Diet and Psychosocial
The CNP Diet and Psychosocial Research Category consolidates research exploring the interconnected relationship between dietary intake and psychosocial elements. To view each original study on the open internet, click “Original.” To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click “CNP Summary.” While only some of the CNP-written abstract summaries are available below for free, all abstract summaries are available to CNP members through the CNP Library Membership.
FEATURED CNP RESEARCH SUMMARY
Jeong & Jang (2020) inspected the data from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) involving 23,494 adult participants and their relationship between meal companions and obesity. Participants were first divided into three categories: dinner with family, dinner with others, and alone. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that people who ate dinner with others or alone had a higher obesity risk than those who had family dinners. This was the case regardless of their breakfast companion. Moreover, those adults who had daily meals outside of their homes had a greater risk of becoming obese than those who ate dinners with others or with family. It was also discovered that regular drinking increases obesity risk, as seen in those who engaged in weekly heavy drinking than those who did not drink. This investigation highlights the benefit of family dinners over having dinner alone or with others, which could motivate dieters to have more frequent family dinners.
2021
The social facilitation of eating: Why does the mere presence of others cause an increase in energy intake?
The social facilitation of eating is a concept on which a growing amount of supportive evidence is being published. This concept describes the impact of the presence of friends or family on increasing the food we consume versus if we were eating by ourselves. In this review by Ruddock, Brunstrom & Higgs (2021), the authors highlight the currently available evidence on the social facilitation of eating, and existing conceptual gaps that may also be targets for further studies. The authors recommend investigating the future repercussions of this concept on weight gain, energy balance, and whether individuals are cognizant of the social impact on their dietary habits. In addition, the authors promote investigating the underlying personal and environmental aspects that play a role in regulating and facilitating eating in a social setting and conclude by recommending a novel research framework that postulates the social facilitation of eating to be part of dietary behavior strategies that partake in improving the evolutionary fitness of an individual, which comes in play as people share a common dietary supply. [NPID: Eating behavior, evolution, social facilitation of eating, social influences]
2021
People serve themselves larger portions before a social meal
Dietary intake is subject to a myriad of influencers, and amongst those relates to the social setting related to a meal, namely, the presence of familiar individuals. In other words, we tend to eat more food than usual if we eat together with friends or family. As the reasons behind this observation remain not well understood, Ruddock et al. (2021) conducted a couple of studies to investigate the social impact on food consumption. In their first study, the eating behavior of 98 participants (females, average age of 20 years) was observed after allowing the participants access to food and separating them into two groups, depending on the timing of food serving relative to social interaction (whether the participants ate alone or with a friend). In their second study, the authors observed the changes in serving size depending on whether the meal was shared with a friend or with a stranger, in a sample of 120 participants (females, average age of 19 years). In both studies, the authors observed a substantial increase in the amount of food served and consumed in familiar social settings (i.e., eating with friends) compared to eating alone or with a stranger. The authors comment that their findings demonstrate the impact of social interaction on the amount of food we consume, and therefore the necessity to reconsider current viewpoints on the social impact of dietary behavior. [NPID: Human behavior, eating, portion size, eating alone, eating with family, friends]
2022
Awareness of social influences on eating is dependent on familiarity with imagined dining partners and type of eating occasion
Social settings associated with eating meals appear to influence the amount of food consumed. In other words, eating with strangers raises the odds of consuming less food compared to eating with family and friends, which was found to increase the amount of food consumed. This is known as the social facilitation of eating. Higgs et al. (2022) conducted two studies to evaluate social facilitation and inhibition awareness, where 481 participants in their first study were asked to picture a dining scenario and account for whether they would eat more food, less food, or eat the same amount they’re accustomed to, if they were to eat with someone who they are more familiar or less familiar with, such as a stranger, acquaintance, family member or friend, compared to the amount of food they would eat if they were dining alone. Analysis of the participant responses in study 1 revealed that participants envisioned themselves eating a special meal with family members or friends, with a substantial majority accounting that they would consume less food if they are dining with strangers or acquaintances and that they would consume the same amount of food or eat more food if dining with family or friends. The authors’ second study (485 participants) echoed similar dining perceptions to study 1, however, the latter participants reported their perceptions to include both special and regular meals. The majority of study two’s population reported eating less in special or regular meals if they were dining with strangers, and eating the same amount of food they’re