Browsing by Author "Sarić, Marijana Matek"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Are Consumers Aware of Sustainability Aspects Related to Edible Insects? Results from a Study Involving 14 CountriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Anjos, Ofélia; Boustani, Nada M.; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Ferreira, Manuela; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Bartkiene, Elena; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Tarcea, Monica; Correia, Paula; Campos, Sofia; Papageorgiou, Maria; Camino, Daniel Abarquero; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Kruma, Zanda; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, Vanessa; Djekic, IlijaIn recent years, edible insects have been suggested as an alternative food that is more sustainable compared with other sources of animal protein. However, knowledge about the sustainability aspects associated with this source of food may play a role in convincing consumers to adopt insects as part of their diet. In this context, the present study investigated the level of knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects in a group of people originating from 14 countries, with some naturally entomophagous and others not. To measure the knowledge, 11 items were selected and the scores obtained were tested with statistical tools (t-test for independent samples, analysis of variance—ANOVA) to search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, geographical origin, and consumption habits of edible insects. The obtained results showed that, in general, knowledge is moderate, with the values of the average scores for the 11 items investigated ranging from 0.23 ± 0.99 to 0.66 ± 1.02, on a scale ranging from –2 (=very low knowledge) to 2 (=very high knowledge). The highest scores were found for items relating to the lower use of animal feed and lower emission of greenhouse gases required for the production of insects compared with beef. When investigating the differences between groups of participants, significant differences were generally found, revealing a trend for higher knowledge among males and young adults, for participants residing in urban areas and in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Poland, and for participants with higher education levels and higher incomes. When testing the influence of consumption variables on the level of knowledge, the results showed a higher knowledge for participants who had already consumed insects or are willing to consume them. Finally, it was observed that higher knowledge was found for participants whose motivation to consume insects related to curiosity, a wish to preserve the planet, the gastronomic characteristics of insects, and their nutritional value. In conclusion, these results clearly indicate a very marked influence of a number of variables on the knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects, and this may be helpful to delineate strategies to effectively raise knowledge and eventually increase the willingness to consider insects as a more sustainable alternative to partially replace other protein foods, even in countries where this is a not a traditional practice.
- Consumer knowledge and attitudes toward healthy eating in Croatia: a cross-sectional studyPublication . Ljubičić, Marija; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Barić, Irena Colić; Rumbak, Ivana; Komes, Draženka; Šatalić, Zvonimir; Guiné, RaquelUnlike fast and restaurant food, diet rich in fibre is known to contribute significantly to health. The aim of our study was to assess eating habits such as consumption of fibre-rich, fast, and restaurant food of the general population in Croatia. For this purpose we used a validated survey designed by the Polytechnic Institute Viseu in Portugal, which includes questions about demographics, good eating habits related to the consumption of the main sources of dietary fibre (fruit, vegetables, and whole grains), and unhealthy eating habits related to the consumption of fast food and restaurant meals. Between October 2014 and March 2015 we received answers from 2,536 respondents aged between 18-70 years, of whom 67.4 % were women and 32.6 % were men. Most respondents reported consuming one serving of vegetables and one piece of fruit a day, and whole grains every other day. Women and urban residents reported consuming larger amounts of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains than men (p<0.001). Men, in turn, reported eating out and eating fast food more often than women (p<0.001). Eating out highly correlated with eating fast food, which translates to lower consumption of dietary fibre (p<0.001). Higher education correlated positively with the consumption of fibre-rich food, but it also correlated positively with the consumption of fast and restaurant food (p<0.001). While eating fast food is not the predominant dietary practice in Croatia, over 50 % of respondents have reported eating fast food at least once a week. Our data also indicate that consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains falls below the national and international dietary recommendations.
