The Impact of Both Individual and Contextual Factors on the Acceptance of Personalized Dietary Advice

Nutrients. 2022 Apr 29;14(9):1866. doi: 10.3390/nu14091866.

Abstract

(1) Background: The aim of the current study is to investigate which between- and within-person factors influence the acceptance of personalized dietary advice. (2) Methods: A repeated measurements design was used in which 343 participants (M (SD) age = 48 (17.3), 49% female) filled out a baseline survey and started with nine repeated surveys. (3) Results: The results show that the acceptance of personalized dietary advice is influenced by both within-person and between-person factors. The acceptance is higher at lunch compared to breakfast and dinner, higher at home than out of home, higher at moments when individuals have a high intention to eat healthily, find weight control an important food choice motive and have a high healthy-eating self-efficacy. Moreover, the acceptance is higher when individuals do not see the eating context as a barrier and when individuals believe that personalized dietary advice has more benefits than risks. (4) Conclusions: Future behavioral interventions that use personalized dietary advice should consider the context as well as individual differences.

Keywords: acceptance; context; healthy eating; mealtime; personalized dietary advice.

MeSH terms

  • Breakfast
  • Diet*
  • Diet, Healthy
  • Feeding Behavior*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meals
  • Middle Aged