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Effects of norm referent salience on young people’s dietary orientation

Abstract

We examined the effects of making salient different norm referents on young people's dietary orientation. Participants were exposed to a referent who was either of similar age to themselves or older before reporting their normative beliefs, attitudes and intentions concerning dietary behavior. As predicted, exposure to the older referent was associated with stronger perceptions that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables each day was normative. Compared to those exposed to the same-age referent, participants exposed to the older referent reported more positive attitudes towards eating “five-a-day” and stronger intentions to do so over the coming week. Referent salience was also associated with a behavioral outcome, with those participants exposed to the older referent more likely to take a piece of fruit upon completion of the study (OR: 4.97, 95% CI: 1.39–17.82). The implications of these findings for norms-based interventions for changing dietary behavior are discussed.

Acceptance Date Nov 12, 2014
Publication Date Nov 18, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Appetite
Print ISSN 0195-6663
Publisher Elsevier
Pages 160 -164
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.11.018
Keywords social norms, dietary orientation, 5-a-day
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.11.018

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