accustomed to if they would be having regular meals with acquaintances. However, if special meals are involved, the participants were equivocal on eating less or eating the same amount of food. Most participants reported that they would eat more food when having a special meal with family or friends, but would eat the same if they were having a regular meal. The authors highlight that the investigated participants are aware of the social facilitation and inhibition behaviors that are involved when having special meals, however, the participants fail to recognize or admit that eating with family or friends causes them to eat more food in comparison to having meals on their own. The authors conclude that enhancing the perception of individuals on this aspect of dietary intake in the company of family or friends can help individuals trying to regulate their consumption of food. [NPID: Awareness, eating, social facilitation, social influences, social inhibition]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2022
"Meating halfway": Exploring the attitudes of meat eaters, veg*ns, and occasional meat eaters toward those who eat meat and those who do not eat meat
Observation studies continue to report a negative attitude adopted by meat eaters towards vegetarians and vegans (veg*ns), however, the evidence to the contrary is insufficient. In this study by Pabian et al. (2022), the authors examined the attitudes of both meat eaters and veg*ns, in addition to those of occasional consumers of meat. Their first cross-sectional study conducted on meat eaters, occasional meat eaters, and veg*ns (study 1, n = 447, median age = 23.45 ± 5.91 years) revealed that the attitudes of veg*ns toward meat eaters were substantially more negative compared to those harbored by meat eaters towards veg*ns, however, both groups demonstrated a lower than midpoint negative attitudes score towards each other. Their second study investigating publicly available tweets (study 2, n = 1,328) showed that less than 1% of the available tweets on either meat eating or veg*nism displayed negative attitudes. The authors conclude that their two studies provide little evidence on the presence of strongly negative attitudes. [NPID: Meat eaters, attitudes, in-group bias, intergroup perception, occasional meat eaters]
2021
Marriage and gut (microbiome) feelings: Tracing novel dyadic pathways to accelerated aging
This 2019 review highlights how couples’ relationships, partners’ individual and joint vulnerabilities, and their health behaviors can influence health through changes in gut microbiota, metabolism, and immune function. When couples share stressors and emotions in their commonly intertwined lives, these partners may be at risk of common disease partly due to parallel alterations in their gut microbiota. Marital discord, stress, and depression can all fuel one another. Additionally, chronic marital stress and depression can make partners susceptible to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease through changes in resting energy expenditure, insulin production, and triglyceride responses after unhealthy meals. During stressful periods, one can become less active, develop sleeping problems, and adopt poor eating habits, all of which can promote gut dysbiosis (imbalance of the bacterial community) and affect metabolic pathways. This loss of balance in bacterial communities can increase intestinal permeability (gut leakiness) and can potentially be involved in the increase in inflammation and acceleration of aging. Age-related changes in the gut microbiota's composition and gut leakiness can facilitate age-related immune dysfunction and inflammation. The risk of developing these age-related conditions may be influenced by depression, diet, sleep, exercise habits, and emotion control strategies. Since partners can affect each other’s moods and behaviors, this article presents a novel way of viewing the health implications of marriage. [NPID: marriage, married, couples, partners, relationships, health, gut, GI, gastrointestinal, mood, immune system, immunity, gut microbiota, gut health, gut bacteria, depression, lifestyle, aging, stress, diet, exercise, sleep]
2021
Association between eating alone and cardiovascular diseases in elderly women a cross-sectional study of KNHANES 2016 data
The elderly population faces unique dietary challenges. For example, the influence of factors such as a companion’s physical presence on eating and cardiovascular health in a geriatric population remains poorly understood. Thus, Han-Gyo et al. (2022) set out to investigate potentially existing differences in health habits, nutrition, and the odds of suffering from cardiovascular diseases or the presence of cardiovascular disease risk factors with respect to the presence of an eating companion in 590 menopausal women aged ≥65 years. Participants who had three or more meals a day by themselves were categorized into an eating-alone (EA) group, while participants who had companions for three or more meals a day belonged to an eating-with-others (EO) group. This cross-sectional study revealed that the EA group members were less likely to pay attention to, or use, nutrition labels, ate fewer carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, and potassium, had an overall lower energy intake, and suffered higher odds of experiencing cardiovascular symptoms such as angina, compared to the EO group. The authors demonstrated that if elderly women ate their meals alone, they exhibited limited nutritional knowledge and consumption, and were more likely to experience cardiovascular symptoms such as angina. The authors conclude that providing education focused on nutrition and screening for cardiovascular disease in elderly women who mainly eat alone is highly recommended. [NPID: Elderly women, cardiovascular disease, eating alone, nutrients, menopause, loneliness]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2021
Reanalysis of the Mars500 experiment reveals common gut microbiome alterations in astronauts induced by long-duration confinement.
