Unravelling consumer acceptance of local food: Physical versus social distance and the important role of social identification.

Including more locally grown products in our diet is a way to reduce our diets' environmental impact. Therefore, it is important to investigate how this can be effectively communicated on food products to increase consumer acceptance. We propose that product communication that focuses on decreasing the physical and social distance between the food producer and the consumer can result in consumers identifying more with the food producer, which, in turn, can increase the buying intention of food products. The current research comprises an online survey that includes an experimental design and a real-life assessment among 825 Dutch participants. Results of the experiment show that decreasing physical distance, but not social distance, increases consumers' intention to buy a food product. This effect can be explained by increased feelings of identification with a food producer. Moreover, the real-life assessment provides a first indication that both having a food producer living close by (physical distance) and personally knowing a food producer (social distance) might increase acceptance of the producer and the product, and highlights the relevance of perceived connection. These findings give insights into how food producers can market local food products to increase acceptance; communication on a decreased distance between consumers and the food producer is only effective when it results in more identification with the food producer. Perceived connection seems to be an essential part of the acceptance of local products.

Effectively implementing healthy and sustainable food practices in out-of-home food service locations: The perspective of the catering staff members.

Restaurants, canteens, residential care, hospitals and other out-of-home food service locations can play an important role in improving people's diet quality by offering healthier and more sustainable food choices. However, the effectiveness of implementing sustainable and healthy food practices at these locations is, at least partly, dependent on the extent to which they are accepted and implemented by the staff members. This study aims to assess staff members' motivation, perceived capability, perceived opportunity and their readiness to change their behaviour (i.e., stages of change) in offering more healthy and sustainable food options to their customers or patients. Eleven out-of-home locations that wanted to adjust their assortment towards more healthy and sustainable product offerings participated in this study and were able to distribute a comparable questionnaire among their staff members to assess their perceived readiness to change. Results among 268 participants show that staff members find both a healthy and sustainable food assortment important and also seem to be motivated to improve their food assortment regarding health and sustainability. Perceived opportunity seems to be the largest barrier for staff members, although there is also room for improvement regarding their perceived capability. In addition, personal motivation seems to play the dominant role in staff members' readiness to change the health of the assortment, whereas perceived capability seems to play the dominant role in their perceived readiness to change the sustainability of the assortment. This study shows that taking into account the perspective of the catering staff members may help to effectively implement healthy and sustainable food practices in out-of-home food service locations.

The Impact of Both Individual and Contextual Factors on the Acceptance of Personalized Dietary Advice.

(1) Background: The aim of the current study is to investigate which between- and within-person factors influence the acceptance of personalized dietary advice. (2) Methods: A repeated measurements design was used in which 343 participants (M (SD) age = 48 (17.3), 49% female) filled out a baseline survey and started with nine repeated surveys. (3) Results: The results show that the acceptance of personalized dietary advice is influenced by both within-person and between-person factors. The acceptance is higher at lunch compared to breakfast and dinner, higher at home than out of home, higher at moments when individuals have a high intention to eat healthily, find weight control an important food choice motive and have a high healthy-eating self-efficacy. Moreover, the acceptance is higher when individuals do not see the eating context as a barrier and when individuals believe that personalized dietary advice has more benefits than risks. (4) Conclusions: Future behavioral interventions that use personalized dietary advice should consider the context as well as individual differences.

A high-fibre personalised dietary advice given via a web tool reduces constipation complaints in adults.

