YSS-33306 Advanced Consumer Studies - Reading Questions (250-300 words)
1. Food and health
Sociological perspective
Poelman, M., Strak, M., Schmitz, O., Hoek, G., Karssenberg, D., Helbich, M., . . . Vaartjes, I.
(2018). Relations between the residential fast-food environment and the individual risk of
cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands: A nationwide follow-up study. European Journal
of Preventive Cardiology, 25(13), 1397-1405. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487318769458
This study contributes to the existing literature on the relationship between fast-food outlet density
(FFD) and the individual risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD’s). However, this study by Poelman
and colleagues provides a novel contribution to the existing literature on this topic by addressing four
novel key points. What are those four key points that were focused on in this study to contribute to the
existing literature on the relationship between FFD and CVD’s?
1) This study provides a longitudinal perspective on the fast-food environment and CVD. This is
done by including CVD incidence rather than prevalence, which was used in previous studies
on this topic.
2) Only individual that were living at the same address for a long time (15 years or longer) were
used as a sample in this study. This was done to eliminate the (possible) influence of previous
residents on the same address.
3) The study provided more detail in studied relations by presenting (incidence of) individual-level
CVD and three subtypes of CVD.
4) Street network buffers of different sizes (500, 1000 and 3000m) were used instead of
geometric buffers. These street buffers are more accurate compared to geometric buffers
Raghoebar, S., Haynes, A., Robinson, E., Van Kleef, E., & De Vet, E. (2019). Served portion
sizes affect later food intake through social consumption norms. Nutrients, 11(12),
2845. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11122845
In this paper two studies on the topic of portion sizes and social norms were conducted. Social norms
can be separated into two distinct types: descriptive and injunctive social norms. Explain what those
social norms are and give an example of both social norms in the context of food portions and link this
to the results of the study.
- Descriptive social norms are what is done by other people. It is the actual behaviour of other
consumers. An example of a descriptive social norm is that your roommates eat small
amounts of food for dinner. By looking at the actual behaviour of your roommates you start to
decrease your portion size to match the behaviour of your social environment.
- Injunctive social norms are what is perceived ought to be done. It is what others think that is
appropriate behaviour. An example of an injunctive social norm is that you decrease your
future food portion size because of the smaller served portion size. Because a served portion
size is assumed to not be chosen randomly by someone, but that there is a reasonable
rational behind that provided portion amount. One you eat out in a restaurant, the food portion
size you get could have an influence on what you perceive normal, because you think that
specific food portion size is what is ought to be done.
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