This 2021 study reanalyzed the data of the Mars500 experiment, a study that isolated six astronauts for a total of 520 days while examining various health outcomes. It is the longest controlled human confinement study conducted to date, and in the initial analyses there were certain results that suggested presence of intestinal inflammation. But no significant alterations in gut microbiota was identified. This present 2021 article looked at fecal samples of the astronauts in the early and late stages of the experiment. There were in fact a total of 213 exact sequence variants shared by all astronauts. These included anti-inflammatory and insulin sensitivity-associated species. Moreover, there was significant differentiation in the abundances of thirty-two of these exact sequence variants (ESVs). There were forty-nine species of microorganisms that were both commonly found in the astronaut and the surrounding environment. This made up 49% and 12% of the human and environmental microbiome diversity, respectively. This study indicated that the microbiota changed considerably throughout confinement, including species known to influence inflammation. Information on the effects of long-term confinement on the human microbiome can help us better understand how humans interact with their habitats. [NPID: astronauts, gut, gut health, bacteria, microbiota, microbiome, GI, gastrointestinal, confinement, prison, inflammation]
2020
Do disadvantageous social contexts influence food choice? Evidence from three laboratory experiments
This 2020 study tries to address the limited evidence on the effect of social contexts on people’s food choice. This experiment tested the extent to which disadvantageous social contexts influence food choice in healthy, non-dieting participants. Three established experimental methods were used to create social contexts such as giving the subjects varying amounts of money in a Dictator game. Another group of participants were included or excluded from a Cyberball game, while 81 individuals took part in a response time ranking task. The sample groups were then provided with a choice of food items ranging in perceived tastiness and healthfulness. Just like a previous study, those with strong dispositional self-control (as indicated by the questionnaire) were more likely to choose healthier foods. Moreover, people who were unfairly treated in the Dictator game, excluded from the Cyberball game, or performed poorly in the task ended up with negative emotions, as predicted. However, there was no evident effect of the social contexts on food choice among the sample in any of the experiments. The results suggest that disadvantageous social contexts have negligible impact on food choice, at least it appears to under laboratory setting. [NPID: social contexts, social factors, social influence, social, perception, diet, food choice, healthy eating, self-control]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2021
The gut reaction to couples' relationship troubles: A route to gut dysbiosis through changes in depressive symptoms
This 2021 study tested whether the quality of a marriage can influence depressive symptoms, and gut diversity, richness, and permeability. Marital quality was assessed using the Couples Satisfaction Index, while stool and blood samples were taken on two occasions (about 90 days apart on average). Those couples with clinically significant relationship issues saw their depression worsen during the time between the first and second visits. On the other hand, the more satisfied partners reported no apparent differences in depressive symptoms. Regarding gastrointestinal health, gut microbiota seemed to decrease in diversity and richness as depressive symptoms increased. Furthermore, lower relationship satisfaction appeared to predict increases in lipopolysaccharide binding protein in the time between visit 1 and 2. This change indicated greater movement of bacterial endotoxin from the gut to blood circulation, which is a process that can stimulate inflammation. In this way, depressive symptoms and marital distress can lead to health risks via lower diversity and abundance of microbiota. [NPID: gut, GI, gastrointestinal, depression, gut health, bacteria, gut bacteria, microbiota, microbiome, marriage, couples, relationships, distress, marital problems]
2015
Fermented foods, neuroticism, and social anxiety: An interaction model
Several studies have proposed that probiotics may be able to ameliorate symptoms of anxiety. However, the literature examining the relationship between probiotics and social anxiety remains insufficient. To determine whether eating fermented foods that may contain probiotics would consort with neuroticism (i.e., the disposition to experience negative emotions) and thereby impact experienced symptoms of social anxiety, Hilimire, DeVylder, and Forestell (2015) studied self-reported data outlining eating fermented food, neuroticism, and social anxiety in a sample of 710 adults. The authors’ interaction model, accounting for participant demographics, healthy food consumption, and exercise, demonstrated that participants’ exercise habits, neuroticism, and the frequency of eating fermented food were significant predictors of social anxiety. In detail, the model showed that participants with high neuroticism who ate more fermented food were less likely to report symptoms of social anxiety. In agreement with previous works, the authors have shown that consuming fermented foods containing probiotics may provide a level of protection from experiencing social anxiety symptoms in individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to anxiety, providing a possible low-risk intervention. The authors conclude that further research is paramount to explore the dynamics behind the effect fermented foods have on our experience of social anxiety. [NPID: Fermented foods, exercise, neuroticism, probiotics, social anxiety disorder, social phobia]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2017
