Motivational determinants of food preferences in adolescents and pre‐adolescents

This study explored the relationship between food preference and each of seven motivational factors—healthfulness, parents serve it, peers eat it, price, readily accessible, taste and television advertising—in white, middle‐class subjects aged 9 to 18 years. Subjects tasted and provided preference ratings for 17 foods, and rated the importance of each motivational factor on their preference for these foods. Test foods were representative of foods frequently consumed in this age group, and foods promoted by nutrition educators but infrequently consumed. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for food preference and motivational factor scores. Multiple regression analysis was performed on scores assigned to motivational factors. Taste emerged as the motivational factor with the greatest influence on food preference. If dietary recommendations are to be adopted by this age group, nutrition educators must focus on strategies for enhancing the taste of foods that are promoted for health.

Key words:

• Food preferences
• motivational factors
• adolescents
• pre‐adolescents

Notes

Corresponding author.