NP Method Development
The CNP Method Development Research Category consolidates research methods related to the development of Nutritional Psychology. To view each original study on the open internet, click “Original.” To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click “CNP Summary.” While many 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
Food elicits several affective responses in us, from sensory (visual, olfactory, etc.) to emotional, which play a key role in influencing product choice and new product adoption. In this literature review by Kaneko et al. (2018), the authors present a detailed summary of the currently employed methods used to evaluate emotional responses to food, organized under a 3 x 3 level architecture: level of measurement (physiological, behavioral, and cognitive) and level of emotional processing (unconscious sensory, perceptual/early cognitive, and conscious/decision making). This literature review covered 101 articles (1997-2016) and generated 59 measurement parameters, however, it was noted that 60% were self-reported and evaluated the conscious/decision-making level of emotional processing. As the aim of this literature review was to aid in establishing a measurement tool for emotions invoked by food, which validates future studies and allows comparison between studies, and to recognize that the aforementioned two levels were overrepresented, the authors make the following recommendations: Firstly, to only use recognized and accepted methods of measurement. Secondly, to diversify measurement tools to encompass all levels of emotional processing, and finally, to help improve the validity of the food choice model and other employed models. To achieve this, the authors recommend providing collected datasets containing physiological, behavioral, and cognitive information. The authors conclude that this 3 x 3 categorization may help researchers compile a set of complementary measures (i.e., a “toolbox”) for their studies.
2022
Identifying future study designs for mental health and social wellbeing associated with diets of a cohort living in eco-regions: Findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop
Indicators for assessment of health effects of consumption of sustainable, organic school meals in Ecoregions (INSUM) is an international research project developing novel research strategies to evaluate the psychological health benefits of sustainable and organic diets in Eco-Regions. Eco-Regions are communities working towards creating sustainable food regions which use organic food production practices and understand the full life cycle of local food products. These eco-region communities provide opportunities for building our knowledge base on how sustainable, organic, and region-specific diets may affect mental health and social well-being (MHSW). Elsner & Matthiessen et al. (2022) highlight the findings of a convening of interdisciplinary and international experts to identify commonly used research methods and tools for evaluating the relationship between MHSW and diets in Eco-Region environments. The authors concluded from the workshop discussions that family-targeting cohort study designs are the best-suited to generate MHSW-related observations in Eco-Regions. Additionally, questionnaires were found to be the most popular tool in evaluating MHSW, owing to their adaptability in the method of distribution (in-person, online, etc.) and to study design. Such methodologically-adherent MHSW studies have the additional advantage of evaluating other somatic health indicators. In conclusion, the authors recommend using interdisciplinary study designs to address MHSW indicators and related factors in Eco-Regions. [NPID: Mental health, social health, wellbeing, sustainable diet, healthy diet, Eco-Regions, sustainable food systems]
2022
The use of mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) methodology to assess dietary intake, food consumption behaviours and context in young people: A systematic review
In this review by Battaglia et al. (2022), the authors evaluated the use of mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA), an innovative dietary assessment method, for its accessibility, feasibility, validity, and postulated benefits of reducing the burden on study participants and reducing potential recall bias. Data on populations of young individuals (16 to 30 years of age) was extrapolated from five databases, highlighting studies that utilized mEMA for data collection on aspects such as dietary behaviors, dietary consumption and/or other factors (39 studies contributing 46 articles). The authors noted an overall variability in mEMA application, including variability in monitoring periods and prompting methods used (event-contingent, where recording depends on food consumption [n = 9] vs. signal-contingent, where participants receive notification to record [n=26] vs. using both prompting methods [n=4]). While two studies reported that mEMA was taxing to participants, six studies reported that mEMA was uncomplicated, with a majority of the studies reporting 80% and above compliance. [NPID: food behavior, dietary behavior, mobile-naded, dietary intake]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2022
Nutrition education, understanding, and counseling practices among physiatrists: A survey study
In this study by Calandra (2022), the author investigated the efficiency of psychiatrists in nutrition counseling, their nutrition education, and the challenges they encounter when attempting to provide nutrition counseling to patients, which are issues that lack sufficient evidence. A total of 59 psychiatrists submitted a cross-sectional online survey investigating nutrition knowledge, demographics, nutrition counseling, and perceived challenges. Analysis of the responses revealed that over a third of the participants did not feel confident about their lack of qualifications in discussing nutrition and diet with patients, despite receiving relevant education during their undergraduate years (78% of respondents), and that most participants believe receiving further nutrition-centered training and behavioral counseling training (preferably, web-based) would empower them to provide nutrition counseling to their patients and help prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases. Finally, it was noted that most psychiatrists refrained from providing their patients with nutrition counseling due to socioeconomic factors curtailing access to healthy food, insufficient time, and the lack of sufficient nutrition knowledge. The author concludes that these findings show that psychiatrists are keen on providing nutrition counseling to their patients, are cognizant of their perceived barriers, and are interested in continuous nutritional education, despite popular hypotheses. These results stress the importance of providing psychiatrists with nutritional education to better serve their patients. [NPID: Nutrition, diet, mood, psychiatry, counseling]
2014
How to measure mood in nutrition research
Widely held is the belief that experiencing a positive mood increases the amount of food consumed, however, mood is an arduous parameter to measure. In this work by Hammersley, Reid & Atkin (2014), the authors begin by highlighting four distinct mood-related theoretical challenges, including differentiating between transient and protracted mood; differentiating between emotions and mood; the impact of cognitive, social, and physiological processes on mood; and finally, the identification of mood as a sovereign state of consciousness as opposed to a mere part of the conscious spectrum. Mood is susceptible to influence through the social setting, psychological environment, and physical state related to the consumption of food among several feeding aspects that are not linked to nutrition, in addition to the impact of the methodology used to measure mood, making the task of measuring mood a difficult one. The authors present the most commonly used mood-rating methods in research, their prerequisites, and the guidelines governing the choice of a mood-rating system in experiments. The authors summarize their recommendations on ideal mood-rating systems in that they should be brief, simple, comprehensive, two-dimensional, reproducible, and account for cognitive bias. [NPID: Affect, mood assessment, mood rating].
