ERIC Number: EJ807593
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-4046
EISSN: N/A
Discrepancy between Snack Choice Intentions and Behavior
Weijzen, Pascalle L. G.; de Graaf, Cees; Dijksterhuis, Garmt B.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v40 n5 p311-316 Sep-Oct 2008
Objective: To investigate dietary constructs that affect the discrepancy between intentioned and actual snack choice. Design: Participants indicated their intentioned snack choice from a set of 4 snacks (2 healthful, 2 unhealthful). One week later, they actually chose a snack from the same set. Within 1 week after the actual choice, they completed a questionnaire that evaluated several dietary constructs. Setting: Worksite cafeterias. Participants: Office employees in the Netherlands (N = 585, 65% male, mean age 39.6 years [standard deviation = 9.2], 83% highly educated). Main Outcome Measures: Snack choice intentions and actual snack choices (healthful vs unhealthful). Demographic and dietary constructs. Analysis: Student t tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression (P less than 0.05). Results: Forty-nine percent of the participants (n = 285) intended to choose a healthful snack. Of this group, 27% (n = 78) chose an unhealthful snack instead. Ninety-two percent (n = 276) of the unhealthful intenders did indeed choose an unhealthful snack. None of the dietary constructs significantly predicted the failure to enact a healthful snack choice intention. Conclusions and Implications: Although a substantial discrepancy between healthful intentions and actual snack choice was demonstrated, the evaluated constructs do not adequately measure the psychological process by which intention is converted into practice. Further studies are required to further investigate this process. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Intention, Foreign Countries, Nutrition, Health Behavior, Food, Selection, Statistical Analysis, Employees, Employee Attitudes, Adults, Eating Habits, Questionnaires, Decision Making
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A