Attitudes towards foods among elementary school children: Lessons learned from an idiographic Implicit Association Test

作者：Heim Dreger Uwe^*; Eschenbeck Heike; Kohlmann Carl Walter

来源：Zeitschrift fur Gesundheitspsychologie, 2013, 21(2): 62-70.

DOI：10.1026/0943-8149/a000090

• children
• overweight
• obesity
• taste preferences
• Implicit Association Test
• BMI

The aim of the study was to examine whether explicit taste preferences for healthy and unhealthy foods, as well as implicit attitudes towards foods, are associated with body mass index (BMI-SDS) among elementary school children. Participants were 148 third grade children (age: 7 to10 years). Taste preferences were assessed by self-reports using rating scales; implicit attitudes were assessed using an idiographic Implicit Association Test (IAT). In the IAT, all stimuli (i.e., I versus others, healthy foods versus unhealthy foods) were presented as pictures. The IAT significantly predicted children's BMI-SDS. Children with an implicit attitude towards unhealthy foods showed a higher BMI. In contrast, explicit measures could not predict children's BMI-SDS. Results are discussed within the context of the still inconsistent state of research.

• 出版日期2013