Browsing by Person "Bschaden, Andreas"

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Associations and patterns in lifestyle and body weight among university students over one year into the Covid-19 pandemic: A cluster analysis
(2025) Bschaden, Andreas; Ströbele-Benschop, Nanette
In March 2020, the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections led to far-reaching measures worldwide to slow the spread of the virus. University students were particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the shift to distance learning. Research found an increase in body weight among a significant proportion of students, as well as unfavourable changes in food consumption and physical activity in the first months of the pandemic. The present study aimed to examine changes in food consumption, physical activity, and body weight more than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among students at a German university in July/August 2021 (n = 951). Changes in food consumption, physical activity, and self-reported body weight since the beginning of the pandemic were assessed in comparison to pre-pandemic levels. Weight gain was reported by 38 % of students, weight loss by 30 %. Changes in sweet and savoury snacks consumption were positively, and changes in sporting frequency and fruit consumption were negatively associated with weight change. A cluster analysis revealed five groups of student clusters, two of which were able to benefit from the changes in their daily lives with increased physical activity and vegetable consumption. Negative consequences, such as reduced physical activity or increased sweet and savoury snack consumption, were found in two groups. One group appeared to be unaffected. The study helps to understand how the pandemic affected students differently. A closer look is needed to identify the reasons for these varied consequences and to develop strategies to assist those who are struggling to better cope with such situations.
The influence of knowledge about the environmental impact of foods on consumers' decisions and perceptions
(2024) Bschaden, Andreas; Ströbele-Benschop, Nanette
Food production substantially impacts the environment, with large differences between foods, dishes, and dietary styles. Therefore, consumer behaviour is an important issue in sustainability research. Several theories attempt to explain consumer behaviour, such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour or the transtheoretical model. In both models, attitudes play a central role in explaining behaviour. Attitudes are in part influenced by knowledge, and by information individuals are exposed to. This dissertation project aimed to enhance the understanding of the interplay between consumers’ knowledge and dietary behaviour, with the focus on ecological sustainability. Three studies were conducted, each focusing on diverse aspects. First, the project investigated how aware the participants are about the environmental impact of meat consumption, and how two informative videos could influence that knowledge, as well as participants’ meat consumption. Second, the hedonic perception of a snack that was offered under different sustainability information conditions was explored. Third, the impact of carbon footprint information of dishes on food choices, as well as participants’ perception of that information was examined. The first study assessed participants’ knowledge regarding the environmental benefits of various dietary strategies, such as purchasing regional, seasonal, and organic foods, avoiding plastic packaging and foods imported by airplane, and eating less meat. Additionally, an intervention using three kinds of informative videos was conducted to investigate the impact of the provided information on the participants’ knowledge. Data were collected through a questionnaire before and after the intervention. The second study examined consumers’ hedonic perception of a novel savoury tortilla-chips shaped snack made from by-products of the food industry. The snack was offered to a sample of participants under two varying information conditions to investigate how information about the snack’s ingredients, its sustainability with general information about food losses compared to tasting the snack without such information, influenced the hedonic experience. The third study investigated the influence of displaying the carbon footprint of dishes on dish choices across various gastronomic settings and with visually different presentation methods. In addition to sales figures, customer perceptions of the provided information were also evaluated, gathered through a survey. Results suggest that consumers still underestimate the environmental benefit of eating less meat, both in general and compared to other strategies. While this result applies for all investigated groups, there were significant differences between gender and educational groups. The documentary about the environmental impact of meat consumption led to higher assessments of the environmental benefit of eating less meat a week later, but no effect was observed a year later. No such effect was observed for the educational video about the same topic, nor for the control video. Regarding the perception of a savoury snack under different information conditions, the MANOVA model showed significant effects for study condition on perceived saltiness, for gender on willingness to pay and odour, and for ecological awareness on health perception. An interaction-effect was observed for study condition and gender for perceived taste and saltiness, suggesting that women liked the snack better when sustainability information was provided, and men liked it better with no such information. Investigating the impact of carbon footprint information on food choice, in the participating university canteen, the average carbon footprint of all chosen dishes was 1.5 percent lower when carbon footprint information was provided, while there were no significant effects in company canteens, food trucks, and a restaurant. The feedback from customers in the questionnaire was predominantly positive overall. In line with other research, the results have found a lack of knowledge regarding the environmental impact of food production and consumption, particularly among male participants and individuals with lower educational levels. While the documentary appeared to be effective as an educational tool in the short term, no impact was observed after a year. The presentation of the carbon footprint on menus showed inconsistent results regarding the food choices. Since this is not in line with other research findings, the topic should be further investigated in various gastronomic settings and with various ways of presenting the information. As it seems challenging to translate knowledge into action, beliefs, or attitudes, further research should prioritise that aspect. The project found consumers being open to sustainable nutrition, and desiring more information. Sustainability information about reducing food losses processing by-products did not consistently evoke a better hedonic experience in a snack tasting. However, as other studies reported such effects investigating different products and information, further research is needed to explore the effects for various information, such as climate-friendliness of products. In practice, food producers, retailers and caterers, consumers, and policymakers can adopt various strategies to address the challenge of supporting the food system to become more sustainable.
Multidisciplinary study of the health and nutritional status of persons living in households at risk of poverty with children in Germany (MEGA_kids): study design and methods
(2024) Simmet, Anja; Ehret, Janine; Schleicher, Romy; Teut, Michael; Hummel, Gerrit; Bschaden, Andreas; Stroebele-Benschop, Nanette; Simmet, Anja; Department of Nutritional Psychology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Ehret, Janine; Department of Nutritional Psychology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Schleicher, Romy; Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Teut, Michael; Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Hummel, Gerrit; Department of Nutritional Psychology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Bschaden, Andreas; Department of Nutritional Psychology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Stroebele-Benschop, Nanette; Department of Nutritional Psychology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Background: In Germany, the nutritional situation of adults and children living in households at risk of poverty has been insufficiently studied so far. Aim: The aim of the mixed-methods study MEGA_kids is to gain a deeper understanding of the nutritional situation including socioeconomic, behavioral, and attitudinal factors and health characteristics among persons living in families at risk of poverty. Method: MEGA_kids is a mixed-methods cross-sectional study consisting of four modules combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The first module (A) applies self-administered questionnaires to assess the individual's diet, household food insecurity, and several other factors among adults and children of 500 households. Cash receipts are used to assess household's food expenses. For the second module (B), a semistructured interview guide is used to identify factors influencing food security and nutritional quality from the perspective of a subsample of module A (n = 20). The third module (C) applies the participatory World Café technique to explore experiences and generate ideas for tailored support measures for a healthy diet from the perspective of 40 parents participating in module A. Finally, the fourth module (D) investigates the knowledge and usage of existing nutrition-related preventive measures among 200 parents at risk of poverty by using an online questionnaire. Conclusion: By providing a comprehensive picture of nutritional aspects of families living at risk of poverty, MEGA_kids will guide officials to target and prioritize public health nutrition measures, inform policy makers to implement and improve healthy policies and, finally, identify research gaps to be prioritized.