10050909 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2848

Abstract

Although it is well evident that a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables could prevent a number of major chronic diseases, national and international guidelines concerning their intake are not being reached by a large percentage of the population, including children. Thus, [...] Read more.

Although it is well evident that a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables could prevent a number of major chronic diseases, national and international guidelines concerning their intake are not being reached by a large percentage of the population, including children. Thus, it is of interest to investigate how the consumption of this food group by children could be increased. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of serving style on the consumption of a raw snack vegetable (daikon) and the influence of its exposure on liking and intake of the vegetable. A group of 185 children 3–5 years old participated in the study. Two kindergartens served as intervention groups, while the third was assigned to be the control group of the study (n = 50). The intervention groups were repeatedly exposed to one of three different serving styles of daikon: sticks (n = 42), triangles (n = 46) or grated (n = 47), and they were all visited 7 times during the exposure period, on the same frequency (twice per week). Familiarity and liking of the target vegetable, daikon, and six other vegetables (cucumber, celery, celeriac, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot) were measured at baseline, post-intervention and two follow up sessions (3- and 6-month) to investigate the likelihood of generalisation effects. Intake of daikon was measured at all control sessions and exposures. Moreover, children were asked to rank their favourite serving style of daikon and beetroot, among triangle, stick and grated, towards understanding the influence of shape on the efficacy of the exposure. The results revealed significant changes between liking and intake of daikon for the groups of triangles and sticks and the control group (p < 0.05). The group that received grated daikon did not show significant differences in liking and at intake levels during the exposures but performed well in the long-term. Throughout the exposure period, intake levels followed an overall increasing pattern, with all the groups to demonstrate a decrease of their intake at the last session, which was not found significant for the triangle group. Mere exposure was efficient towards increasing liking and intake of the novel vegetable with all the shapes to deliver positive results, but based on this study no particular serving style can be recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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19 pages, 1825 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Rachel Hildrey, Heidi Karner, Jessica Serrao, Carolyn A. Lin, Ellen Shanley and Valerie B. Duffy

Foods 2021, 10(3), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10030579 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3494

Abstract

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 [...] Read more.

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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27 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mothers’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Children’s Vegetable Consumption—A Qualitative, Cross-cultural Study of Chilean, Chinese and American Mothers Living in Northern California

by Karinna Estay, Amalie Kurzer and Jean-Xavier Guinard

Foods 2021, 10(3), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10030519 - 2 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2831

Abstract

This exploratory research focused on the cultural variables involved in children’s vegetable consumption, through the analysis of mothers’ perceptions, attitudes, and feeding practices regarding their children’s intake, using qualitative consumer research methods. Twelve focus groups of mothers with children between 2–12 years old [...] Read more.

This exploratory research focused on the cultural variables involved in children’s vegetable consumption, through the analysis of mothers’ perceptions, attitudes, and feeding practices regarding their children’s intake, using qualitative consumer research methods. Twelve focus groups of mothers with children between 2–12 years old (Euro-Americans n = 20, Chinese n = 19, and Chilean n = 19) were conducted. All participants lived in Northern California, had higher education, and incomes that did not limit their vegetable purchase. Intercultural differences in vegetable preferences and consumption habits were found. Mothers across all groups agreed on the importance of children’s vegetable consumption, the influence that mothers have over their children’s vegetable intake, and how challenging it is to get children to eat a variety of vegetables. The ethnic groups differed regarding how they perceived the level of mothers’ responsibility over children’s vegetable intake, the way that mothers defined the amount of vegetables that children should eat, the constraints that mothers had on increasing their children’s vegetable intake and mothers’ recommendations to encourage vegetable consumption. Our study suggests that under similar socio-economic and parental education levels, culture-specific strategies should be considered to foster healthy dietary habits in children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

18 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Media Use in Association with Sensory Taste Preferences in European Children and Adolescents—Results from the I.Family Study

by Elida Sina, Christoph Buck, Wolfgang Ahrens, Stefaan De Henauw, Hannah Jilani, Lauren Lissner, Dénes Molnár, Luis A. Moreno, Valeria Pala, Lucia Reisch, Alfonso Siani, Antonia Solea, Toomas Veidebaum, Antje Hebestreit and on behalf of the I.Family Consortium

Foods 2021, 10(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020377 - 9 Feb 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3692

Abstract

Digital media (DM) influences children’s food choice. We aim to investigate associations between DM use and taste preferences (TP) for sweet, fatty, bitter, and salty in European children and adolescents. Individuals aged 6–17 years (N = 7094) providing cross-sectional data for DM use: [...] Read more.