- Edible Insects: Consumption, Perceptions, Culture and Tradition Among Adult Citizens from 14 CountriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Boustani, Nada M.; Bartkiene, Elena; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Djekic, Ilija; Tarcea, Monica; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Kruma, Zanda; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Papageorgiou, Maria; Árias, Leticia González; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, Vanessa; Bayraktaroğlu, Emre; Arpa, Fatmanur OzyurekAlthough edible insects (EIs) are encouraged as a sustainable source of protein, their consumption is not as generalised as other types of food that are internationally accepted. While in some regions of the world, EIs are part of the gastronomic and cultural traditions, in other regions, people are not so receptive to this type of food, and some people even express some disgust towards it. Hence, this research focused on the habits of the participants regarding the consumption of insects as well as their perceptions about EIs being or not a part of the local culture or gastronomic patrimony. A questionnaire survey was implemented in fourteen countries (Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey), and globally, 7222 adult participants responded to the questionnaire. SPSS software (version 28) was used to process the data and carry out chi-square tests and Factor Analyses (FA). The obtained results showed significant differences between countries for all the questions included in the survey, either those regarding the habits of the participants or their opinions about the facts linked with EI tradition or cultural aspects. It was found that participants from Mexico consume EIs more than in all other countries and that strong motivations that would lead to consumption among those who do not consume include curiosity and food shortage. The solution obtained with FA considering the ten statements of the scale consisted of two factors: F1—Culture and Tradition of EIs (α = 0.675) and F2—Acceptance of EIs (α = 0.614). In conclusion, the consumption of EIs and the perceptions of people are highly variable according to geographic location and cultural environment.
- Influence of sociodemographic factors on eating motivations – modelling through artificial neural networks (ANN)Publication . Guiné, Raquel; Ferrão, Ana Cristina; Ferreira, Manuela; Correia, Paula; Mendes, Mateus; Bartkiene, Elena; Szűcs, Viktória; Tarcea, Monica; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Isoldi, Kathy; EL-Kenawy, Ayman; Ferreira, Vanessa; Klava, Dace; Korzeniowska, Małgorzata; Vittadini, Elena; Leal, Marcela; Frez-Muñoz, Lucia; Papageorgiou, Maria; Djekić, IlijaThis study aimed at investigating the influence of some sociodemographic factors on the eating motivations. A longitudinal study was carried conducted with 11960 participants from 16 countries. Data analysis included t-test for independent samples or ANOVA, and neural network models were also created, to relate the input and output variables. Results showed that factors like age, marital status, country, living environment, level of education or professional area significantly influenced all of the studied types of eating motivations. Neural networks modelling indicated variability in the food choices, but identifying some trends, for example the strongest positive factor determining health motivations was age, while for emotional motivations was living environment, and for economic and availability motivations was gender. On the other hand, country revealed a high positive influence for the social and cultural as well as for environmental and political and also for marketing and commercial motivations.
- Information about nutritional aspects of edible insects: Perspectives across different European geographiesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Bartkiene, Elena; Sarić, Marijana MatekEdible insects (EIs) have recently gained attention as an alternative and more sustainable food, emerging as an alternative to other protein foods with higher environmental impacts, like bovine meat. EIs contain a valuable composition of macro and micronutrients, important for human nutrition. Nevertheless, their consumption is not yet widespread in Western countries, such as in Europe. This work aimed to study how consumers in three different European locations perceive the role of EIs in human nutrition. Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire survey in three countries (Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal), and 1723 participants were included in the study. For the treatment of the data, SPSS software was used, and chi-square tests and tree classification analysis were performed. The results showed that for all the statements presented to the participants, significant differences were found in information about EIs according to country. The results further highlighted that the participants were better informed about the high protein content of EIs, while not being well informed about their possible anti-nutritive effects. Tree classification revealed that the most important discriminating variable was country, with Lithuanian participants being better informed than those from Portugal or Croatia.
