УДК: 311.21:331.5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36887/2415-8453-2021-2-8
JEL classification: J10; R11
Abstract
Introduction. In Ukraine, sociological studies are conducted on the attitude to healthy eating in general, as well as the analysis of its structure and content. However, there is a lack of qualitative research that allows to understand better how healthy food concepts are implemented in everyday life. The article shows how people consider the health benefits when defining a “healthy food”; what is considered healthy / unhealthy food; and whether people really follow the principles of healthy eating in real life.
The purpose. The article is based on research aimed at elucidating daily nutritional practices and attitudes to food. Research results demonstrate how healthy nutrition is included in the concept of “healthy food”. After considering a conceptual framework for the study, the design and research methods were described. Then the empirical results were presented. Finally, conclusions that characterize the contribution of this study are given.
Results. The findings and conclusions are based on empirical studies conducted by the authors in 2020-2021, studying the daily nutritional practices of residents of Odesa. Data were collected through surveys and in-depth interviews. Research shows that people define the healthy food in terms of food composition and ingredients, specific cooking methods and food combinations, specific social context and health benefits. However, in practice, people do not always follow a healthy diet.
Conclusions. The study contributes to the study of the problems of health and show how aspects of a healthy diet are reflected in everyday life, as well as what respondents mean under healthy food. In general, the study of nutritional practices provides researchers with more opportunities to analyze healthy food in the context of social life. Our contribution to health research relates to the study of the aspect of healthy eating in the social construction of healthy food. The limitations of our research results are due to the use of the methodology. We studied everyday food practices in the city with its inherent social organization, which limits the scope for generalizing conclusions. Thus, in the future, it is necessary to compare the results obtained with research data related to other social and cultural contexts.
Keywords: food preferences, eating habits, healthy food, health issues, nutritional practices, Ukrainians.
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The article was received 15.04.2021