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Impact of altering the available food options on selection: Potential mediation by social norms.

ABSTRACT: Increasing the availability of lower-energy foods increases their selection. The current studies examine the extent to which this effect could be mediated by social norms - assessed by perceived popularity of foods - which may be implied by their relative availability. Study 1 (Online): 2340 UK adults estimated the perceived popularity of products. Participants were randomised to see photos of cafeteria shelves varying in the availability of lower-energy options (¹/₄ lower-energy; ¹/₂ lower-energy; ³/₄ lower-energy) and fullness of shelves (fuller; emptier). Study 2 (Laboratory): 139 English adults were asked to select a snack. Participants were randomised to select from trays varying in the availability of the lower-energy option (¹/₃ lower-energy; ²/₃ lower-energy) and fullness of tray (fuller; emptier). In Study 1, evidence for an interaction was found, such that when shelves were fuller, a higher proportion of lower-energy options led to greater perceived popularity of lower-energy products (¹/₄ lower-energy: 40.9% (95%CIs: 40.1,41.8); ³/₄ lower-energy: 47.2% (46.3,48.0)), whereas when shelves were emptier, a higher proportion of lower-energy options led to lower perceived popularity (¹/₄ lower-energy: 48.4% (47.5,49.2); ³/₄ lower-energy: 39.2% (38.3,40.0)). In Study 2, when the tray was fuller, participants were more likely - albeit non-significantly - to select a lower-energy snack when ²/₃ of the available snacks were lower-energy (35.7% (18.5,52.9)) than when ¹/₃ were lower-energy (15.4% (4.2,26.5)). For emptier trays, lower-energy selections decreased as the relative availability of lower-energy snacks increased (¹/₃ lower-energy snacks: 36.0% (17.9,54.1); ²/₃ lower-energy snacks: 27.8% (13.9,41.7)). These studies provide novel evidence that social norms may mediate the impact of availability on food selection. In addition, they suggest that the effect of availability may be moderated by display layout through its impact on perceived product popularity.

SUBMITTER: Pechey R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8214103 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND:The association between the residential fast food environment and diet has gained growing attention. However, why the food environment affects food consumption is under-examined. This study aimed to investigate neighbourhood social norms with respect to fast food consumption as a potential mediating pathway between residential fast food outlet exposure and residents' fast food consumption. METHODS:A correlational study was conducted in which a nationwide sample of 1038 respondents living across The Netherlands completed a survey. Respondents reported their fast food consumption (amount/week) as well as perceived descriptive and injunctive norms regarding fast food consumption in their neighbourhood. Fast food outlet exposure was measured by the average count of fast food outlets within a 400?m walking distance buffer around the zip-codes of the respondents, using a retail outlet database. Regression models were used to assess associations between residential fast food outlet exposure, fast food consumption, and social norm perceptions, and a bootstrapping procedure was used to test the indirect -mediation- effect. Separate analyses were performed for descriptive norms and injunctive norms. RESULTS:There was no overall or direct association between residential fast food outlet exposure and residents' fast food consumption. However, fast food outlet exposure was positively associated with neighbourhood social norms (descriptive and injunctive) regarding fast food consumption, which in turn were positively associated with the odds of consuming fast food. Moreover, results of the bootstrapped analysis provided evidence of indirect effects of fast food outlet exposure on fast food consumption, via descriptive norms and injunctive norms. CONCLUSIONS:In neighbourhoods with more fast food outlets, residents were more likely to perceive fast food consumption in the neighbourhood as more common and appropriate. In turn, stronger neighbourhood social norms were associated with higher fast food consumption. Acknowledging the correlational design, this study is the first that implies that neighbourhood social norms may be a mediating pathway in the relation between the residential fast food environment and fast food consumption. Future research may examine the role of neighbourhood social norms in other contexts and explore how the changing food environment may shift our consumption norms.

Project description:BackgroundIncreasing the availability of lower energy-density foods is a promising intervention to encourage healthier food purchasing but few studies have examined the effect of increasing availability of meat-free meals to promote more sustainable purchasing. We report three studies, all examining the impact of altering the availability of meat-free meals on meal selection.MethodsStudy 1 (a natural experiment in one university cafeteria) examined the impact of altering the ratio of meat-free meals (one meat-free and two meat, to two meat-free and one meat) on weekly sales of meals containing meat. Study 2 (a natural experiment in 18 worksite cafeterias) examined the impact on meat-free meal sales of a menu change designed to increase the availability of meat-free meals. Study 3 (an online study of 2205 UK-representative adults) compared meal selections when participants were randomised to ranges comprised of (a) one meat-free, three meat options; (b) two meat-free, two meat; or (c) three meat-free, one meat.ResultsStudy 1 suggested a significant decrease in the proportion of sales of meat options when the availability of meat-free options increased (- 19.9 percentage points; 95%CIs:-25.2,-14.6), with no evidence of changes to meat-based meal sales in other university cafeterias during the same period. Findings from Study 2 were mixed: multilevel regressions found no evidence of an increase in meat-free meals following the menu change (2.3 percentage points; 95%CIs: - 1.3,5.9), while interrupted time-series analyses suggested sales did increase (2.3; 95%CIs: 0.4,4.2), but implementation of the planned change was limited. In Study 3 reducing meat-free options from 50 to 25% reduced participants' selection of meat-free options (odds ratio 0.35; 95%CIs: 0.26,0.46), while increasing meat-free options from 50 to 75% increased meat-free selections (odds ratio 2.43; 95%CIs: 1.94,3.04). There was no evidence effects were moderated by gender, socioeconomic status or usual meat consumption.ConclusionIncreasing the availability of meat-free options is effective at reducing meat selection and purchasing for different ratios of meat to meat-free options. The magnitude of the effect is uncertain, but with no evidence of differences in response by demographic groups when directly tested.Trial registrationStudy 3: Open Science Framework; https://osf.io/ze9c6 ; 6/8/2020.

Project description:The first experimental data includes four groups; thus, four survey links have been designed for each group, which was sent via email. The approved target population is twelve thousand Georgia State University affiliates among faculty, staff, and students. We randomly picked three thousand for each group. Six thousand were randomly selected from the faculty and staff, and six thousand from the students. In the survey, we asked for generic information on individuals' characteristics such as gender, income, US native or non-native, and occupation. We provided information on the impact of carbon emission on the environment and human lives and how we can alter that by switching energy-based fuels. In the second and more comprehensive dataset, we reduced the groups to three, based on our power analysis on the first attempt. Instead of an across nations comparison (US vs. EU and China), we performed a state-level comparison. We also added a question about their political affiliation to control for prior beliefs. We executed the experiment-at the same time-in two different states, one Democrat and one Republican, but in the same region and with similar geographical boundaries. We selected Arizona (as a red state having a republican governor) and New Mexico (as a blue state having a Democrat governor). Arizona uses 9 percent renewable energy, and New Mexico utilizes only 8 percent. To control for subjects' judgment about the norm, we compared the energy use from each of the selected states, with two different pioneer states using renewable, one blue and one red, within the same range percentage usage. We chose South Dakota with 38 percentage and Maine with 36 (at the time of execution). We wanted to rule out the subjects' prior beliefs and preferences on each state they were about to compare with that design. One can use these data to replicate the analysis of the reference paper entitled "Impact of the Social Norms on Energy Reform Petitions: Cross-State Comparisons." Or since the collected data is random, there could be some side analysis on the control variables in the dataset (wage, education, political affiliation, age, gender, birthplace, marital status, and participating in an environmentally friendly Act).

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Impact of altering the available food options on selection: Potential mediation by social norms.

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