An Investigation Into the Food Choices and the Peer Influence on Food Choice of a Group of Year 5 to Year 8 Students at Schools

Understanding children’s food choices plays an important part in finding a solution to the increasing rates of childhood obesity. In this study, 109 students from primary schools in New Zealand completed a simulated lunch-box food choice survey individually and then in small groups. Their choices and reasons given for the choices were analysed using a rank-order analysis. Fruit and vegetables were included more and health rated as more important than found in previous studies of children the same age. Across the two surveys, students choices were largely similar. Small differences were found in the amount of vegetables, junk foods and sweet snacks included by older and younger students and between the individual and group surveys. A stop-motion animation task was included as an enjoyable and educational activity to support the completion of the group survey