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- Study about some environmental factors that determine people’s food choices in 16 different countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Ferreira, Manuela; Correia, Paula; Leal, Marcela; Ferreira, Vanessa; Rumbak, Ivana; EL-Kenawy, Ayman; Papageorgiou, Maria; Szucs, Viktória; Vittadini, Elena; Klava, Dace; Bartkiene, Elena; Munoz, Lucia; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Tarcea, Monica; Djekic, Ilija; Bizjak, Masa; Isoldi, KathyIn the ambit of the multinational project EATMOT undertaken in 16 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and United States of America) a study was undertaken to evaluate the motivations for food choices as influenced by variables linked to sustainability. In this way aspects related with minimization of transportation and storage of food products, minimization of package or use of eco-materials, respect for animal’s rights and policies of recovery of food surplus were studied. The food sector is a very important one and greatly contributes to the pressure over the ecosystems, either because a great amount of food is produced, many times in intensive regimens, to feed humans on earth or because those foods are nowadays traded all over the world, contributing for the increase of the ecological footprint, and most especially if the transportation requires refrigeration systems. Hence, nowadays consumers may be aware of these problems and condition some of their food choices to these aspects. The research was undertaken by means of a questionnaire survey on nearly 12 thousand participants, from the 16 countries cited above. Briefly, the results indicated that, in general the concerns with environment and sustainability are important for most of the participants. Specifically, 55.2% preferably choose foods form the season and 49.15 prefer to buy local foods. About half of the participants (50.4%) opt for foods that comply with sustainable processing and packaging and the minimal usage of packaging is important to 49.1%. While a great majority, 70.7% try to avoid food waste at home, when it to comes to frequenting restaurants that do not have a recovery policy of food surplus the percentage is much lower, only 18.6%. The animal´s rights are a conditioning factor for food choice for about half of the participants, 49.8%. Still, it was observed that many of the participants did not manifest their opinion, with a percentage varying between 17.2 and 46.7%. These findings are important to understand the level of commitment of the general population around the world with sustainability factors determining their food choices and on the other hand show that there is still an important part of the population that do not take care about sustainability aspects when buying or consuming food, which something that we do several times everyday and year after year.
- An insight of Europeans’ knowledge about dietary fibers in relationship with obesityPublication . Tarcea, Monica; Nemes, L.; Rus, Victoria; Fazakas, Zita; Serban, Costela; Szucs, Viktoria; Guiné, RaquelObjectives: To estimate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of Romanian population, and their knowledge towards dietary fibre intake, the information sources preferred and perception of obesity related health risks. Methods: We used a convenient cross-sectional survey, and the data were collected using a validated questionnaire, disseminated online. Six different Romanian counties with 57 cities were selected in 2016, with 670 participants, and we used the SPSS program 22.0 for statistical purpose. The same questionnaire was applied in other 7 European countries, part of an international project design. Results: The knowledge about dietary fibres intake was low in Romanian sample, also was the ingestion of foods rich in fibre (fruits, vegetables and cereals). Compared to men, women agree significantly more frequent that fibres in appropriate amounts can prevent or treat diseases (U=44607, z=-4.66, p<0.001, r=0.18) and separately related to specific diseases, that fibres can prevent and/or treat cardio-vascular diseases, cholesterol, bowel cancer, breast cancer, constipation, and diabetes, but with no differences regarding the deficiency of vitamins and minerals (p=0.774) or obesity (p=0.399). Regarding the differences observed by countries, the highest fruit consumption was found for Portugal (11.7 portions per week), while the lowest was for Hungary (7.4) and Latvia (7.1). Turkey that had the highest interest for food labelling (4.0 points), contrarily to Macedonia (3.0) with the lowest value, and Hungary with 3.6 points. The indepth analysis of factors that are able to influence European’s knowledge and attitudes towards food fibres, defined the social profile of the respondents with interest on dietary fibre intake, which is: young females, with at least high school education, that considers internet and television like main sources of information regarding fibres. Conclusions: Based on our results, we can elaborate efficient community and school intervention programs, more focused on modern information technology and communication skills, fit to the consumer’s profile in order to promote a healthy nutrition behavior and proper knowledge.