Impact of nutrition on social decision making
The authors of this 2017 study have previously discovered that variations in macronutrient quantity in standard European meals affect the levels of neurotransmitter precursors, meaning that they influence social decision making. A balanced diet seems to be crucial for maintaining homeostasis, which is necessary for survival. Since food consumption also alters biochemical processes within humans that influence behavior, the aim of this present study was to determine the causal relationship between macronutrient composition, its biochemical effect in the body, and a modulation of human social decision making. Across two studies, breakfasts with various macronutrient compositions were shown to modulate social behavior. In comparison to eating a low carbohydrate/protein meal, having a breakfast with a high carbohydrate/protein ratio increased social punishment behavior in response to norm violations. In addition, the results indicate that the behavioral changes in social decision making associated with variable macronutrient levels may be related to the lowering of tyrosine levels in the blood. In a limited sense, the phrase “we are what we eat” is somewhat true. These findings emphasize that the importance of a balanced diet may extend beyond the physical benefits of adequate nutrition. [NPID: nutrition, diet, macronutrients, nutrients, social behaviors, social norms, decision making, psychology, psychosocial, protein, carbohydrates]
2012
Liking food less: The impact of social influence on food liking evaluations in female students
This 2012 study identified the lack of research examining whether social factors affect ratings for food and drink liking. Two experiments were carried out to test whether instilling the belief that others don’t like a food item influences the individual’s evaluations for food liking. In the first study, participants were exposed to a variety of different social normative information. For example, one group was led to believe that other group members dislike orange juice, while another group may have been manipulated to think that other groups dislike orange juice. Within another third group, it was suggested that the group members were neutral about orange juice. In this first study, the participants’ likings for the orange juice were influenced only by information on social norms involving members of the same group. In study 2, subjects ate a snack food before finding out that two previous participants had either liked or disliked the food. The revelation that others had negative experiences with the food resulted in decreased liking scores for the food. Social influence was evident across both studies. [NPID: social norms, social influence, foods, eating, perception, behaviors, psychosocial, psychology, diet]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2015
Social modeling of eating: a review of when and why social influence affects food intake and choice
This 2015 article reviewed experimental studies that have independently manipulated eating behaviors through social modeling (using others’ eating as a guide for what and how much to eat) and measured either food choice or consumption. Among the 69 articles included in this review, there was limited evidence for hunger, personality, age, and weight having a moderating effect on modeling. But there were effects with substantial evidence. First, modeling is increased when individuals desire to affiliate with the model or perceive themselves to be similar to the model. Modeling has a lesser effect on intake of healthy snacks and meals such as breakfast and lunch but are still significant. In this review, the authors discuss the data suggesting that modeling is motivated by goals of both affiliation and uncertainty-reduction. The paper also presents ideas on how these models can be possibly integrated. These models can potentially be brought beyond the laboratory and could greatly affect obesity and disordered eating. [NPID: eating, diet, healthy, unhealthy, review, food choice, social norms, social modeling, social models, psychology, psychosocial]
2015
Social norms shift behavioral and neural responses to foods