Constipation can greatly impact the quality of life (QoL), which can be relieved by dietary fibres; however, preserving a higher fibre intake remains a challenge. We investigated the effects of a personalised dietary advice (PDA) on fibre intake and mild constipation complaints. A total number of twenty-five adults with mild constipation complaints were included in a 4-week observation period followed by a 4-week personalised intervention. The PDA provided high-fibre alternatives via a web tool. In weeks 1, 4 and 8, dietary intake, constipation complaints and QoL were assessed. Furthermore, participants collected a faecal sample at weeks 1, 4 and 8 to determine microbiota diversity and composition, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Participants completed questions daily for 8 weeks regarding abdominal complaints, stool frequency and stool consistency. Fibre intake in week 8 was significantly higher compared to week 1 (Δ = 5·7 ± 6·7 g, P < 0·001) and week 4 (Δ = 5·2 ± 6·4 g, P < 0·001). Constipation severity and QoL significantly improved at week 8 compared to the observation period (P < 0·001). A higher fibre intake significantly reduced constipation severity (ß = -0·031 (-0·05; -0·01), P = 0·001) and the QoL (ß = -0·022 (-0·04; -0·01), P = 0·009). Stool consistency (P = 0·040) and abdominal pain (P = 0·030) improved significantly during the intervention period (P = 0·040), but stool frequency did not. Average microbial alpha diversity and composition and SCFA concentrations did not change over time, but indicated individual-specific dynamics. Several SCFAs were associated with constipation complaints. To conclude, a PDA effectively increased fibre intake and subsequently reduced constipation complaints, indicating that guided dietary adjustments are important and feasible in the treatment of mild constipation complaints.

A reversal of defaults: Implementing a menu-based default nudge to promote out-of-home consumer adoption of plant-based meat alternatives.

Restaurants are characterized by high levels of meat being consumed in this out-of-home setting, while plant-based meat alternatives remain a niche product, thus preserving a high environmental impact of food consumption. We tested whether subtly re-designing the restaurant menu, so that plant-based meat alternatives were perceived as the default to a greater extent, increased consumer selection of plant-based meat alternatives. Consumers' freedom of choice was preserved by leaving all choice options on the menu. An online experiment in The Netherlands showed that consumers choose plant-based meat alternatives more often relative to meat when the plant-based option is framed as the default. In a field experiment in a Dutch restaurant, we found that the amount of ordered plant-based meat alternative dishes substantially increased relative to an equivalent meat dish when implementing a default nudge (bean alternative: from 8.6% to 80.0%; seaweed alternative: from 16.1% to 58.3%). Thus, re-designing the menu in a way that suggests that plant-based meat alternatives are the default, while preserving autonomous decision-making, is a promising route to promote out-of-home adoption of plant-based meat alternatives in restaurants.

Context matters: Self-regulation of healthy eating at different eating occasions.

Self-regulation plays an important role in healthy eating behaviors. The current research explores temporary fluctuations in self-regulation next to variations between individuals. In an online observational study, 892 participants (Mage = 44.3, SDage = 12.7) monitored their self-regulation three times a week before a meal moment for 3 weeks. To analyze the data, a random intercept and slopes model was used, including variables on within-individual level (i.e. meal moment, tiredness, distractedness, social, and physical environment) and variables on between-individual level (i.e. self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and perception of social and physical opportunity). Self-regulation was found to be higher at breakfast compared with dinner (estimate = -0.08, p < .001), higher at home than out-of-home (estimate = -0.08, p < .001) and lower when individuals are more tired (estimate = 0.04, p < .001) and distracted (estimate = 0.07, p < .001). Moreover, self-regulation was higher for individuals with higher levels of intrinsic motivation (estimate = 0.19, p < .001) and self-efficacy (estimate = 0.41, p < .001). Insights from this research advance our knowledge regarding temporal influences on self-regulation and can provide input for behavior change tools such as personalized dietary advice.

Healthy eating strategies: Individually different or context-dependent?

Individuals can apply different healthy eating strategies to help them make healthy eating choices. Previous research showed that individuals differ in their preferred strategy, but also that a mix of strategies is often applied by a single person across contexts. The current research investigated the extent to which differences within an individual across contexts (i.e., meal moments, social environment and physical environment) predicted openness to healthy eating strategies in addition to personal predictors that differ between individuals (i.e., intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, physical opportunity and social opportunity). A representative sample of the Dutch adult population was recruited (N = 892). The within-individual (contextual) predictors were measured nine times just before a meal moment over a period of three weeks, by means of a smartphone application. The between-individual (personal) predictors were administered with a baseline questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis distinguished three healthy eating strategies: Increasing healthy foods, Limiting unhealthy foods and consuming Light products. A random intercept model, in which within-individual predictors and between-individual predictors were entered successively, showed that context matters for openness to all three strategies, but is most important for increasing healthy foods and least important for light products. Individuals are most open to increase healthy foods at dinner as compared to breakfast, whereas the opposite is true for limiting unhealthy foods and consuming light products. Eating at home is beneficial for openness to all three strategies and eating with others positively influences openness to increase healthy foods but has no effect on the other strategies. Insights gained from this research increase our understanding of an individual's openness to apply healthy eating strategies.

