J Nutr Health.  2019 Jun;52(3):285-296. 10.4163/jnh.2019.52.3.285.

Factors affecting preference of vegetable in elementary school students: based on social cognitive theory

• Cha SH
• Ryu HK

• KMID: 2450426
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2019.52.3.285

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to identify the factors affecting vegetable preferences of children based on the social cognitive theory to reduce imbalances in vegetable consumption.
METHODS
The survey investigated 177 elementary school students in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, in June of 2018. The subjects consisted of 44 fifth graders (27.7%) and 128 (72.3%) sixth graders.
RESULTS
Among personal factors of the Social Cognitive Theory, positive outcome expectation and self-efficacy of the vegetable preference group were significantly higher than those of the non-preference group. Negative barrier scores of the non-preference group were significantly higher than those of the preference group, and the biggest barrier was that vegetables were tasteless. Among behavioral factors, the nutritional knowledge of vegetables was high, but the degree of practice was low. Practice score of the vegetable preference group was significantly higher than that of the non-preference group. Among environmental factors, the vegetable preference group was more likely to accept advice from people around them than the non-preference group and the most influential people were doctors and parents. In the vegetable intake environment, children in the vegetable preference group had high accessibility to vegetables. Correlation analysis and regression analysis of the social cognitive factors and vegetable preferences revealed all factors except nutritional knowledge showed significant correlation with vegetable preference. And surrounding people (p < 0.01), practice (p < 0.01), and self-efficacy (p < 0.05) had positive effects on vegetable preference.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that providing the health benefits from eating vegetables and educating children for improving their self-confidence are necessary for increasing the preference for vegetables and their intake by children.

Keyword

social cognitive theory; vegetable preference; elementary school student

MeSH Terms

Child
Eating
Gyeongsangnam-do
Humans
Insurance Benefits
Parents
Vegetables*

Reference

1. Lee SY. (An) Analysis on nutrition knowledge and vegetable eating behavior according to the health belief of the middle school students in some Seoul areas [master's thesis]. Seoul: Kookmin University;2017.

2. Jung KA. A study on the trends of researches on problems related to eating behaviors of elementary school students. J Korean Pract Arts Educ. 2009; 22(3):161–196.

3. Lee KH, Kim KW, Lee YK, Lee SM, Son SM. Practice of nutrition education and counseling. 3rd edition. Seoul: LifeScience;2015.

4. Lee YM. Eating trends in Korean children. In : Proceedings of the Autumn Conference of Korean Society of Community Nutrition, 2006; 2006 Nov 11; Seoul. Seoul: Korean Society of Community Nutrition;2006. p. 9–31.

5. Bae IS, Shin KH, Lee YK, Lee SK. Perception of the elementary school dietitians and students on nutrition education to set up the roles of nutrition teacher - Centered on Daegu city and Gyeongbuk province -. J Korean Diet Assoc. 2005; 11(4):393–404.

6. Kim MH, Park YH, Shin EK, Shin KH, Bae IS, Lee YK. Students' and parents' perceptions of nutrition education in elementary schools. J Korean Soc Food Sci Nutr. 2006; 35(8):1016–1024.

7. Lee YK, Kim YN. Comparisons of consumption attitude toward vegetables and fragrance vegetables preference among primary school to university students in Gyeongbuk area. Korean J Community Nutr. 2014; 19(3):223–230.

8. Kim HH, Kim YN. A preference analysis of vegetable group foods in primary school students and their mothers. J Korean Home Econ Educ Assoc. 2012; 24(3):73–88.

9. Ku UH, Seo JS. The status of nutrient intake and factors related to dislike of vegetables in elementary school students. Korean J Community Nutr. 2005; 10(2):151–162.

10. Zhou G, Gan Y, Hamilton K, Schwarzer R. The role of social support and self-efficacy for planning fruit and vegetable intake. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2017; 49(2):100–106.e1.

11. Maynard M, Gunnell D, Emmett P, Frankel S, Davey Smith G. Fruit, vegetables, and antioxidants in childhood and risk of adult cancer: the Boyd Orr cohort. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003; 57(3):218–225.

12. Pollard CM, Nicolson C, Pulker CE, Binns CW. Translating government policy into recipes for success! Nutrition criteria promoting fruits and vegetables. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2009; 41(3):218–226.

13. The Korean Nutrition Society. Dietary reference intakes for Koreans first revision. Seoul: The Korean Nutrition Society;2015.

14. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2016 national health and nutrition statistics. Cheongju: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2018.

15. Ministry of Health and Welfare (KR). The 4th National Health Promotion Comprehensive Plan (Health Plan 2020, 2016–2020). Sejong: Ministry of Health and Welfare;2017.