- Romanian eating motivations scale – for community intervention strategiesPublication . Tarcea, Monica; Rus, Victoria; Ruta, Florina; Nemes, Levente; Szucs, Viktoria; Guiné, RaquelIntroduction: Our aim was to evaluate different aspects related with food choices made by Romanian consumers, influenced by their attitudes, practices and habits, in order to develop proper intervention preventive strategies. Materials and methods: The present study was a cross sectional survey, based on a validated questionnaire, develop through an international project in 2018 (EATMOT), filled in online after consent by adult population from various counties. The Romanian sample has 821 subjects (from wich 69% women), and represented 7% of total sample of 11.960 participants from 16 countries (Europe, America and Africa). Results: The results showed that women are generally better informed than men about healthy eating. There has been a conflict between traditional food-related cultural values and modern guidelines based on scientific information in the diet. The responses of some categories of patients have revealed the tendency to overdue the diets recommended for the afflictions they suffer, maybe due to a lack of more detailed information on specific and personalized aspects. Significant links have been identified especially between attention for calories intake and gender variables, cardiovascular disease, obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: This population food behavior screening scale may be used to better assessment of food choice determinants, and to plan strategies to improve healthy eating patterns, diminishing the burden of chronic diseases. Also well trained dietitians can compensate the population practice deficiencies.
- Determinants of economic motivations for food choice: insights for the understanding of consumer behaviourPublication . Martinho, Vítor; Bartkiene, Elena; Djekic, Ilija; Tarcea, Monica; Barić, Irena Colić; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Szűcs, Viktória; Sarcona, Alessandra; El-Kenawy, Ayman; Ferreira, Vanessa; Klava, Dace; Korzeniowska, Małgorzata; Vittadini, Elena; Leal, Marcela; Bolhuis, Dieuwerke; Papageorgiou, Maria; Guiné, Raquel P. F.Food consumption involves several dimensions, being some of them directly associated with the consumers’ characteristics. The interrelationships between these domains impact consumer behaviour for food choice and the consequent decisions for food consumption. In these frameworks, economic motivations are determinant. On the other hand, the scientific literature highlights that the economic-based stimuli to choose food is still underexplored. In this perspective, the objective of this study was to assess the main sociodemographic and anthropometric determinants of the economic motivations for food choice. For that, a questionnaire survey was carried out involving 11,919 respondents from 16 countries. A validated questionnaire was used, translated into the native languages in all participating countries, using a back-translation process. First, the information obtained was assessed through factor analysis to reduce the number of variables associated with the economic motivations and to identify indexes. After, and considering the indexes obtained as dependent variables, a classification and regression tree analysis was performed. As main insights, it is highlighted that the main determinants of the economic motivations are country of residence, age, gender, civil state, professional activity, educational level, living environment, responsibility for buying food, weight, height, body mass index, healthy diets and physical exercise practices. Additionally, the results also reveal that economic motivations may be associated with two indexes, one related to convenience attitudes and the other to quality concerns. Finally, the younger persons and the women are the social groups more concerned with healthy diets and food quality. In conclusion, this work confirmed that food choice is to a high extent influenced by several sociodemographic and behavioural factors.
- Romanian versus European Practices towards Dietary FibersPublication . Tarcea, Monica; Nemes, Levente; Szucs, Victoria; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Straumite, Evita; Erkan, Yalcin; Leal, Marcela; Guiné, RaquelIntroduction: The goal of our study was to evaluate the Romanian practices regarding dietary fibers from food products versus other European countries. Methods: We made a qualitative survey based on a questionnaire applied in 2015, over 670 Romanian consumers from different counties, focused on the practices and knowledge towards ingestion of foods rich in fibers. The same questionnaire was applied in other 7 European countries, part of an international project design. Results: Our results showed that ingestion of food rich in fibers (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) were lower than european recommendations. The female participants ate more whole grains and fruits than males (p<0.001) and pay more attention to food labelling, also knowledge about fibers benefits was significantly related to education and urban location. Regarding the differences by countries, the highest fruit consumption was found for Portugal (11.7 portions per week), while the lowest was for Latvia (7.1). Young European females, with more than high school education, were most interested in fibers and considered internet and television like main sources of information. Conclusion: We emphasize the needs for more efficient community interventions for young people about the importance of dietary fibers for non-communicable diseases prevention and a healthy lifestyle.