Digital media (DM) influences children’s food choice. We aim to investigate associations between DM use and taste preferences (TP) for sweet, fatty, bitter, and salty in European children and adolescents. Individuals aged 6–17 years (N = 7094) providing cross-sectional data for DM use: television (TV), computer/game console (PC), smartphone and internet, were included. Children (6 to <12 years) and adolescents (≥12 years) completed a Food and Beverage Preference Questionnaire; scores were calculated for sweet, fatty, salty and bitter preference and categorized (high vs. low). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios as association measures between DM exposure and TP. On average, individuals used media for 2.4 h/day (SD = 1.7). Increasing exposures to DM were associated positively with sweet, fatty and salty TP, while inversely with bitter preference. In female adolescents, DM exposure for >2 h/day was associated with sweet (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.02–1.57) and fatty preference (OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.10–1.70). Internet exposure was inversely associated with bitter preference, notably in male adolescents (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.50–0.84), but positively associated with salty preference (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.64). DM exposure was associated with sweet, fatty, salty and bitter TP in children and adolescents, serving as the basis for future longitudinal studies to shed light on the underlying mechanism by which DM exposure may determine eating habits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

26 pages, 3223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acceptance of a Nordic, Protein-Reduced Diet for Young Children during Complementary Feeding—A Randomized Controlled Trial

by Ulrica Johansson, Lene Lindberg, Inger Öhlund, Olle Hernell, Bo Lönnerdal, Saara Lundén, Mari Sandell and Torbjörn Lind

Foods 2021, 10(2), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020275 - 29 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3966

Abstract

Early life is critical for developing healthy eating patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Nordic, protein-reduced complementary diet (ND) compared to a diet following the current Swedish dietary guidelines on eating patterns and food acceptance. At 4–6 months (mo) [...] Read more.

Early life is critical for developing healthy eating patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Nordic, protein-reduced complementary diet (ND) compared to a diet following the current Swedish dietary guidelines on eating patterns and food acceptance. At 4–6 months (mo) of age infants were randomized to a Nordic group (NG, n = 41) or a Conventional group (CG, n = 40), and followed until 18 mo of age. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables (mean ± sd) at 12 mo was significantly higher in the NG compared to the CG: 341 ± 108 g/day vs. 220 ± 76 g/day (p < 0.001), respectively. From 12 to 18 mo, fruit and vegetable intake decreased, but the NG still consumed 32% more compared to the CG: 254 ± 99 g/day vs. 193 ± 67 g/day (p = 0.004). To assess food acceptance, both groups were tested with home exposure meals at 12 and 18 mo. No group differences in acceptance were found. We find that a ND with parental education initiates healthy eating patterns during infancy, but that the exposure meal used in the present study was insufficient to detect major differences in food acceptance. This is most likely explained by the preparation of the meal. Nordic produce offers high environmental sustainability and favorable taste composition to establish healthy food preferences during this sensitive period of early life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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14 pages, 419 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Preferences Are Associated with Their Mothers’ and Fathers’ Preferences

by Kaisa Kähkönen, Mari Sandell, Anna Rönkä, Mika Hujo and Outi Nuutinen

Foods 2021, 10(2), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020261 - 27 Jan 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4605

Abstract

Children’s preference for fruit and vegetables must emerge during childhood. At children’s homes, mothers and fathers influence children’s developing food preferences with their own preferences and actions. The purpose of the study was to reveal the association parents have with their children’s fruit [...] Read more.

