Mixed Methods in Food Risk Perception

Abstract:     
Previous studies have shown that obesity levels have increased more dramatically among young men (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance Teenager Study 2008, unpublished results) and that they are more ‘at risk’ from unsafe handling and preparation practices than other socio-demographic groups.

Gender and education level have been identified as stratifying groupings with males and those with lower levels of education having less knowledge about safe food practices(2,3,4) and poorer-quality eating habits. With this specific population subgroup in mind, the aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of young Irish males towards nutrition and food safety.

Ten focus-group interviews (n=80) with young men from apprentice colleges (Irish National Training and Employment Authority) in the Dublin area were carried out and analysed using Atlas.ti (Atlas.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany). Concurrently, >300 young apprentices (259 males, seventy-eight females) completed a questionnaire about nutrition and food safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, and data were analysed using SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Themes that emerged in both the food nutrition and safety focus groups were: ‘myths’, ‘awareness’, ‘risk’ and ‘responsibility’.

working papers series