Cross-cultural comparison of perspectives on healthy eating among Chinese and American undergraduate students

Abstract

BackgroundUnderstanding views about what constitutes a healthy diet in diverse populations may inform design of culturally tailored behavior change interventions. The objective of this study was to describe perspectives on healthy eating among Chinese and American young adults and identify similarities and differences between these groups.MethodsChinese (n = 55) and American (n = 57) undergraduate students in Changsha, Hunan, China and Honolulu, Hawai’i, U.S.A. composed one- to two-paragraph responses to the following prompt: “What does the phrase ‘a healthy diet’ mean to you?” Researchers used content analysis to identify predominant themes using Dedoose (version 5.2.0, SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC, Los Angeles, CA, 2015). Three researchers independently coded essays and grouped codes with similar content. The team then identified themes and sorted them in discussion. Two researchers then deductively coded the entire data set using eight codes developed from the initial coding and calculated total code counts for each group of participants.ResultsChinese students mentioned physical outcomes, such as maintaining immunity and digestive health. Timing of eating, with regular meals and greater intake during day than night, was emphasized. American students described balancing among food groups and balancing consumption with exercise, with physical activity considered essential. Students also stated that food components such as sugar, salt and fat should be avoided in large quantities. Similarities included principles such as moderation and fruits and vegetables as nutritious, and differences included foods to be restricted and meal timing. While both groups emphasized specific foods and guiding dietary principles, several distinctions in viewpoints emerged.ConclusionsThe diverse views may reflect food-related messages to which participants are exposed both through the media and educational systems in their respective countries. Future studies may further examine themes that may not typically be addressed in nutrition education programs in diverse populations of young adults. Gaining greater knowledge of the ways in which healthy eating is viewed will allow for development of interventions that are sensitive to the traditional values and predominant views of health in various groups.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3680-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Country and Gender-Specific Achievement of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines: Latent Class Analysis of 6266 University Students in Egypt, Libya, and Palestine

“…A sizeable proportion of our participants were students in the health fields, and whilst it is anticipated that those would have greater knowledge than other students, there is no evidence to indicate that this knowledge is actually translated into healthy dietary/lifestyle practices [ 26 ]. Hence, views about what constitutes a healthy diet are important, where Chinese and American undergraduate students’ perspectives on healthy eating indicated that understanding the views about what constitutes a healthy diet may inform design of culturally tailored behaviour change interventions [ 38 ]. In agreement, significant differences in dietary patterns were reported between Arabs and Jews in Israel, suggesting a need for culturally congruent dietary interventions to address nutrition-related chronic disease disparities [ 39 ].…”

“…Identity (self-concept), social settings, resources, food availability, and other conflicting considerations may explain why people may not be consuming according to their healthy eating ideals [ 40 ]. Hence, across different countries, cultures and environments, such diverse views may reflect food-related messages to which individuals are exposed through the media and through the educational systems in their respective countries [ 38 ]. Future research would benefit from analyses of the relationships between nutritional knowledge, nutrition consciousness, views about what constitutes a healthy diet on the one hand; and the media and how these interrelated factors collectively interact and influence un/healthy nutritional habits in different countries.…”

Limited contribution of health behaviours to expanding income-related chronic disease disparities based on a nationwide cross-sectional study in China

“…In China, the general public normally eats three meals a day, thus respondents who ate 2 meals daily and below were categorized as people who ate irregular meals 66 .…”

The contents of the potentially harmful elements in the arable soils of southern Poland, with the assessment of ecological and health risks: a case study

“…What is more and more popular is the trend of the so-called healthy eating (Kapetanaki et al 2014;Banna et al 2016;Rafacz 2019). That trend is mostly associated with the consumption of fresh food products, i.e., vegetables and fruit, grown by local farmers, without artificial fertilizers or plant protection chemicals.…”