Basic human values drive food choice decision-making in different food environments of Kenya and Tanzania

Christine E Blake; Eva C Monterrosa; Krystal K Rampalli; Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan; Ligia I Reyes; Shiny Deepika Drew; Paula Dominguez-Salas; Salome A Bukachi; Mariah Ngutu; Edward A Frongillo; Elyse Iruhiriye; Amy Webb Girard

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106620

Basic human values drive food choice decision-making in different food environments of Kenya and Tanzania

Appetite. 2023 Sep 1:188:106620. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106620. Epub 2023 Jun 2.

Affiliations

¹ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: ceblake@mailbox.sc.edu.
² Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Rue de Varembé 7, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: emonterrosa@gainhealth.org.
³ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: rampalli@email.sc.edu.
⁴ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: Ak10@email.sc.edu.
⁵ Cornell University, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. Electronic address: ligia.reyes@cornell.edu.
⁶ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: shinys@email.sc.edu.
⁷ Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, London, UK; International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: P.DominguezSalas@greenwich.ac.uk.
⁸ Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies (IAGAS), University of Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: salome.bukachi@uonbi.ac.ke.
⁹ Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies (IAGAS), University of Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: mariahngutu@gmail.com.
¹⁰ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: efrongil@mailbox.sc.edu.
¹¹ University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. Electronic address: elysei@email.sc.edu.
¹² Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: awebb3@emory.edu.

Abstract

Increased access to a variety of foods in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) has led to greater autonomy in food choice decision-making. Autonomy allows individuals to make decisions through negotiation of considerations in ways that are consistent with basic values. The aim of this study was to identify and describe how basic human values drive food choice in two diverse populations with transitioning food environments living in the neighboring East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Secondary data analysis was carried out on focus group discussions conducted with men and women in Kenya (n = 28) and Tanzania (n = 28) as part of prior studies on food choice. A priori coding based on Schwartz's theory of basic human values was conducted, followed by a narrative comparative analysis, which included review by original principal investigators. Values of conservation (security, conformity, tradition), openness to change (self-directed thought and action, stimulation, indulgence), self-enhancement (achievement, power, face), and self-transcendence (benevolence-dependability and -caring) were prominent drivers of food choice in both settings. Participants described how values were negotiated and highlighted existing tensions. For example, the value of tradition was cited as important in both settings but changing food contexts (e.g., new foods, diverse neighborhoods) increased prioritization of values like stimulation, indulgence, and self-directed thought and action. The application of a basic values framework was useful for understanding food choice in both settings. A focused understanding of how values drive food choice decision-making in the context of changing food availability in LMICs is essential for the promotion of sustainable healthy diets.

Keywords: Basic human values; Drivers of food choice; Food choice; Food choice behavior; Food environments; Kenya; Tanzania; Value negotiation; Values.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Focus Groups
Food Preferences*
Humans
Kenya
Male
Social Behavior*
Tanzania