TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wortmann, Hanna Rosalie
A1  - Gisch, Ulrike Alexandra
A1  - Bergmann, Manuela M.
A1  - Warschburger, Petra
T1  - Exploring the longitudinal stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship in older adults
BT  - a cross-lagged panel analysis
JF  - Nutrients
N2  - Poor dietary quality is a major cause of morbidity, making the promotion of healthy eating a societal priority. Older adults are a critical target group for promoting healthy eating to enable healthy aging. One factor suggested to promote healthy eating is the willingness to try unfamiliar foods, referred to as food neophilia. This two-wave longitudinal study explored the stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship over three years, analyzing self-reported data from N = 960 older adults (MT1 = 63.4, range = 50–84) participating in the NutriAct Family Study (NFS) in a cross-lagged panel design. Dietary quality was rated using the NutriAct diet score, based on the current evidence for chronic disease prevention. Food neophilia was measured using the Variety Seeking Tendency Scale. The analyses revealed high a longitudinal stability of both constructs and a small positive cross-sectional correlation between them. Food neophilia had no prospective effect on dietary quality, whereas a very small positive prospective effect of dietary quality on food neophilia was found. Our findings give initial insights into the positive relation of food neophilia and a health-promoting diet in aging and underscore the need for more in-depth research, e.g., on the constructs’ developmental trajectories and potential critical windows of opportunity for promoting food neophilia.
KW  - food neophilia
KW  - dietary quality
KW  - NutriAct Family Study
KW  - cross-lagged panel analysis
KW  - healthy eating
Y1  - 2023
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051248
SN  - 2072-6643
VL  - 15
IS  - 5
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wortmann, Hanna Rosalie
A1  - Gisch, Ulrike Alexandra
A1  - Warschburger, Petra
T1  - Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Variety Seeking Tendency Scale (VARSEEK)
JF  - Food quality and preference
N2  - As part of a healthy diet, guidelines recommend eating a variety of foods to reduce risks associated with malnutrition. However, whether people follow this recommendation substantially depends on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, also referred to as food neophilia. This study aimed at comprehensively validating the German version of the Variety Seeking Tendency Scale (VARSEEK), a common instrument to assess food neophilia. Two independent sub-studies were conducted to examine the German VARSEEK's psychometric properties. Study 1 (N = 532, aged 18-91 years) and Study 2 (N = 468, aged 18-73 years) each comprised a German community sample. Data were collected both online and via a paper-pencil version. Whereas Study 1 included an EFA, Study 2 comprised a CFA, analyses of the VARSEEK's reliability and construct validity, and different explorative group comparisons. EFA and CFA results supported the original scale's unidimensionality. Internal consistency (alpha = .93) and test-retest reliability (r = .87) of the scale were high. VARSEEK scores were positively associated with openness, sensation seeking, and extraversion and negatively associated with food neophobia, general neophobia, and trait anxiety. Construct validity was further established by showing positive associations with ratings of familiarity with and willingness to try familiar and unfamiliar foods. Whereas group comparisons revealed no significant differences for sex, age, and weight status, analyses showed that people who belonged to the upper class were more food neophilic than those assigned to the lower and middle class. Findings further underscore that the German VARSEEK is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of food neophilia in the German population.
KW  - food neophilia
KW  - variety seeking
KW  - food neophobia
KW  - psychometric
KW  - properties
KW  - healthy eating behavior
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104319
SN  - 0950-3293
SN  - 1873-6343
VL  - 94
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Oxford
ER  -