HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES

256 Pages·2014·2.18 MB·English

by  Christina Hartmann

Research Collection
Doctoral Thesis
Healthy food choices
Drivers and Barriers - Evidence from the Swiss Food Panel
Author(s):
Hartmann, Christina
Publication Date:
2014
Permanent Link:
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-010279224
Rights / License:
In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
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ETH Library
DISS. ETH Nr. 21862

HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES: DRIVERS AND BARRIERS
- EVIDENCE FROM THE SWISS FOOD PANEL

A dissertation submitted to
ETH ZURICH
For the degree of
Doctor of Science (Dr.sc. ETH Zurich)

presented by
CHRISTINA HARTMANN
MSc in Nutritional Science, University Giessen
born June 5th, 1985
Gera, Germany

accepted on the recommendation of

Prof. Dr. Michael Siegrist
Prof. Dr. Christine Brombach
Dr. Simone Dohle
Dr. Klazine van der Horst

2014
ii

Christina Hartmann was financed by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
iii

Contents iii
List of Tables vi
List of Figures ix
Abbreviations x

Part I
General Introduction
0 Aim of this thesis 2
1 Western society’s unhealthy lifestyle 4
1.1 Unhealthy diets 4
1.2 Inactivity 5
1.3 Overweight and obesity 7
2 Factors influencing food choices 8
2.1 Psychological conditions 8
2.1.1 The omnivore’s dilemma 8
2.1.2 Eating styles 10
2.1.3 Motivation and self-determination 12
2.2 Food skills
2.2.1 Cooking skills 14
2.2.2 Nutrition information usage 15
2.3 Eating context 17
2.3.1 Eating pattern 17
2.3.2 Life events 19

3 The Swiss Food Panel
3.1 Outline 21
3.2 Sample characteristics and development 21
24
4 Research questions
26
References Part I
iv

Part II
New studies from the Swiss Food Panel
5 Food neophobia in adults and food choices 39
5.1 Introduction 41
5.2 Methods 44
5.3 Results 48
5.4 Discussion 50
References 54
6 Emotional eating and physical activity 58
6.1 Introduction 60
6.2 Methods 63
6.3 Results 67
6.4 Discussion 76
References 78
7 Body weight motivation, food choices and physical activity 83
7.1 Introduction 85
7.2 Methods 89
7.3 Results 96
7.4 Discussion 107
References 111
8 Cooking skills and balanced food choices 117
8.1 Introduction 119
8.2 Methods 121
8.3 Results 127
8.4 Discussion 133
References 136
v
9 Nutrition information use and food choices 140
9.1 Introduction 142
9.2 Methods 145
9.3 Results 152
9.4 Discussion 160
References 164
10 Snack frequency and dietary pattern 169
10.1 Introduction 171
10.2 Methods 173
10.3 Results 178
10.4 Discussion 187
References 189
11 Life events and changes in food choices 192
11.1 Introduction 194
11.2 Methods 197
11.3 Results 200
11.4 Discussion 210
References 213
Part III
General Discussion
12 Central findings, implications and further directions 218
12.1 Drivers 218
12.2 Barriers
227
13 Methodological issues 231
14 Conclusion – The choice is yours, isn’t it? 235
References Part III
237
Summary 242
Zusammenfassung 243
Danksagung 245
Curriculum vitae 246
vi
List of Tables

