Importance of mental performance in parental choice of food for children aged 4–10 years: a study in four European countries
| Autor: | Peter Williams, Brigitte Brands, JC Lopez-Robles, Eszter Györei, Heather Gage, Tamás Decsi, Cristina Campoy, Monique M. Raats, Berthold Koletzko, Bernadette Egan |
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| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Parents
Male 0301 basic medicine Gerontology Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice Pediatrics General interest Food choice Child Behavior Medicine (miscellaneous) Choice Behavior Cognition 0302 clinical medicine Germany Surveys and Questionnaires Medicine Parent-Child Relations Young adult Child Children Nutrition and Dietetics Parenting Middle Aged Research Papers England Child Preschool Female Diet Healthy Adult medicine.medical_specialty Mental performance Adolescent Decision Making Nutritional Status 030209 endocrinology & metabolism Food Preferences Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences Humans Cognitive skill Hungary 030109 nutrition & dietetics Health professionals business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Physical health European countries Mood Spain business |
| Zdroj: | Public Health Nutr |
| ISSN: | 1475-2727 1368-9800 |
| Popis: | ObjectiveTypically, attention focuses on how nutrition affects physical health. The present study investigated the importance that parents attach to the impact of diet on mental performance when choosing food for their child.DesignQuestionnaire.SettingFour European countries.SubjectsParents of children aged 4–10 years (n 1574): England (n 397), Germany (n 389), Hungary (n 398) and Spain (n 390).ResultsMost parents (80–85 %) considered the effect of food on four elements of mental performance (child’s ability to learn, attention, behaviour, mood) to be moderately, very, extremely (v. slightly, not at all) important in food choices; over 90 % considered healthiness of food and making food appealing to their child important; 79·8 % cost; 76·8 % convenience. Belief that food affects mental performance was 57·4 % (ability to learn), 60·5 % (attention); less than 40 % of parents agreed they were aware which foods had an effect. Parents with lower general interest in healthy eating were less likely to consider the effect of food on mental performance elements as important. Respondents from Germany were more likely to rate mental performance as important (except behaviour); those in Hungary less likely. The most important influence on parents’ decisions about feeding their child was their own experience, except Spain, where family/friends/health professionals were more important.ConclusionsNutrition affects brain development and cognitive functioning. Low prioritisation of the effect of food on mental performance indicates potential for educating parents. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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