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Food neophobia and its association with food preferences and dietary intake of adults
Author(s) -
Costa Alexandra,
Silva Cláudia,
Oliveira Andreia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.479
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1747-0080
pISSN - 1446-6368
DOI - 10.1111/1747-0080.12587
Subject(s) - neophobia , food science , medicine , food preference , environmental health , food frequency questionnaire , food intake , affect (linguistics) , food consumption , biology , psychology , endocrinology , psychiatry , communication , agricultural economics , economics
Aim To assess the association of food neophobia (FN) with food preferences, dietary intake and dietary quality. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a non‐probabilistic sample of 229 Portuguese adults, aged 18 to 84 years. FN was measured with the FN Scale. Dietary intake over the previous 12 months was assessed by a validated semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We defined a dietary pattern the Healthy Diet Indicator, to summarise the effects of overall dietary intake. Generalised linear models were performed to test associations in multivariate analyses (controlled for sex, age and education). Results FN was negatively associated with a general liking for the act of eating ( β ^= − 2.976 , 95 % CI : − 5.324 ; − 0.993 ) and with reduced preferences for specific foods (fruit and vegetables, some types of meat and fish and traditional Portuguese dishes with blood). Those with higher FN showed a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, but a higher consumption of milk and codfish, a popular Portuguese ingredient. However, FN did not affect the macronutrients and energy intake, as well as sodium, added sugars and fibre intake. Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern was not significantly associated with FN. Conclusions FN was associated with a decreased consumption and preference for specific foods, but it had no impact on a healthy dietary pattern.