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- Knowledge about consumption of milk: Study involving consumers from two European Countries – France and PortugalPublication . Bréjon, Marius; Tavares, Francisca; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; C. Goncalves, J.; Barroca, Maria João; Guiné, RaquelMilk assumes a pivotal role in human nutrition from early stages of life, although when going into adulthood the consumption habits can vary according to different perceptions from the consumer or even due to the presence of some intolerances. In this context, this research focuses on the consumption knowledge about the composition and nutritional value of milk and its effect on human health. The objective was to investigate how informed are the French and Portuguese participants and detect similarities or differences according to the country. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was set up to recruit participants from two countries: France and Portugal. The total number of participants was 543, of which 333 were French and 210 were Portuguese. For treatment of data basic statistics and tests were used to compare the results between the two countries, using the software SPSS. The results showed significant differences between the two countries in what concerns the participant’s knowledge about milk composition and nutritive value and also the effects of milk on human health. From the 13 items used to assess knowledge about composition and nutritive value of milk, significant differences were found between countries for six of them. Regarding the ten items used to evaluate the effects of milk on human health, significant differences were found for seven of them. As so, the knowledge about the effects on human health are more differentiated between the participants from France and Portugal, than the knowledge about the milk composition. Factor analysis showed six groups of questions, with good internal reliability (values of alpha varying from 0.707 to 0.825). It is concluded that participants from different countries, exposed to different environments (societal, political, or educational) can have different perceptions about milk and its effects on health.
- Fruit and vegetable consumption: Study involving Portuguese and French consumersPublication . LE TURC, Nolwenn; Silva, Ana Isabel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; C. Goncalves, J.; Lemos, Edite Teixeira de; Lima, M. J. Reis; Guiné, RaquelThe regular consumption of vegetables and fruits has been indicated as part of a healthy diet. They are considered healthy foods because they are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Adequate intake of these foods can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and various types of cancer. The objective of the present study was to determine the consumption habits of vegetables and fruits in two different countries, Portugal and France. For this descriptive study, it was used a questionnaire survey, applied to individuals over 18 years old and carried out through the internet, being disseminated on social networks and by email. The sample was constituted by 640 participants (257 from Portugal and 383 from France). Statistical tools were used for the treatment of data, like the T-Test and chi-square test utilised to compare the results between Portuguese and French consumers. The results showed that the Portuguese eat out more often than the French. Portuguese and French like vegetables equally but the French eat more vegetables and fruit per week on average than the Portuguese. The French like soup as much as the Portuguese but the Portuguese eat soup more regularly than the French and prefer soup with cut pieces, unlike the French which prefer soup with grounded vegetables. The global consumption of vegetables and fruits is low in both countries and should be increased, most especially in Portugal, where the consumption is lower. In conclusion, despite some differences found across consumers according to country, the consumption of these foods is still below the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, and therefore, some more actions are necessary to incentivise a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Milk: A Nutritive and Healthy Food? Consumer Perspective from French and Portuguese ParticipantsPublication . Bréjon, Marius; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; C. Goncalves, J.; Barroca, Maria João; Guiné, RaquelMilk from different animals is a staple food consumed since immemorial times all over the world. However, there is a lack of knowledge in the scientific literature about knowledge related to milk and its effects on nutrition and health. The objective of this study was to investigate consumers’ knowledge about milk, its composition, and its effects on human health in two different countries. The study was conducted through a questionnaire survey in Portugal and France and involved 542 participants of whom 332 were French and 210 were Portuguese. For data analysis, we used basic statistics, parametric tests, tree classification, and factor analysis. The results showed that some sociodemographic variables significantly influenced the level of knowledge, namely country (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.029), and the dimension of the household (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, tree classification analyses revealed that other variables such as education, occupation, and body mass index showed some discriminating ability. Factor analysis retained 20 items of the 23 initially tested. The solution contained five factors, two of which had very good internal consistency (alpha values of 0.825 and 0.803). The mean scores for knowledge in practically all factors were consistently higher for the Portuguese as compared with the French sample. In conclusion, the level of knowledge about milk composition and its health effects differs according to several sociodemographic variables, particularly in what constitutes country differences.
- Comparison of milk consumption habits across two European countries: Pilot study in Portugal and FrancePublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, Sofia de Guiné e; Bréjon, M.; Gonçalves, João Carlos; Ferreira, Manuela; Barroca, Maria João; Fragata, AnabelaHumans have been consuming milk obtained from domesticated animals since ancient times. Milk is a very complete food with important nutrients that can sup- port life. However, the patterns of consumption of milk have been shifting. On one hand, due to the increase in the number of people with intolerances (to lactose, for example), and on the other hand, due to some trend to avoid foods from animal origin owing to speci fi c convic- tion (like animal welfare, for example). In this context, this study focused on the milk consumption patterns in two di ff erent European Countries and the evaluation of pos- sible di ff erences. The object of study was milk obtained from animal sources, namely, cows, and no other derived fermented dairy products were included. For the develop- ment of the study, a questionnaire survey was applied to a sample of 542 participants from both countries using the Internet. The results showed that a high percentage of participants in both countries consume milk regularly, and the usual amount varies between 125 and 250 mL per day. For those who do not consume milk, the most relevant reason pointed out in both countries was because they do not feel the need to consume it. While in France, a high percentage also do not consume because they do not like milk, and in Portugal, a high percentage do not consume milk due to lactose intolerance. The most con- sumed is semi-skimmed milk, and preferences are towards consuming plain milk or consuming it with chocolate. Signi fi cant di ff erences were found in the consumption of white brands, which are preferred in France, while in Portugal, consumers prefer commercial brands, as well as the preferred package, tetra packs for the Portuguese, while the French prefer plastic bottles. In conclusion, although the results showed some similar trends among the participants from both countries, some di ff erences were also identi fi ed that can be used to better plan public policies in both countries.