Factors Influencing the Nutrition Behaviour of Young Adults

Abstract

Nutritional behaviour differs not only between the sexes, but also between the different age groups. The reasons for this are not only the preferences and aversions caused by social and cultural conditions such as wars or regional cuisine, but also individual and social circumstances and living conditions. This also includes status passages and developmental tasks which have to be mastered in certain age groups and which influence nutritional behaviour through the associated changes. With the help of biographical interviews with young adults it was possible to find out, that for adolescents and young adults the motives and factors for nutrition behaviour are different, than for other age groups, because of the many changes in living conditions. Most of all moving out of parents’ homes is associated with changes in eating habits and food consumption. The aim of the project was to collect socio-cultural explanatory patterns for the nutritional behaviour of different groups of people in order to be able to integrate them both into direct product development for food and into the design of nutrition and healthy eating information campaigns.