16. Park YS, Lee HS, Lee SK, Seo JS, Lee JW, Lee BK. Nutrition education & counseling. 5th edition. Seoul: Komunsa;2013.

17. Choi HM, Kim KW, Kim CL, Kim HS, Son JM, Choi KS, Hyun TS. Community nutrition. Goyang: Powerbook;2017.

18. Bandura A. Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educ Psychol. 1993; 28(2):117–148.

19. Suh Y, Choi A, Chung YJ. Psychosocial factors related with the intake of vegetables and fruits by stage of change of elementary school children in Chungnam province. Korean J Nutr. 2009; 42(7):639–649.

20. Kim MK, Oh HS, Lee MH. Study on perception and eating attitude towards vegetables among elementary school children and their parents in Gangwon area. J Korean Home Econ Educ Assoc. 2015; 27(3):19–34.

21. Ahn Y, Kim KW. Beliefs regarding vegetable consumption, self-efficacy and eating behaviors according to the stages of change in vegetable consumption among college students. Korean J Community Nutr. 2012; 17(1):1–13.

22. Kwak SH. Adolescents' perception and preference on vegetables in Gyeongnam province [master's thesis]. Changwon: Changwon National University;2015.

23. Kim KW, Shin EM. Using the theory of planned behavior to explain dairy food consumption among university female students. Korean J Community Nutr. 2003; 8(1):53–61.

24. Lee JE, Jung IK. A study on eating habits of elementary school students and the perception on the nutrition education in curriculum. J Korean Home Econ Educ Assoc. 2005; 17(2):79–93.

25. Chung EJ, Lee SH, Ahn HS. Vegetable preferences and their associations with nutritional knowledge and health-related variables in 5th and 6th grade schoolchildren. J Korean Diet Assoc. 2009; 15(2):83–96.

26. Birch LL. Development of food preferences. Annu Rev Nutr. 1999; 19:41–62.

27. Na SY, Ko SY, Eom SH, Kim KW. Intakes and beliefs of vegetables and fruits, self-efficacy, nutrition knowledge, eating behavior of elementary school students in Kyunggi area. Korean J Community Nutr. 2010; 15(3):329–341.

28. Domel SB, Thompson WO, Davis HC, Baranowski T, Leonard SB, Baranowski J. Psychosocial predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary school children. Health Educ Res. 1996; 11(3):299–308.

29. Cerin E, Barnett A, Baranowski T. Testing theories of dietary behavior change in youth using the mediating variable model with intervention programs. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2009; 41(5):309–318.

30. Kristal AR, Glanz K, Tilley BC, Li S. Mediating factors in dietary change: understanding the impact of a worksite nutrition intervention. Health Educ Behav. 2000; 27(1):112–125.

31. Reynolds KD, Hinton AW, Shewchuk RM, Hickey CA. Social cognitive model of fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary school children. J Nutr Educ. 1999; 31(1):23–30.

32. Birch LL, Fisher JO. Development of eating behaviors among children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 1998; 101(3 Pt 2):539–549.

33. Drewnowski A, Hann C. Food preferences and reported frequencies of food consumption as predictors of current diet in young women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 70(1):28–36.

34. Pérez-Rodrigo C, Ribas L, Serra-Majem L, Aranceta J. Food preferences of Spanish children and young people: the enKid study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003; 57:Suppl 1. S45–S48.

35. Lee SO, Kim HA. Evaluation of effectiveness of vegetablerelated nutrition education for elementary school students. J Korean Soc Food Sci Nutr. 2013; 42(5):713–720.

36. Kim JH, Woo TJ, Lee KA, Lee SM, Lee KH. Application and the effect of nutrition education program based on the social cognitive theory among middle school girls. Korean J Community Nutr. 2016; 21(6):497–508.

37. De Bourdeaudhuij I, te Velde S, Brug J, Due P, Wind M, Sandvik C, et al. Personal, social and environmental predictors of daily fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children in nine European countries. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2008; 62(7):834–841.

38. Kim JH, Kim YS, Kim Y, Kang MS. Fruit and vegetable consumption and factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption of school children and adolescents: findings from focus-group interviews with school nutrition teachers and nutritionists. Korean J Community Living Sci. 2013; 24(4):567–581.

39. Sallis JF, Pinski RB, Grossman RM, Patterson TL, Nader PR. The development of self-efficacy scales for health-related diet and exercise behaviors. Health Educ Res. 1988; 3(3):283–292.

40. Lim YS. The effect of activity-based learning through storytelling [master's thesis]. Incheon: Gyeongin National University of Education;2001.

41. Park SJ. The effect of nutrition education program for elementary school children - Especially focused on being familiar with vegetables -. J Korean Diet Assoc. 2000; 6(1):17–25.

42. Hamm MW, Schnaak MD, Janas BG. Nutrition knowledge and attitudes of hotel and restaurant management students. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95(10):1158–1159.

43. Kelly RB, Zyzanski SJ, Alemagno SA. Prediction of motivation and behavior change following health promotion: role of health beliefs, social support, and self-efficacy. Soc Sci Med. 1991; 32(3):311–320.