Personalized Nutrition Advice: Preferred Ways of Receiving Information Related to Psychological Characteristics.

The primary goal of this study is to be able to discern specific types of consumers in terms of their psychosocial characteristics who may need different ways of receiving dietary advice. Knowing these types will enable a better fit of advice to consumers' psychosocial characteristics, hereby stimulating healthy eating as the probability of compliance to the advice can potentially increase. The study draws upon several psychological theories to distinguish unique underlying factors that can subsequently be used to personalize nutrition information for consumers. A number of general psychological scales (self-regulation, action and coping self-efficacy, social comparison, intrinsic motivation, health info processing, need for cognition and for affect, and regulatory focus) are filled out by 988 respondents, including their preferences for receiving personalized forms of nutrition advice. The set of joint items from various psychological constructs is analyzed using a Principal Component Analysis to find underlying psychological characteristics. The PCA produces four components (explaining 51% of variation), that could be interpreted as 'intrinsic interest and capabilities for healthy eating,' 'perceived difficulty to eat healthily,' 'self-worth insecurity,' and 'seeking positive challenges,' respectively. By means of a Logistic Regression these components are able to predict preferences for different forms of receiving nutrition advice. This first component shows that a mind set for maintaining a healthy diet goes together with an interest in receiving an advice on what do to and on how that will affect one's health. The second component predicts a preference for a fixed moment to receive information/advice. This may be a strategy of those that perceive difficulties to eat healthily, to help them control their healthy food intake. The insecurity that the third component models seems to lead to a wish for receiving specific advice about their health situation at fixed moments in time. The fourth component is a small component, therefore its prediction of a wish for an advice focussing on prevention of negative consequences is probably not a strong result. The study does point out that there appear different psychosocial types of consumers, that may benefit by being addressed according to their preference for receiving nutrition advice on specific moments, of a specific level of detail or pointing at the type of consequences the advice has. A better fit of the advice to the psychosocial characteristics of the recipient, captured in the identified components in the current study, may lead to an increase in compliance, although that will have to be further investigated in subsequent work.

Participatory Methods in Food Behaviour Research: A Framework Showing Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Methods.

A trend is visible in the food literature showing an increasing number of publications on studies that incorporate some form of participant engagement, such as citizen science and community-based participatory research. This "participation trend" will inevitably affect the scientific field of food behaviour research. This new trend is however not only associated with advantages, and a critical reflection on both the advantages and disadvantages is needed. The current article is a position paper that contributes to the literature in two main ways. First, participation is still in the developmental stage. Many different forms, methods and definitions are used. By providing a structured overview of a variety of participatory methods derived from a focused search of the literature on food behaviour, we aim to clarify the relationships between the various forms of participation methods. Second, the involvement of citizens in research is increasingly calling for novel research methods (e.g., voluntary recruitment and active involvement), which may be accompanied by both advantages and disadvantages. We add to the literature by developing a framework that indicates the advantages and disadvantages of participatory methods in food behaviour research. Our study highlights the relevance of differentiating the goal of the researcher (efficiency versus engagement) and the role of citizens (collecting versus creating), thus implying a trade-off between cost-effectiveness and involvement, as well as between data richness and data quality. Our work is a first effort to create structure and guidance within a new area. Our efforts could be used in future research aimed at developing more extensive protocols and tools for the application of participation in research, thereby offering a controlled manner to ensure that research stays abreast of our changing society.

