Children's perspectives on sugary snacks through elicitation techniques - repertory grid and generative method.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Nutrition Science
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Sugary snacks are common in children's diets, yet their perceptions and attitudes remain under-explored in China.
• Understanding children's daily experiences with these foods is crucial for dietary impact assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Chinese children's perceptions and attitudes towards sugary snacks.
• To compare the effectiveness of Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) and Generative Method (GM) in eliciting these perceptions, based on Personal Construct Theory (PCT).

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving 31 children aged 6-10 years in China.
• Utilized RGT (product card comparisons) and GM (drawing/clay activities) in one-on-one sessions.
• Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were applied to analyze elicited data.

Main Results:

• Children's snack perceptions encompass sensory, packaging, interaction, emotional, cognitive, and socio-cultural themes.
• Concerns about food composition were noted, with limited understanding of sugar's functions and cultural roles.
• RGT yielded more product attributes (358 vs. 190) than GM, with a significant difference (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Children can be educated on snack formulation and cultural aspects, with interactive "in-mouth" and "in-body" approaches recommended.
• RGT efficiently elicits concrete and abstract attributes but is less enjoyable; GM generates more abstract, novel ideas reflecting preferences but requires more effort.
• Child-centered approaches and understanding elicitation technique nuances are key for effective nutrition education and research into children's perspectives.