Although social norms are believed to influence eating behavior, this 2015 article highlights that few studies have investigated the underlying mechanisms of this conformity. Thus, this study tested whether group norms can change people’s preferences for foods at both behavioral and neural levels. Firstly, hungry participants were asked to rate their preferences for various healthy and unhealthy foods. Then, each subject was shown what appeared to be the ratings of others, which were all either higher, lower than, or the same as the participants themselves. Everyone was then asked to provide ratings again. The second ratings were found to resemble that of their peers’. This consensus with peers caused greater activity in the nucleus accumbens (a brain region associated with reward prediction errors) when compared with disagreement. The strength of this brain activity predicted the extent to which subjects’ ratings conformed to that of their peers, suggesting that the value associated with consensus drives social influence. Moreover, the brain region called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) initially responded more strongly to unhealthy foods, compared with healthy foods. However, this effect was overwritten after participants gathered information on others’ likings and popularity of the foods. Overall, these results suggest that group norms can shift food preferences, and that norms-based interventions can be utilized to promote healthy eating habits. [NPID: healthy eating, diet, nutrition, psychology, perception, behaviors, norms, group norms, social norms, preferences, healthy foods]
2015
Social norms and their influence on eating behaviours
While there are many studies that suggest that social eating norms strongly influence both food choice and consumption, this 2015 review outlines the possible reasons why people follow social eating norms and investigates the moderating factors involved in norm-following. Higgs firstly suggests that eating norms are followed because it promotes the sharing of food, and spreads information about safe foods. Norms are effective in affecting human behavior since following these norms is connected with social judgment. It was stated that people are more likely to follow norms when there is a sense of uncertainty around what is the correct or incorrect behavior. Norm-following then allows individuals to feel a sense of shared identity with the person/group they mimicked. It is the modification of self-perceptions and sensory or hedonic (pleasure-related) assessments of food caused by social norms that may affect food choice and level of intake. And it is likely that people’s following of eating norms is reinforced by the same neural systems responsible for mediating the rewarding aspects of food. [NPID: psychosocial, social norms, food sharing, behavior, social judgement, shared identity, sensory, hedonic pleasure, pleasure, hedonic, food choice, decision making, reward]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2015
Perceived social norms and eating behaviour: An evaluation of studies and future directions
According to this 2015 article, perceived social norms relating to specific contexts can influence the amount of food one consumes in those contexts. However, many of these studies predominantly study young female adults, and less research has explored whether perceived social norms can predict the types of food people eat daily. Cross-sectional studies have been conducted to examine this possible link, but this study design has its limitations. Also, a few interventional studies have started to evaluate whether perceived social norms can be used to encourage healthier eating, but the results have been mixed. So now it has been identified that future articles need to investigate the impact of perceived social norms on objective measures of eating behaviour, using longitudinal methods. Hopefully these trials will confirm if social norms play an important role in the adoption/alteration of eating behaviors. [NPID: behaviors, diet, social norms, perception, perceived, habits, norms, healthy eating]
2016
The effects of liking norms and descriptive norms on vegetable consumption: A randomized experiment
This 2016 study aimed to find out how certain messages and conditions can affect food intake from a buffet in both low- and high-consumers of vegetables. Several factors were investigated, including the impact of the liking norm (where information about others' liking for a food is known). Immediate food selection was examined as well as food choices 24 hours after exposure. Other conditions included descriptive norm (effect of others’ behaviors), health message, vegetable variety condition, and neutral control message. The food buffet consisted of three raw vegetables, three energy-dense foods, and two dips. Although there was a link identified between the message condition and habitual vegetable consumption, there was no indication of significant effects in the follow-up tests. Looking at each food individually, there was an interesting interaction involving broccoli. Participants who normally did not previously eat high amounts of vegetables showed increased intake of broccoli in the vegetable variety and liking norm conditions (when others demonstrated their liking), when compared with themselves in the neutral control condition. This study encourages further analysis of the liking norm and vegetable variety conditions, and their influence on vegetable intake. [NPID: diet, vegetables, nutrition, liking norm, perception, influence, behavior, food choice, raw vegetables]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2001
Impact of moods and social context on eating behavior
