Studying factual versus social cues as triggers of change in food behaviour.
| Autor: | Zorell CV; School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden., Kim A; School of Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Meal Science, Örebro University, Grythyttan, Sweden., Neuman N; Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Journal of nutritional science [J Nutr Sci] 2024 Dec 03; Vol. 13, pp. e88. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 03 (Print Publication: 2024). |
| DOI: | 10.1017/jns.2024.82 |
| Abstrakt: | Numerous public initiatives aim to influence individual food choices by informing about what is considered 'healthy', 'climate-friendly', and generally 'sustainable' food. However, research suggests that rather than public authorities, social influence is more likely to affect people's behaviour. Using a randomised controlled trial, this study investigated if and how the two kinds of influences (factual versus social) could affect the real-life, self-reported intake of plant- and animal-based foods. In a four-month randomised controlled trial, a self-selected sample of adults living in Sweden (N = 237) tracked their daily food consumption several times per week using a tailored mobile phone app. Participants were randomised into one of three groups: two treatment groups receiving factual or social information about plant- and animal-based food consumption, or a control group receiving no information. Pre- and post-questionnaires provided additional background information about the participants. Participants' food habits varied from week to week, and an explorative analysis pointed to a slight decrease in the consumption of animal-based food in the group that received social information. However, the longer-term patterns remained relatively constant in all groups, showing no substantial shift regardless of the kind of cues that the participants received. By investigating the roles of two common types of information about food and dietary change, the results contribute to discussions about how and by whom effective and efficient measures can be implemented to transform food habits. The results suggest there is limited potential for sustained and substantial behavioural changes through both social and factual information campaigns. Competing Interests: The mobile phone application is a reconfigured version of the commercially available MealLogger PLUS app, produced by Metabite, formerly Wellness Foundry Oy. The company does not use the data for commercial purposes nor has it any commercial interests in the trial itself. They are, however, interested in the results to learn how their product is performing in scientific research. Moreover, we received vouchers from the cooperative Lantmännen for products of one of their brands, which were offered as symbolic gifts to the study participants who participated until the end of the study. This was not accompanied by any kind of advertising and the cooperative had no other kind of involvement or influence in the study. (© The Author(s) 2024.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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