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Article

Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique

by
Melvin Bernardino
1,2,3,4,*,
Nicole Kate Diaz Sison
5,
Jeanne Carla Bruce
4,
Claudio Tiribelli
1 and
Natalia Rosso
1,*
1
MASLD UNIT, Fondazione Italiana Fegato, 34149 Trieste, Italy
2
Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy
3
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology, Taguig City 1631, Philippines
4
Nutrition and Dietetics Area, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines
5
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Education, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Manila, Manila 1015, Philippines
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2024, 16(23), 4035; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234035
Submission received: 31 October 2024 / Revised: 19 November 2024 / Accepted: 22 November 2024 / Published: 25 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Nutritional Policies and Education for Health Promotion)

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Numerous traditional and innovative approaches have been employed to understand and evaluate children’s food preferences and food and nutrition knowledge, recognizing their essential role in shaping good nutrition. Drawing as a projective technique allows children to express their unconscious thoughts and preferences through visual representation, distinguishing it from other methods by providing an insight into their inner feelings and perceptions that may not be easily articulated through verbal techniques. The main goals of the study are to use drawing as a projective technique to gain insights into children’s food preferences, and to examine the children’s current nutrition knowledge and dietary perceptions. Methods: This study involved school-aged children from four public schools in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, who met the inclusion criteria and provided parental consent and the children’s permission. Data collection included (a) questionnaires to measure food group and food frequency knowledge, the children’s opinions on food healthiness and likability, and (b) a drawing activity as a projective technique. The questionnaire scores and the specific foods on the children’s drawings were entered into an electronic worksheet and analyzed quantitatively. Results: The majority of Filipino school-aged children have a low (50%) to average (43%) level of food group knowledge and an average (62%) to low (32%) level of food frequency knowledge. The children can identify the healthiness of the food, but they express a liking for both healthy and unhealthy options. The children’s drawings showed a low preference for Glow food groups, including fruits and vegetables (47%), as compared to Grow foods (94%), Beverages (89%), and Go foods (85%) groups. “Rice and Egg”, the most paired items, indicated a preference among Filipino children. Gender-based analysis showed girls favored “Ice Cream”, “Bread”, “Apple”, and “Oranges” more than boys, but there were no significant gender differences found in Grow food group preferences. Conclusions: Children’s drawings are an effective, valuable complementary tool for understanding children’s food preferences, displaying the value of creative methods in gaining unique insights. The results highlight specific gaps in knowledge, such as the need for a better understanding of food groups and the importance of fruits and vegetables among children. Addressing these gaps in educational programs could enhance children’s food knowledge and encourage healthier dietary choices. Nutrition education programs might use interactive activities focused on food groups and emphasize the benefits of fruits and vegetables to promote better dietary habits for the improvement of children’s long-term health outcomes.
Keywords: children’s food preference; food knowledge; children’s drawing; projective technique; nutrition education children’s food preference; food knowledge; children’s drawing; projective technique; nutrition education

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Bernardino, M.; Sison, N.K.D.; Bruce, J.C.; Tiribelli, C.; Rosso, N. Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique. Nutrients 2024, 16, 4035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234035

AMA Style

Bernardino M, Sison NKD, Bruce JC, Tiribelli C, Rosso N. Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique. Nutrients. 2024; 16(23):4035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234035

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bernardino, Melvin, Nicole Kate Diaz Sison, Jeanne Carla Bruce, Claudio Tiribelli, and Natalia Rosso. 2024. "Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique" Nutrients 16, no. 23: 4035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234035

APA Style

Bernardino, M., Sison, N. K. D., Bruce, J. C., Tiribelli, C., & Rosso, N. (2024). Understanding and Exploring the Food Preferences of Filipino School-Aged Children Through Free Drawing as a Projective Technique. Nutrients, 16(23), 4035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234035

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