Determinants of food choice in Irish adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to determine food choice motivations amongst adolescents using a revised Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). The revised FCQ was administered to a sample of 14–17year olds in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (n=397). Socio-demographic measures of gender and age were also collected. Five food choice motivation factors were discerned: health; mood; price/convenience; religion; and animal rights. The study reveals important differences between adults and adolescents in how factors such as health and convenience are construed. To understand adolescent food choice, notions of health should be expanded to include constructs of body weight control and the natural content of food. The convergence of price and convenience items suggests that for adolescents such issues are strongly associated. Sensory items such as taste, texture and smell were shown to be less salient for adolescents than has previously been identified for adult populations. The findings suggest that a revised age-specific FCQ may be appropriate for the study of adolescent food choice motivations.