- Population preferences for sources that offers information about dietary fibres health effects - an international cross-sectional surveyPublication . Georgescu, Ion Mihai; Rus, Victoria; Tarcea, Monica; Ruta, Florina; Fazakas, Zita; Guiné, Raquel; Serban, Costela; Iacob, Oana Maria; Frigy, AtillaObjective: To investigate the perceived importance of information about dietary fibre with regard to population socio -demographic characteristics and consumption patterns. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November, 2016, in six different counties and 57 cities across Romania, and was part of a larger project that had nine other countries as well. Data of the Romanian subjects was collected using a validated questionnaire that was disseminated across the 10 countries at the same time. Knowledge about dietary fibre was explored through 10 questions, and the respondents were asked to answer on a 5-point Likert scale varying from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree). SPSS 22 was used for data anaylsis. Results: Of the 670 subjects, 358 (53.4%) were females, and the overall mean age was 35.81±15.61 years (range: 18-89 years). There were 298 (44.5%) subjects with a university degree, 314(46.9%) had completed high school and 57 (8.5%) had done primary school. Besides, 568 (84.8%) participants lived in an urban environment. Internet was the main source of getting information for 368(54.9%) subjects, while the lowest was hospitals 122 (18.2%). The percentage of correct answers regarding knowledge about health effects of dietary fibre was 23.12%. Most accurate answers were related to deficiency of vitamins and minerals 370 (55.5%), breast cancer 202(30.3%), vision problems 202(30.3%) and diabetes 168 (25.2%). The question with least accurate answer was the one about general preventive characteristics of dietary fibres 65 (9.7%). Conclusions: A proper and friendly way to transmit information about the importance of dietary fibre consumption is critical in promoting healthy diet patterns and in preventing non-transmissible diseases.
- The EATMOT Project: Preliminary Results of the study about motivations for food choices in 16 countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Ferreira, Manuela; Correia, Paula; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Ferrão, Ana Cristina; Mendes, Mateus; Duarte, João; Bartkiene, Elena; Tarcea, Monica; Djekic, IlijaEating is not only determined by physiology, but also by many other factors that interact in a complex way to shape individual eating habits. Hence, the aim of this project is to undertake a study about the different psychic and social motivations that determine people’s eating patterns, either in relation to their choices or eating habits. To do this, factors linked to food choices will be evaluated in the following main areas: health motivations; economic factors; emotional aspects; cultural influences; marketing and commercials or environmental concerns. The study is based on a questionnaire that was prepared purposely for the project, and therefore adequate to evaluate the aspects that determine the objectives highlighted. The study is coordinated by the principal researcher Raquel Guiné from CI&DETS Research Centre and the range is multinational, including different countries so as to gather information on a trans-frontier scale. The countries involved are: Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (Coordinator), Serbia, Slovenia, Romania and United States of America. This particular study investigated the influence of sociodemographic factors on the six types of eating motivations previously referred. This is a longitudinal observational study carried out on a non-probabilistic sample with 11960 participants residing in the 16 countries afore mentioned. Analysis of the data was performed using t-test for independent samples or ANOVA with Post-Hoc Tukey HSD. Neural network models were also created, to determine the relative influence of each input on each output variable. The results showed that factors such as age, marital status, country, living environment, level of education or professional area significantly influenced all of the studied types of eating motivations. The modelling through neural networks indicated a considerable variability in the food choices, but still it was possible to identify some trends, like for example that the strongest positive factor determining health motivations was age, while for emotional motivations was living environment, and for economic & availability motivations was gender. On the other hand, country revealed a high positive influence for the social & cultural as well as for environmental & political and also for marketing & commercial motivations.
