Healthy Eating Habits among the Population of Serbia: Gender and Age Differences.
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Date
2015-03
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Abstract
The purpose of the study is to examine healthy eating habits of the population of Serbia through three
dimensions: knowledge, problems, and feelings as well as to determine whether there are any differences
between genders and among different age-groups. The research instrument was an Eating Habits Questionnaire
(EHQ) which consisted of 35 items. There were 382 respondents involved in the study. The
reliability and factor structure of the questionnaire were verified by using factor analysis. The results of
MANOVA showed that there is a significant difference in the habits concerning healthy eating between
men and women [F (3,378)=4.26, p=0.006; Wilks’ Lambda=0.97]. When the results for the dependent variables
(knowledge, problems, and feelings) were considered separately, it was determined that there is no
significant difference between men and women, which confirms the results of the t-test. The effect of age
on the three dimensions of healthy eating habits was examined within three age-groups, by using ANOVA.
The results showed that knowledge about healthy eating increases with age [F (2,379)=6.14, p=0.002] as
well as positive feelings which occur as a result of healthy eating [F (2,379)=3.66, p=0.027]. Unlike ANOVA,
MANOVA showed difference among the age-groups only when it came to the ‘knowledge’ variable. This
study is important as it shows the current state of awareness on healthy eating habits in the researched
populace and may be the basis for further research in this field in Serbia.
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Keywords
Diet habits, Healthy eating, Population, Serbia
Citation
Jovičić Ana Đ. Healthy Eating Habits among the Population of Serbia: Gender and Age Differences. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2015 Mar; 33(1): 76-84.