Examining food acquisition behaviors and diet quality in adults
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Food acquisition is the process of obtaining food. Food acquisition can be conceptualized across an ecological framework and includes the community food environment and the home food environment. Food is often initially obtained within a community environment, including from food-at-home retailers (grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and corner stores), from food-away-from-home establishments (fast food places and restaurants) or from food obtained for free (food pantries). Food is then brought into the home food environment where preparation may occur. This ultimately leads to consumption of the food, an individual-level behavior. Food skills, a central component of food literacy, are a set of behaviors surrounding meal planning, meal preparation, shopping, budgeting, resourcefulness, and label/reading consumer awareness, that are critical within the food acquisition process. Given the multiple intricacies and interplay between food acquisition, food skills, and consumption of food, the primary purpose of this dissertation was to understand the relationships between food skill behaviors within the food acquisition pathway and dietary intake in adults. Three unique papers guided the dissertation work. ☐ The first paper, a systematic review, examined the relationship between frequency of food shopping, a food skill, and fruit and vegetable consumption in adults. A total of 24 studies were included in the review with the majority of studies demonstrating a positive relationship between food shopping frequency and fruit and vegetable intake, particularly in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. ☐ The second and third paper focused more broadly on all food skill behaviors. The second paper shares findings from qualitative work that sought to understand the current food skill behaviors perceived as helpful for consuming a healthy diet and barriers related to implementing food skill behaviors with mothers. Emergent themes from focus groups with mothers demonstrated helpful food skills were resourcefulness, planning, and child involvement and influence. Themes for barriers included limited time, cooking for multiple needs and tastes, exposure to food and sales while shopping, and food cost. Based upon this formative work, the third paper examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of an 8-week food skills behavioral intervention specifically focused on the behaviors of meal planning and shopping. The behavioral intervention was grounded in behavior modification strategies as utilized in comprehensive lifestyle interventions with food skills-related education. Intervention goals included meal planning (six of seven dinner meals per week), meal plan implementation (at least four of six dinner meals planned), and always using a grocery list when shopping. Feasibility was demonstrated as participants attended a mean of 7.6 ± 1.0 (of 8) sessions and turned in 6.2 ± 1.7 (of 7) self-monitoring booklets. Participants planned 6.1 ± 1.5 meals/week and implemented 4.7 ± 1.6 of the six planned meals, achieving the intervention goals. Of the 1.2 ± 0.6 trips/week to the grocery store reported, grocery lists were used a mean of 1.1 ± 0.6 times. Food skills confidence increased significantly from baseline to eight-weeks (B: 86.5 ±18.0; 8-weeks: 101.4 ± 15.3; p<0.001) indicating initial efficacy. Nutrition knowledge also significantly increased (B: 64.1 ± 7.2; 8-weeks: 69.1 ± 6.6, p<0.001). ☐ Overall, this dissertation research examined food skill behaviors within the food acquisition pathway. This dissertation work elucidates the path of acquired food, initially from the community environment, into the home environment, and ultimately prepared for consumption. Successful implementation of food skill behaviors that support healthy food choices may allow for the integration of helpful strategies in the food acquisition process and ultimately promote diet quality.
Description
Keywords
Adults, Diet quality, Food acquisition