Patel & Schlundt (2001) investigated the relationship of moods and social context with energy and nutrient intakes to find out whether these variables interact or function independently. The study used a sample population of 78 predominantly white, obese women (mean age 36.7, mean BMI 32.1) participating in weight-loss studies. The subjects recorded food consumption, moods, and people present during these meals within food diaries over the course of 2 weeks. Results showed meals eaten in a positive or negative mood were significantly larger than those eaten in a neutral mood. In addition, meals with company were significantly larger in size than meals eaten alone. Moods and social context had an additive effect resulting in greater risk of overeating, while it was revealed by macro nutrient analysis that the main influence was from social context. Percentage of calories from fat and protein were greater, whereas the percentage of carbohydrate was less in social context meals compared to meals eaten alone. Patel and Schlundt (2001) concluded that educating individuals to cope more effectively with social situations and moods may improve the efficacy of weight loss and maintenance programs. [NPID: psychosocial, mood, obesity, loneliness, social norms, weight loss]
2017
Using a descriptive social norm to Increase vegetable selection in workplace restaurant settings
In this 2017 study, a poster featuring a social norms-based message was placed in restaurants in the United Kingdom to assess what impact it has on purchases of vegetable-containing meals and whether an increase in sales can be sustained. The intervention phase, where the posters containing social norm messages relaying information about vegetable purchases at other restaurants were placed in each of the 3 restaurants, lasted 2 weeks, with 2 weeks either side of this phase called the pre-intervention phase and post-intervention phase. The analysis using Pearson’s chi-squared test revealed 57% of the participants were male, 75% were not overweight, and 98% were under 60 years of age. The social norm-based message was positively associated with the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables, with 60% of purchases containing vegetables at baseline, 64% during the 2-week intervention phase, and still 67% post-intervention. This investigation concludes that social norm messages may increase the purchase of vegetable meals in workplace settings. [NPID: psychosocial, social norms, United Kingdom, intervention, vegetables, vegetable intake, workplace nutrition, workplace]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
Two observational studies examining the effect of a social norm and a health message on the purchase of vegetables in student canteen settings
Collins et. al (2019) set up two observational studies to test the hypothesis that descriptive social-norm messages are associated with increased vegetable consumption, which there is some evidence of in laboratory-based studies. A vegetable-related social norm such as "Did you know that most students here choose to eat vegetables with their meal?") and a health message for example "Did you know that students who choose to eat vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease?") were displayed in two different student canteens, and purchases were reviewed at baseline, when the posters were displayed (intervention), and immediate post-intervention (when the posters had been removed). The first study analysed the purchase of meals containing a portion of vegetable while study 2 observed sales of vegetable side portions. Study 1 discovered that relative to baseline, the social-norms intervention was associated with an increase in purchases of vegetables (from 63% to 68% of meals; OR = 1.24, CI = 1.03-1.49), which was sustained post-intervention (67% of meals; OR = 0.96, CI = 0.80-1.15). The health message did not appear to have an effect on sales of vegetable-containing foods in the first cohort, with 75% of meals seen at baseline and 74% during the intervention (OR = 0.98). Whereas with the second study, the health message led to a rise in ratio of vegetable purchases from 43.8% at baseline to 52.8% during the intervention, an effect that was sustained after the intervention (48.1%, OR = 0.59). Other findings from study 2 included an increase in percentage of vegetable purchases from 22.9% at baseline to 32.5% when the social norm intervention was in play, but this effect was not maintained post-intervention (22.1%). The author claims these results support further testing of the effectiveness of such messages in encouraging healthier eating and indicate the need for larger-scale testing at multiple sites using a randomised-controlled design. [NPID: psychosocial, social norm messages, FV intake, marketing, intervention, vegetables]
2016
The potential of peer social norms to shape food intake in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review of effects and moderators
Stok et. al (2016) assessed the role that peer social norms play in shaping young people’s food intake in this systematic review, breaking down important questions such as whom and when peer social norms are related to the amount of food young people consume. A total of thirty-three (17 correlational, 16 experimental) studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. With the correlational studies 16 out of the 17 studies found significant associations between norms and food intake, while all 16 experimental studies found effects of norm manipulations on food intake, and some evidence of behavioral spillover effects of norms. Also, four moderators were identified from the literature synthesis that stipulate for whom and when peer social norms are related to food intake: identification with the norm referent group and eating-related habit strength were seen to moderate the effects of social norms on food consumption; forceful injunctive norms did not indicate correlations with food intake; and the influence of norms seemed restricted to types of foods typically consumed in the presence of peers. These findings have important implications for research and also potentially for the development of social norm-based interventions to improve young people’s food intake. [NPID: psychosocial, peer social norms, habits, young people]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2016