Increasing dietary fibre intake in healthy adults using personalised dietary advice compared with general advice: a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: A high-fibre diet is associated with a lower risk for diseases. However, few adults meet the dietary fibre recommendation. Therefore, the effects and acceptance of an algorithm-generated personalised dietary advice (PDA) compared with general advice (GA) on fibre intake were investigated. DESIGN: A 6-week, single-blind randomised controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. SETTING: PDA was based on habitual intake and provided fibre-rich alternatives using a website; GA contained brochures. Dietary intake was assessed at baseline, week 1, week 6 and 3-month follow-up. Both groups evaluated their advice at week 6. All participants had access to PDA from week 7 until 3-month follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: Two groups of healthy adults: PDA (n 34) and GA (n 47). For 3-month follow-up analysis, participants were re-divided into visitors (n 52) and non-visitors (n 26) of the PDA. RESULTS: At week 6, energy intake remained stable in both groups, but fibre intake per 1000 kcal increased non-significantly in both groups (PDA = Δ0·5 ± 2·8; GA = Δ0·8 ± 3·1, P = 0·128). Importantly, a significantly higher percentage of PDA participants adhered to the recommendation compared with week 1 (PDA = 21 % increase; GA = 4 % increase, P ≤ 0·001). PDA participants evaluated the advice significantly better compared with GA participants. At 3-month follow-up, fibre intake increased compared with baseline (visitors = Δ2·2 ± 2·6, P < 0·001; non-visitors = Δ1·5 ± 1·9, P = 0·001), but was insignificantly different between groups. Visitors had a decrease and non-visitors had an increase in energy intake (visitors =Δ - 132 ± 525; non-visitors = Δ109 ± 507, P = 0·055). CONCLUSIONS: The algorithm-generated PDA was well accepted and stimulated adherence to the recommendations more than GA, indicating to be a suitable and cost-efficient method for improving dietary fibre intake in healthy adults.

Consumer acceptance of personalised nutrition: The role of ambivalent feelings and eating context.

Providing dietary suggestions based on an individual's nutritional needs may contribute to the prevention of non-communicable dietary related diseases. Consumer acceptance is crucial for the success of these personalised nutrition services. The current study aims to build on previous studies by exploring whether ambivalent feelings and contextual factors could help to further explain consumers' usage intentions regarding personalised nutrition services. An online administered survey was conducted in December 2016 with a final sample of 797 participants in the Netherlands. Different models were tested and compared by means of structural equation modelling. The final model indicated that the result of weighing personalisation benefits and privacy risks (called the risk-benefit calculus) is positively related to the intention to use personalised nutrition advice, suggesting a more positive intention when more benefits than risks are perceived. Additionally, the model suggests that more ambivalent feelings are related to a lower intention to use personalised nutrition advice. Finally, we found that the more the eating context is perceived as a barrier to use personalised nutrition advice, the more ambivalent feelings are perceived. In conclusion, the current study suggests the additional value of ambivalent feelings as an affective construct, and eating context as a possible barrier in predicting consumers' intention to use personalised nutrition advice. This implies that personalised nutrition services may need to address affective concerns and consider an individual's eating context.

Beneficial effect of personalized lifestyle advice compared to generic advice on wellbeing among Dutch seniors - An explorative study.

The aim of this explorative study is to evaluate whether personalized compared to generic lifestyle advice improves wellbeing in a senior population. We conducted a nine-week single-blind randomized controlled trial including 59 participants (age 67.7 ±â€¯4.8 years) from Wageningen and its surrounding areas in the Netherlands. Three times during the intervention period, participants received either personalized advice (PA), or generic advice (GA) to improve lifestyle behavior. Personalization was based on metabolic health measures and dietary intake resulting in an advice that highlighted food groups and physical activity types for which behavior change was most urgent. Before and after the intervention period self-perceived health was evaluated as parameter of wellbeing using a self-perceived health score (single-item) and two questionnaires (Vita-16 and Short Form-12). Additionally, anthropometry and physical functioning (short physical performance battery, SPPB) were assessed. Overall scores for self-perceived health did not change over time in any group. Resilience and motivation (Vita-16) slightly improved only in the PA group, whilst mental health (SF-12) and energy (Vita-16) showed slight improvement only in the GA group. SPPB scores improved over time in both the PA and GA group. PA participants also showed a reduction in body fat percentage and hip circumference, whereas these parameters increased in the GA group Our findings suggest that although no clear effects on wellbeing were found, still, at least on the short term, personalized advice may evoke health benefits in a population of seniors as compared to generic advice.