Table 1.1 The International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and 7
obesity according to Body Mass Index.
Table 3.1 Sample characteristics and development of the Swiss Food Panel. 22
Table 4.1 Chapter overview and central research questions. 25
Table 5.1 Original English items of the food neophobia scale, and German and 45
French translations of the items.
Table 5.2 Results of a linear regression analysis with the neophobia scale as 48
dependent variable, and various socio-demographic variables as
independent variables.
Table 5.3 Correlations between neophobia scores and several food 49
frequency measures.
Table 5.4 Correlations between neophobia scores and much various foods are liked 50
Table 5.5 Correlations between neophobia scores and various variables. 50
Table 6.1 Descriptive statistics for all scales. 69
Table 6.2 Correlations Among Time 1 and Time 2 Variables. 70
Table 6.3 Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting BMI at T2. 71
Table 6.4 Hierarchical Regression Analyses Predicting Diet-Related Health 73
Consciousness at T2.
Table 6.5 Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Vegetables/Fruits 74
Consumption at T2.
Table 6.6 Multiple Linear Regression Predicting Sweet, High-fat Food 75
Consumption at T2.
Table 7.1 Mean scores and standard deviations for the different reasons to 93
regulate body weight
Table 7.2 Characteristics of the study population. 97
Table 7.3 Pearson correlations among all variables 98
Table 7.4 Pearson correlations among SDT-based measures, food choices, alcohol 99
frequency and recreational PA
Table 7.5 Longitudinal regressions with SDT-based measures (T1) as predictors for 101
change in food choices (T2) in women, controlled for age and initial food
choices (T1).
vii
Table 7.6 Longitudinal regressions with SDT-based measures (T1) as predictors for 102
change in food choices (T2) in men, controlled for age and initial food
choices (T1).
Table 7.7 Summary of logistic regression analysis with SDT-based measures (T1) 104
as predictors for change in vigorous PA.
Table 7.8 Longitudinal regression with SDT-based measures (T1) predicting 105
changes in BMI (T2), controlled for age and initial BMI (T1).
Table 7.9 Summary of logistic regression analysis with SDT-based 106
measures (T1) as predictors for change in moderate PA.
(Additional file)
Table 8.1 Psychological variables and their underlying items used in the 125
Food Panel questionnaire
Table 8.2 Food groups and their underlying items from the FFQ used to 126
characterise dietary behaviour of respondents.
Table 8.3 Test-retest results from the cooking skills items 128
Table 8.4 Characteristics of the study population according to gender 129
Table 8.5 Results from the multiple regression analysis with cooking skills as the 131
dependent variable
Table 8.6 Pearson’s correlation coefficients for cooking skills and consumption 132
frequency of various food groups
Table 9.1 Food groups and their underlying items from the FFQ used to characterise 150
dietary behaviour of respondents
Table 9.2 Cluster centres and standard deviations for the seven variables included in 153
the cluster analysis for each cluster
Table 9.3 Demographic characteristics of the four nutrition information clusters. 154
Table 9.4 Means and standard deviations of self-reported food frequencies of 155
familiar food products per nutrition information cluster and gender
Table 9.5 Means and standard deviations of self-reported food frequencies of 156
convenience and functional food products per nutrition information
cluster and gender
Table 9.6 Means and standard deviations of various determinants of food 157
consumption, per nutrition information cluster
Table 10.1 Food groups and their underlying items from the FFQ 177
Table 10.2 Characteristics of the study population according to gender 179
viii

Table 10.3 Characteristics of the study population according to tertiles of snack 180
frequency per week.
Table 10.4 Results from the multiple regression analysis predicting snack 183
frequency per week
Table 10.5 Cluster centres for the six dietary behaviours included in the cluster 185
analysis for high frequency snack consumers
Table 10.6 Descriptive factors for the three clusters 186
Table 11.1 Food-group variables and their underlying items from the FFQ 198
Table 11.2 Characteristics of the female study population according to household 202
type
Table 11.3 Characteristics of the male study population according to household type 205
Table 11.4 Results for the life event ‘moving in with a partner’ 207
Table 11.5 Results for the life event ‘birth of a first child’ 209
ix

List of Figures

Figure 1.1 Determinants of physical activity from the individual, intrapersonal, 6
environmental and policy level
Figure 2.1 Conceptual food choice model 9
Figure 2.2 Self-determination continuum showing types of motivation with their 13
regulatory styles, loci of causality and corresponding process
Figure 3.1 Flow chart depicting the Swiss Food Panel sample development 23
Figure 7.1 Flow chart depicting the Swiss Food Panel sample development 92
Figure 8.1 Mean values for cooking skills plotted against age groups for males and 130
females