Is one's usual dinner companion associated with greater odds of depression? Using data from the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Since family dinners can be where the whole family gets together and can potentially have a positive effect on depression severity, this 2016 study investigated the association between dinner companion and depression, as well as the differences in this link by gender, living arrangement and household composition. 4181 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014 were included in this study and were divided into 3 groups according to their dinner companions: dinner with family, dinner alone, and dinner with others. Results showed those who ate dinner alone (OR = 1.53) were more likely to develop depression compared to those who had family dinners, and that men who live with others and men who live in a second generation household who ate dinner alone had more chance of suffering from depression. It was concluded in this study that family dinner times may help to alleviate depressive moods. [NPID: psychosocial, depression, gender, Korea, family dinners]
2020
Associations between meal companions and obesity in South Korean adults
Jeong & Jang (2020) inspected the data from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) involving 23,494 adult participants in their study to examine the relationship between meal companions and obesity among a South Korean sample population. Participants were first divided into three categories: dinner with family, dinner with others, and dinner alone. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed people who ate dinner with others or alone had a higher obesity risk compared to those that had family dinners, and this was the case regardless of their breakfast companion. Moreover, those adults who had daily meals outside of their homes had a greater risk of becoming obese than those who ate dinners with others or with family. It was also discovered regular drinking increases obesity risk, as seen in those who engaged in weekly heavy drinking compared to those who did not drink. This investigation highlighted the benefit of family dinners over having dinner alone or with others, which could motivate dieters to have more frequent family dinners. [NPID: psychosocial, Korea, obesity, South Korea, family dinners]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2018
Eating alone Is differentially associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean men and women
This 2018 study extracted data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) for 2013-2015 (yielding 8988 adults aged 18-64) in order to examine the relationship between patterns of eating alone and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Patterns of eating alone were categorized into eight groups based on the total frequency of eating alone on a daily basis in the past one year: (1) three times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; (2) twice for breakfast and dinner; (3) twice for lunch and dinner; (4) twice for breakfast and lunch; (5) once for breakfast only; (6) once for lunch only; (7) once for dinner only; and (8) never eating alone. The presence of MetS was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). After controlling for age, income, occupation, number of family members, generation types, marital status, smoking status, and physical activity, the study found the prevalence of MetS was the highest in men and women aged 40-64 who had breakfast, lunch, and dinner alone (50.1% and 36.8%, respectively). In addition, men who had dinner alone or lunch and dinner alone had significantly higher risks of developing MetS compared to those who eat with others, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of 1.51 and 1.54 respectively. However women who had breakfast alone appeared to have a significantly lower risk of MetS compared to those who ate with others. In conclusion, patterns of eating alone are differentially associated with the risk of MetS in a representative sample of Korean adults. Lastly, Kim et. al (2018) believe more studies are warranted to identify the different eating alone patterns in relation to various health outcomes in Korean adult populations. [NPID: performance, Korea, Korean health, loneliness, metabolic syndrome, diabetes]
2018
Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review
This is a systematic review published in 2018 examining the research on the influence of cooking interventions on psychosocial outcomes. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed to find that inpatient and community-based cooking interventions yielded positive influences on socialisation, self-esteem, quality of life, and affect. But generally, the quality of the research was weak due to non-randomisation, unvalidated research tools and small sample sizes. Although this review suggests that cooking interventions may positively influence psychosocial outcomes, this evidence is preliminary and requires back-up from additional qualitative and rigorous quantitative research to identify the mechanisms by which cooking interventions may improve psychosocial outcomes. [NPID: psychosocial, cooking interventions, socialization, self-esteem, quality of life, affect]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