- Investigation of the Level of Knowledge in Different Countries about Edible Insects: Cluster SegmentationPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia G.; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Djekic, Ilija; Papageorgiou, Maria; Baro, José M. F.; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, Monica; Boustani, Nada M.; Klava, Dace; Damarli, EmelThis study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge about edible insects (EIs) in a sample of people from thirteen countries (Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey). Data collection was based on a questionnaire survey applied through online tools between July and November 2021. For data analysis, techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, and chi-square tests were used, with a significance level of 5%. A total of 27 items were used to measure knowledge on a five-point Likert scale. Applying factor analysis with principal components and Varimax rotation, a solution that explains about 55% of variance was obtained. This accounts for four factors that retained 22 of the 27 initial items: F1 = Sustainability (8 items), F2 = Nutrition (8 items), F3 = Production Factors (2 items), and F4 = Health Concerns (4 items). Internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha. The cluster analysis consisted of the application of hierarchical methods followed by k-means and produced three clusters (1—‘fearful’, 2—‘farming,’ and 3—‘ecological’ individuals). The characterisation of the clusters revealed that age did not influence cluster membership, while sex, education, country, living environment, professional area, and income all influenced the composition of the clusters. While participants from Mexico and Spain were fewer in the ‘fearful’ cluster, in those from Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, and Turkey, the situation was opposed. Participants from rural areas were mostly in cluster 2, which also included a higher percentage of participants with lower income. Participants from professional areas linked with biology, food, and nutrition were mostly in cluster 3. In this way, we concluded that the level of knowledge about EIs is highly variable according to the individual characteristics, namely that the social and cultural influences of the different countries lead to distinct levels of knowledge and interpretation of information, thus producing divergent approaches to the consumption of insects—some more reluctant and measuring possible risks. In contrast, others consider EIs a good and sustainable protein-food alternative.
- Is Better Knowledge about Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber Related to Food Labels Reading Habits? A Croatian OverviewPublication . Ljubičić, Marija; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Rumbak, Ivana; Barić, Irena Colić; Sarić, Ana; Komes, Draženka; Šatalić, Zvonimir; Dželalija, Boris; Guiné, Raquel P. F.The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between health dietary patterns, knowledge, and consumption of dietary fiber (DF) with frequency of food label reading on food products with special reference to DF. The study was conducted in 2536 Croatian adults using an original questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess associations between food label reading habits and predictor variables. Our study confirms the association between habits regarding the reading of labels on food products, especially in relation to information about DF with the sociodemographic factors of respondents, dietary food patterns and DF consumption, as well as knowledge and sources of information about DF. Women, individuals with a university-level education, and those living in an urban environment had more frequent labels used. Food habits as well as eating outside of the home were positive predictors while eating fast food was a negative predictor of food label reading. Knowledge about DF, especially about its health benefits, was also associated with food label reading. The interpretation of associations could help with the design of effective public health programs. Targeted education campaigns to educate and sensitize the population about food labeling and monitoring may improve general knowledge about healthy food and its benefits, which include indirect effects on the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases.
- Motivation for health behaviour: A predictor of adherence to balanced and healthy food across different coastal Mediterranean countriesPublication . Ljubičić, Marija; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Klarin, Ivo; Rumbak, Ivana; Barić, Irena Colić; Ranilović, Jasmina; EL-Kenawy, Ayman; Papageorgiou, Maria; Vittadini, Elena; Bizjak, Maša Černelič; Guiné, RaquelThis cross-sectional study aimed to assess perceptions of healthy food and motivation for health behaviour (MHB) in different Mediterranean countries. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the association between perception of healthy food and MHB in different countries. The highest MHB was observed in Portugal (median 38.0; IQR 7.0) and the lowest in Greece (median 34.0; IQR 8.0). Compared to Portuguese respondents, respondents from Croatia (ß=0.35; p < 0.001), Egypt (ß=0.24; p < 0.001), and Greece (ß=0.10; p < 0.001) had a higher probability of a better perception of healthy food. Slovenia respondents had reduced perception of healthy food (ß=-0.10; p < 0.001) and MHB (ß=-0.22; p < 0.001), despite higher adherence to a healthy diet (ß=0.22; p < 0.001). Lifestyle habits, such as physical exercise, showed a weak association with MHB (ß=0.14; p < 0.001) and adherence to healthy food (ß=0.18; p < 0.001). The presence of most chronic diseases was negatively associated with MHB. The association between the perception of healthy food, MHB, and adherence to a balanced and healthy diet across different countries could be useful for implementing strategies to promote healthy eating and prevent chronic diseases.