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
Validity and reliability of Food-Mood Questionnaire (FMQ)
Due to the current research interest in mental distress and dietary patterns (DPs), the authors Begdache, Marhaba, and Chaar (2019) developed and validated a Food-Mood Questionnaire (FMQ) to aid in evaluating mental distress and DPs. Through the use of validated protocol development methods (internal, external, and statistical validation, pilot-testing, test-retesting, qualitative and quantitative validation), 563 participants were evaluated using the FMQ online. Evaluating the FMQ through principal component analysis (PCA) revealed five sub-scales with significant internal reliability, external validity, and internal consistency. Through the FMQ, participants who had a habit of consuming fast food have been found to suffer from mental distress, a DP which is known to cause depression and anxiety. Thus, the authors conclude that using the FMQ provides a reliable and consistent solution to evaluating the relationship between mental distress and DPs. [NPID: Validation, dietary pattern, mental distress, mood, nutrition, questionnaire]
2016
Affective pictures and the open library of affective foods (OLAF): Tools to investigate emotions toward food in adults
Standardized collections of affective food pictures are available nowadays, helping provide personalized assessments and visual data on food items. Of which, the OLAF (Open Library of Affective Foods) remains the only set devoted to studying emotional responses towards food. Taking emotional reactions to food into account (specifically, how food cues could be related to strong emotional experiences that are not related to food) is plausibly a cornerstone for corroborating food evaluations that involve different individuals and groups, as proposed by a number of researchers in the field. Miccoli et al. (2016) present their continued works on the OLAF, which includes a collection of food images and sets of standardized emotion-provoking images (erotica, mutilations, and neutrals from the International Affective Picture System/IAPS), aimed for use as a valid evaluation tool within groups of adults. The OLAF displays high-calorie sweet and savory foods and low-calorie fruit and vegetable images that comply with IAPS, coupled with emotional images, which helps to establish a consistent affective rating. The authors investigated how exposure to food and affective images affected participants in terms of derived pleasures, arousal, dominance, and food craving. Derived results confirmed previous research findings and further affirmed the fidelity of evaluation using OLAF, where the results displayed patterns congruent with literature on emotional research as follows: regarding OLAF evaluation, high calorie sweet and savory food pictures were found to evoke the highest response in the pleasure category, and a low response in the arousal category compared to erotica. The authors conclude that using OLAF and affective images represents a reliable investigative tool to evaluate emotional responses towards food in a motivational structure. [NPID: Emotional response, OLAF, IAPS]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2020
Impact of review method on the conclusions of clinical reviews: A systematic review on dietary interventions in depression as a case in point
Narrative, systematic reviews and meta-analyses are prone to be impacted by researcher bias, yet such study designs give rise to most of the expert recommendations that direct the course of clinical practice. Such is the case for the recent recommendations regarding nutrition-based interventions aimed at depression in adults. In this systematic review by Thomas-Odenthal et al. (2020), the authors evaluated whether the strength of the recommendations issued by experts regarding the relationship between healthy diets and depression depended on the type of review performed. To do so, the authors conducted a systematic search of available databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science), extracting 12 systematic reviews, 24 narrative reviews, and 14 meta-analyses that met the inclusion criteria. A GRADE assessment methodology was employed to rank the findings of the included studies (derived from abstract and discussion sections) as strong, moderate or weak. Analysis of the findings demonstrated that narrative reviews had a higher likelihood to report strong conclusions compared to systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses (~9 fold increase, with 33% of narrative reviews demonstrating strong conclusions compared to 8% of systematic reviews). This was also seen when the discussion/conclusion sections of narrative reviews were analyzed. Additionally, narrative reviews’ analysis reflected a 45.6% comparative decline in the use of input studies and an increased likelihood of being authored by individuals who have conflicting interests. The authors thus conclude that narrative reviews are more likely to produce strong recommendations regarding diet and depression, despite the questionable quality of their evidence. The authors acknowledge that their classification nature is fundamentally subjective despite the several congruency measures employed, which ultimately constitutes a limitation to their study. Finally, the authors further highlight the importance of using a systematic method to analyze current evidence and help journal editors in the decision making process of publishing narrative reviews prior to the availability of meta-analytic evidence. [NPID: Study design, systematic review, meta analysis, narrative review, bias, diet, depression, anxiety]