Examination of how food environment and psychological factors interact in their relationship with dietary behaviours: test of a cross-sectional model
This 2019 study examined the synergistic and relative association between a number of food environmental and psychological factors with the dietary behaviors of 921 women with young children. The female participants from Hampshire were asked about their demographic characteristics, psychological resources, dietary behaviors and perceptions of healthy food access and affordability. Three local food environment factors were objectively assessed: 1) spatial access to food outlets using activity spaces; 2) healthfulness of the supermarket where women did their main food shop (based on nine in-store factors including price, placement and promotion on seven healthy and five less healthy foods); 3) nutrition environment of children's centres visited frequently by the women, assessed via staff-administered questionnaire. For the results, complete data were available for 753 women. One of the findings was that the environment of the women’s supermarket was indirectly related to their dietary behaviors through psychological resources and perceived food affordability. The overall model fit was good, and the three food environmental factors were not directly associated with dietary behavior. An association was observed between shopping at supermarkets classified as having a healthier in-store environment with greater psychological resources, with links to healthy eating and fewer food affordability concerns. These results suggest that combining high-agency interventions that target individual psychological resources and low-agency supermarket environment interventions can lead to greater improvements in dietary behaviors than either intervention alone. [NPID: psychosocial, psychological factors, healthy food access, affordability, perception, price, placement, promotion, health interventions]
2019
Combined obesity and psychosocial stress is a worldwide health problem and a paracrine disorder
This 2019 online article outlines findings from research studies on how obesity, psychosocial stress, and both have an impact on the physiology of different organs. Dugaucquier and Segers (2019) express their interest on clearing up how psychosocial stress affects cardiac and hippocampal function in obese subjects. The writers present an option in the pharmacological administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which may compensate for the negative effects of obesity and psychosocial stress on cardiac and neural dysfunction. [NPID: psychosocial, obesity, psychosocial stress, organ health, cardiac function, hippocampal function, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, neural function]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2018
Association between eating behaviour and diet quality: eating alone vs. eating with others
8523 Korean adults were assessed by Chae et. al (2018) with the hope of discovering an association between eating alone and diet quality in Koreans who eat alone and of analysing how socioeconomic factors can influence their diet quality. Using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI 2013-2015 data, diet quality was determined by mean adequacy ratio (MAR) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR). It was found that those who eat alone have lower diet quality compared to those who eat together in both males and females. Among the lone eaters, MAR was negatively influenced by living arrangement, education level, income levels, and various occupation classes. The finding that people who eat alone are lacking in nutritional intake could lead to serious health problems, which is why the authors support the development of strategies by the policy makers to enhance diet quality in order to prevent potential risk factors. [NPID: psychosocial, Korea, socioeconomic factors, diet quality, loneliness]
2014
What everyone else is eating: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of informational eating norms on eating behavior.
Robinson et. al (2014) assessed the weight of evidence that experimentally manipulated information about eating habits has an impact on food choice and intake, and also reviewed studies on whether sharing with people what others’ eating habits look like has an influence on the same matter (food-related decision making). Using a narrative synthesis approach searching on 3 electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and the Social Sciences Citation Index) a total of fifteen experimental studies were selected to be reviewed. Meta-analyses were used to synthesise the effect that informational eating norms have on quantity of food consumed. There was evidence that both high and low intake norms (both p-values <=0.005) exerted moderate influence on consumption quantity. Norms were consistently found to play an influential role in food choices, while norm information about others’ low-energy and high-energy eating habits was significantly linked to an increase in adoption of similar food choices. This study clarifies that eating norms can be an important tool to promote healthy diet choices since they can have such an influence on the choice and amount of food eaten. [NPID: eating habits, psychosocial, intake, norms, food choice, decision making].