Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption

Experimentally inducing low subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) increases food consumption in standardized eating opportunities. Separately, food insecurity (FI) has also been shown to be associated with increased food consumption when a free eating opportunity is provided. Here, we assigned 123...

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Main Authors: Sarah Godsell, Michael Randle, Melissa Bateson, Daniel Nettle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01886/full
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author Sarah Godsell
Michael Randle
Melissa Bateson
Daniel Nettle
author_facet Sarah Godsell
Michael Randle
Melissa Bateson
Daniel Nettle
author_sort Sarah Godsell
collection DOAJ
description Experimentally inducing low subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) increases food consumption in standardized eating opportunities. Separately, food insecurity (FI) has also been shown to be associated with increased food consumption when a free eating opportunity is provided. Here, we assigned 123 adult volunteers to a low-SSES manipulation or a control condition, followed by an opportunity to consume snack foods. We measured FI prior to the experiment. Thus, our experiment served to replicate the effects of SSES and of FI on consumption, and also to establish whether these effects combine additively or interactively. The low-SSES manipulation increased food consumption, but only among participants who were food secure at baseline. Among food-insecure participants, the effect was reversed. This interaction was not predicted a priori and is presented as an exploratory finding. We also found evidence that both SSES and FI affected the hedonic evaluation of the snack foods, though the changes in evaluation did not mediate the changes in consumption. Our findings suggest that both FI and low SSES affect the consumption and evaluation of food. Their combined effects on consumption may be complex.
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spelling doaj.art-8e17a43384194c9c8a6c1275aa42d97a2022-12-21T19:37:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-08-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.01886473372Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food ConsumptionSarah GodsellMichael RandleMelissa BatesonDaniel NettleExperimentally inducing low subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) increases food consumption in standardized eating opportunities. Separately, food insecurity (FI) has also been shown to be associated with increased food consumption when a free eating opportunity is provided. Here, we assigned 123 adult volunteers to a low-SSES manipulation or a control condition, followed by an opportunity to consume snack foods. We measured FI prior to the experiment. Thus, our experiment served to replicate the effects of SSES and of FI on consumption, and also to establish whether these effects combine additively or interactively. The low-SSES manipulation increased food consumption, but only among participants who were food secure at baseline. Among food-insecure participants, the effect was reversed. This interaction was not predicted a priori and is presented as an exploratory finding. We also found evidence that both SSES and FI affected the hedonic evaluation of the snack foods, though the changes in evaluation did not mediate the changes in consumption. Our findings suggest that both FI and low SSES affect the consumption and evaluation of food. Their combined effects on consumption may be complex.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01886/fullfood insecuritysocioeconomic statusobesityeatingenergy intake
spellingShingle Sarah Godsell
Michael Randle
Melissa Bateson
Daniel Nettle
Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
Frontiers in Psychology
food insecurity
socioeconomic status
obesity
eating
energy intake
title Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
title_full Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
title_fullStr Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
title_full_unstemmed Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
title_short Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption
title_sort food insecurity moderates the acute effect of subjective socioeconomic status on food consumption
topic food insecurity
socioeconomic status
obesity
eating
energy intake
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01886/full
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