Children’s preference for fruit and vegetables must emerge during childhood. At children’s homes, mothers and fathers influence children’s developing food preferences with their own preferences and actions. The purpose of the study was to reveal the association parents have with their children’s fruit and vegetable preferences. The study was conducted in a sample of Finnish mothers and fathers of 3–5-year-old children. The participants were recruited, and questionnaires distributed through early childhood education and care centers in 2014 and 2015. The results showed considerable variance in the children’s preferences, and were more similar with their father’s, than their mother’s preference. There was an association between mother’s and children’s preference for “strong-tasting vegetables and berries“ (p = 0.005), “sweet-tasting fruit“ (p < 0.001) and “common vegetables“ (p = 0.037). Fathers preferences associated with children’s preferences for “strong-tasting vegetables and berries“ (p = 0.003). Food neophobia decreased children’s “strong-tasting vegetables and berries“ (p < 0.001) and “sweet-tasting fruit“ (p < 0.001) preferences. The father’s more relaxed attitude towards eating decreased children’s preferences for “strong-tasting vegetables and berries“ (p = 0.031) and “sweet-tasting fruit“ (p = 0.003). These findings indicate a need for more targeted strategies for increasing children’s preferences for fruit and vegetables and highlight the importance of taking both parents equally into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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18 pages, 567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Yuck, This Biscuit Looks Lumpy! Neophobic Levels and Cultural Differences Drive Children’s Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Descriptions and Preferences for High-Fibre Biscuits

by Pernilla Sandvik, Monica Laureati, Hannah Jilani, Lisa Methven, Mari Sandell, Marlies Hörmann-Wallner, Noelia da Quinta, Gertrude G. Zeinstra and Valérie L. Almli

Foods 2021, 10(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010021 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3999

Abstract

Food neophobia influences food choice in school-aged children. However, little is known about how children with different degrees of food neophobia perceive food and to what extent different sensory attributes drive their liking. This paper explores liking and sensory perception of fibre-rich biscuits [...] Read more.

Food neophobia influences food choice in school-aged children. However, little is known about how children with different degrees of food neophobia perceive food and to what extent different sensory attributes drive their liking. This paper explores liking and sensory perception of fibre-rich biscuits in school-aged children (n = 509, age 9–12 years) with different degrees of food neophobia and from five different European countries (Finland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom). Children tasted and rated their liking of eight commercial biscuits and performed a Check-All-That-Apply task to describe the samples and further completed a Food Neophobia Scale. Children with a higher degree of neophobia displayed a lower liking for all tasted biscuits (p < 0.001). Cross-cultural differences in liking also appeared (p < 0.001). A negative correlation was found between degree of neophobia and the number of CATA-terms used to describe the samples (r = −0.116, p = 0.009). Penalty analysis showed that degree of food neophobia also affected drivers of biscuit liking, where particularly appearance terms were drivers of disliking for neophobic children. Cross-cultural differences in drivers of liking and disliking were particularly salient for texture attributes. Further research should explore if optimizing appearance attributes could be a way to increase liking of fibre-rich foods in neophobic children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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23 pages, 3158 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Lingual Tactile Sensitivity in Children and Adults: Methodological Suitability and Challenges

by Marta Appiani, Noemi Sofia Rabitti, Lisa Methven, Camilla Cattaneo and Monica Laureati

Foods 2020, 9(11), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9111594 - 3 Nov 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3541

Abstract

Few methodological approaches have been developed to measure lingual tactile sensitivity, and little information exists about the comparison between children and adults. The aims of the study were to: verify the cognitive and perceptive suitability of Von Frey filaments and a gratings orientation [...] Read more.