2020
A case for a study quality appraisal in survey studies in psychology
Protogerou & Hagger (2018) highlight a fundamental issue that hinders the translation and comparative efforts in psychology research, which is the difficulty faced in attempting to replicate studies and generate published results using their unique disclosed methods. These failures in replication are presumed to be the result of biases such as HARK-ing (hypothesizing after results are known), p-hacking (manipulating data analysis in favor of producing significant p values), negligence in accurately conducting research and introducing confounders in data collected and analyzed as a result, and equal negligence in reporting study methodology and results in a standardized manner. It becomes evidently clear that adopting a standardized, explicit manner in the reporting of study methodology and findings is critical to scientific progress, as it would enable studies to be replicated and verified in a manner that prevents the introduction of bias or incorrect inferences from invalid data. Researchers are now increasingly attentive to the requirement of conducting quality research and reporting findings in a clear and concise fashion that makes it suitable for studies to be evaluated. In this article, the authors highlight the problems faced with the standards of quality in psychology studies, and present validated methods that help evaluate psychology studies. Finally, the authors advocate for developing assessment checklists and utilizing them, particularly in survey studies. This is due to the fact that surveys represent the most commonly used research technique. [NPID: Study quality, appraisal, survey, psychology]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2018
Training in cognitive strategies reduces eating and improves food choice
Due to the current dietary trends, including forsaking healthy food in favor of cheaper, energy-dense, unhealthy food choices, the rates of obesity are increasing in tandem with obesity-associated pathologic conditions. An intervention strategy backed by published evidence involves the reduction of food cravings by highlighting the negative impacts of unhealthy food, which addresses the role of food cravings (stimulated by cognitive food cues through advertisements and such) in increasing the intake of unhealthy food options. In this series of studies by Boswell et al. (2018), conducted on a total sample of 1528 participants, the authors demonstrate how the cost of food and participant willingness to pay in food selection, in addition to the enhancement of healthy food cravings through the use of positive cognitive behavior strategies (studies 1 and 2), and the use of Regulation of Craving Training (ROC-T) strategies to enhance healthy food intake (studies 3 and 4). In their fifth study, the authors demonstrated the impact of ROC-T in both enhancing healthy food cravings and reducing overall caloric intake in participants by 93-121 calories. In their final sixth study, the authors highlight that ROC-T impacts extended beyond enhancing healthy food cravings and altering food valuations to improving participant dietary food choices by 5.4-11.2% and reducing unhealthy food cravings in study participants, obese individuals included. The authors conclude that their observations present valuable evidence that should be recognized in future research, public health, and clinical avenues directed at the obesity crisis. [NPID: Food cravings, dietary enhancement, healthy food, cognitive behavioral intervention, obesity]
2018
Methods for evaluating emotions evoked by food experiences: A literature review
Food elicits several affective responses in us, from sensory (visual, olfactory, etc.) to emotional, which play a key role in influencing product choice and new product adoption. In this literature review by Kaneko et al. (2018), the authors present a detailed summary of the currently employed methods used to evaluate emotional responses to food, organized under a 3 x 3 level architecture: level of measurement (physiological, behavioral, and cognitive) and level of emotional processing (unconscious sensory, perceptual/early cognitive, and conscious/decision making). This literature review covered 101 articles (1997-2016) and generated 59 measurement parameters, however, it was noted that 60% were self-reported and evaluated the conscious/decision-making level of emotional processing. As the aim of this literature review was to aid in establishing a measurement tool for emotions invoked by food, which validates future studies and allows comparison between studies, and to recognize that the aforementioned two levels were overrepresented, the authors make the following recommendations: Firstly, to only use recognized and accepted methods of measurement. Secondly, to diversify measurement tools to encompass all levels of emotional processing, and finally, to help improve the validity of the food choice model and other employed models. To achieve this, the authors recommend providing collected datasets containing physiological, behavioral, and cognitive information. The authors conclude that this 3 x 3 categorization may help researchers compile a set of complementary measures (i.e., a “toolbox”) for their studies. [NPID: Food evoked emotions, food experience, cognitive, emotional processing]