- Romanian´s attitude regarding information sources about healthy food productsPublication . Cînpeanu, Oona Cristina; Tarcea, Monica; Czinege, Maria; Ruta, Florina; Rus, Victoria; Nemes, Levente; Guiné, RaquelIntroduction: Over time, the Romanian people have undergone various lifestyle changes adapted to food availability, sources of information and social status. Aims: The main purpose in this study was to evaluate the most widely used sources of information as regards to a healthy diet and favorite food products, in order to establish the perception of individuals about their trust in sources of information and their efficiency. Materials and Methods: We performed a study based on the assessment of lifestyle and food behavior, which consisted in a validated questionnaire of 26 questions, applied online, to a group of 821 adults, in Romania, in 2018. Results: We explored the potential benefit to the Romanian population, segmented by age, gender, background, graduate level and current professional activity, in determining the main sources for nutritional information and the level of trust in these sources. According to this study, the most used sources of information by Romanians in the increasing order of frequency were: radio (14.6%), medical field (16.9%), school (21.8%), family and friends (29.5%), TV (30.8%), magazines, books, newspapers (34.6%), internet (47.5%), most interested being educated young women from urban areas. Conclusion: Nutritionists and food stakeholders should promote healthy diet through adequate sources of information, using eLearning methods, aimed to target groups.
- Romanian´s perception about food behavior at risk in relationship with their social and cultural profilePublication . Georgescu, Mihai; Tarcea, Monica; Ruta, Florina; Cînpeanu, Oana Cristina; Rus, Victoria; Guiné, RaquelIntroduction: Nutrition is an individual choice but conditioned by the social context, health or illness, physical activity, access to care and information, and funding system. Aim: The main goal was to assess food behavior according to the social and cultural profile, to identify food behavior at risk, with the purpose of implementing prevention methods by including nutritional knowledge in health education campaigns. Material and methods: We performed a study based on the assessment of lifestyle and nutrition, along with social aspects, which consisted in a questionnaire of 26 questions, applied online, to a group of 821 adults, in Romania, in 2018. Results: The results revealed that socio-economic status is a contributing factor in food choices, people with low socio-economic status opted for low-price food, especially the elderly. Social influence has a big impact on the food intake, especially on the group under 18 compared to other age groups, who perceive meals as opportunities for relaxation and socialization in a higher percentage (62.5%). Teenagers who said their parents were authoritarian about healthy food, had have later on healthy diets, more regular breakfast and more vegetables in their menu. Conclusion: Improving eating behavior is based on changes in the psycho-social, economic and cultural characteristics of individuals, starting with educational interventions.
- Perception of healthy eating among romanian adultsPublication . Cînpeanu, Oona-Cristina; Tarcea, Monica; Cokan, Paul; Iorga, Daniel; Olah, Pater; Guiné, RaquelBackground: Totaling about 60% of all causes of death, chronic illnesses are the main cause of global mortality. Unhealthy behaviors, such as unbalanced eating or insufficient physical activity, can trigger metabolic changes, manifested by hypertension, high blood sugar, hyperlipidemia, obesity. These changes are grouped into the category of metabolic risk factors. Over time, these factors can cause cardiovascular diseases associated with a high mortality rate. Aim of the study: To evaluate the perception of healthy eating in a Romanian population. Material and methods: We applied a validated online questionnaire aimed to investigate people’s attitude towards diet and their motivation regarding food consumption in ten countries, based on an international project. For the present paper, we evaluated a Romanian sample of 821 adult respondents. Results: Most of the subjects (82.82%) were from an urban area, and 68.94% were women. Regarding the prevalence of chronic diseases, 3.53% of participants had cardiovascular disease, 6.69% had high cholesterol levels, 7.18% were obese, and 6.57% were suffering from high blood pressure. Significant correlations have been identified between calorie count, excessive sugar and salt consumption, gender variables, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Also, tradition is very important in relation to eating behaviors, being highly correlated with obesity. The general direction of answers was correct, even if half of the questionnaire items were formulated in a ‘negative’ way, and disagreement is needed for a consistent response with a correct perception of healthy diets. The overall perception of healthy eating was consistent with scientific information in the field. Conclusion: Women are generally better informed than men regarding healthy eating. Also, there is a possible conflict between traditional food-related cultural values and modern nutritional guidelines based on scientific information.