Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

Visual methods in the study of eating behaviors

4^th International Conference and Exhibition on Nutrition

October 26-28, 2015 Chicago, Illinois, USA

Patricia Galvez E1, 2

1University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA 2University of Chile, Chile

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci

Abstract :

Traditional methods to study eating behaviors include quantitative methods such as 24-hours diet recalls or food frequency questionnaires. Qualitative methods are used less frequently in this field but could present advantages in relation to traditional methods. Studies using qualitative methods include mainly interviews and focus groups. Now a days, visual methods such as photoelicitation (PE) are recognized as a useful tool to study and understand eating behaviors. A study using semi-structured interviews and PE was conducted in 31 Chilean women from low socio-economic status. Women were asked to take pictures of what was important to them in relation to food. The pictures were used as a base in interviews. From what was elicited from the pictures, it was obtained information about specific eating habits, factors that influence these eating habits including price of food, family, availability of food, preferences, etc. Evaluations of their own diet and the importance or meaning of food (or certain kinds of food) to them. Pictures by themselves were also a source of information. PE assignment was evaluated as an entertaining activity and something that women used to do; therefore completing it was not difficult for them. PE allowed researchers to obtain rich information about eating behaviors and can be a useful method in working with underserved populations. Data collected by this study through PE should be used to create or improve interventions to promote a healthy eating in this group of population.

Biography :

Email: pgalvez2@illinois.edu