Few methodological approaches have been developed to measure lingual tactile sensitivity, and little information exists about the comparison between children and adults. The aims of the study were to: verify the cognitive and perceptive suitability of Von Frey filaments and a gratings orientation test in children of different ages; compare lingual tactile sensitivity between children and adults; investigate the relationships between lingual tactile sensitivity, preference and consumption of foods with different textures and level of food neophobia. One hundred and forty-seven children aged 6–13 years and their parents participated in the study, in addition to a separate sample of seventy adults. Participants filled in questionnaires, and lingual tactile sensitivity was evaluated through filaments and gratings. Results showed that gratings evaluation was more difficult than filaments assessment but enabled a better separation of participants according to their performance than filaments. R-indices from filaments were not correlated with those of gratings, suggesting that the tools measure different dimensions of lingual tactile sensitivity. No differences were found in lingual tactile sensitivity between children and adults, nor between children of different ages. Food neophobia was negatively associated with preferences of hard foods in children. Although a multifactor analysis concluded that neither texture preferences nor food consumption were strongly correlated with lingual tactile sensitivity, there was a weak but significant positive correlation between lingual tactile sensitivity to the finest Von Frey filament and food neophobia in the youngest age group, indicating that children with higher levels of food neophobia are more sensitive to oral tactile stimuli. Suitable child-friendly adaptations for the assessment of lingual sensitivity in children are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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21 pages, 1530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Relationships between Basic Tastes Sensitivities, Fattiness Sensitivity, and Food Liking in 11-Year-Old Children

by Ervina Ervina, Ingunn Berget and Valérie L. Almli

Foods 2020, 9(9), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091315 - 18 Sep 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5852

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships between basic tastes and fattiness sensitivity and food liking in 11-year-old children. The basic taste sensitivity of 106 children was measured using different methods, namely detection (DT) and recognition (RT) thresholds, and taste responsiveness. Caffeine and quinine (bitter), [...] Read more.

This study investigates the relationships between basic tastes and fattiness sensitivity and food liking in 11-year-old children. The basic taste sensitivity of 106 children was measured using different methods, namely detection (DT) and recognition (RT) thresholds, and taste responsiveness. Caffeine and quinine (bitter), sucrose (sweet), citric acid (sour), sodium chloride (salty), and monosodium glutamate (umami) were investigated for DT and RT at five concentrations in water solutions. In addition, taste responsiveness and liking were collected for the high-intensity concentrations. PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) responsiveness was tested on paper strips. Fattiness sensitivity was measured by a paired comparison method using milk samples with varying fat content. Liking for 30 food items was recorded using a food-list questionnaire. The test was completed in a gamified “taste detective” approach. The results show that DT correlates with RT for all tastes while responsiveness to PROP correlates with overall taste responsiveness. Caffeine and quinine differ in bitterness responsiveness and liking. Girls have significantly lower DTs than boys for bitterness and sweetness. Food liking is driven by taste and fattiness properties, while fatty food liking is significantly influenced by fattiness sensitivity. These results contribute to a better holistic understanding of taste and fattiness sensitivity in connection to food liking in preadolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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20 pages, 52068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Meaning of Emoji to Describe Food Experiences in Pre-Adolescents

by Julia Sick, Erminio Monteleone, Lapo Pierguidi, Gastón Ares and Sara Spinelli

Foods 2020, 9(9), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091307 - 16 Sep 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 7028

Abstract

Ongoing research has shown that emoji can be used by children to discriminate food products, but it is unclear if they express emotions and how they are linked to emotional words. Little is known about how children interpret emoji in terms of their [...] Read more.

Ongoing research has shown that emoji can be used by children to discriminate food products, but it is unclear if they express emotions and how they are linked to emotional words. Little is known about how children interpret emoji in terms of their emotional meaning in the context of food. This study aimed at investigating the emotional meaning of emoji used to describe food experiences in 9–13-year-old pre-adolescents and to measure related age and gender differences. The meaning of 46 emoji used to describe food experience was explored by: mapping emoji according to similarities and differences in their emotional meaning using the projective mapping technique, and linking emoji with emotion words using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) format. The two tasks gave consistent results and showed that emoji were discriminated along the valence (positive vs. negative) and power (dominant vs. submissive) dimension, and to a lower extent along the arousal dimension (high vs. low activation). In general, negative emoji had more distinct meanings than positive emoji in both studies, but differences in nuances of meaning were found also among positive emoji. Girls and older pre-adolescents (12–13 years old (y.o.)) discriminated positive emoji slightly better than boys and younger pre-adolescents (9–11 y.o.). This suggests that girls and older pre-adolescents may be higher in emotional granularity (the ability to experience and discriminate emotions), particularly of positive emotions. The results of the present work can be used for the development of an emoji-based tool to measure emotions elicited by foods in pre-adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determinants of Preference and Consumption of Healthy Food in Children)

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