Whose opinion do we care about when it comes to healthy eating? A qualitative comparison of men and women

Background. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, social pressure perceived from salient individuals or groups may be a major factor underlying the decision to perform a behavior. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to identify the top-of-the-mind social referents across four eating behaviors. Methods. A salient-belief elicitation was conducted for four behaviors: eating breakfast every week day; eating at least one cup of fruit every week day; eating at least two cups of orange vegetables every week; eating at least two cups of dark green vegetables every week. Participants were 243 adults from four Indiana worksites (77% women; 85% White; 63% married or living with partner). A frequency analysis identified the most frequently mentioned referents across the four behaviors. Results. For men, the most frequently mentioned referents were: spouse (59%), work-related acquaintances (25%), health professionals (20%), family (14%), and children (14%). For women, they were: work-related acquaintances (28%), spouse (27%), family (26%), friends (19%), and health professionals (13%). Work-related acquaintances was the most frequently mentioned disapproving referent for both men (5%) and women (7%). Implications. While quantitative research with a larger sample is necessary to verify findings, these results suggest that effective normative campaigns might differ for men versus women. For men, the spouse (or significant other) is a principle source of social influence. However, for women, the pattern may be more varied. While the spouse is also important for some women, work acquaintances (i.e., coworkers and employers), family, and friends appear to be important for other women.