Discrepancy between snack choice intentions and behavior.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate dietary constructs that affect the discrepancy between intentioned and actual snack choice.


METHODS
Participants indicated their intentioned snack choice from a set of 4 snacks (2 healthful, 2 unhealthful). One week later, they actually chose a snack from the same set. Within 1 week after the actual choice, they completed a questionnaire that evaluated several dietary constructs.


METHODS
Worksite cafeterias.


METHODS
Office employees in the Netherlands (N = 585, 65% male, mean age 39.6 years [standard deviation = 9.2], 83% highly educated).


METHODS
Snack choice intentions and actual snack choices (healthful vs unhealthful). Demographic and dietary constructs.


METHODS
Student t tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression (P < .05).


RESULTS
Forty-nine percent of the participants (n = 285) intended to choose a healthful snack. Of this group, 27% (n = 78) chose an unhealthful snack instead. Ninety-two percent (n = 276) of the unhealthful intenders did indeed choose an unhealthful snack. None of the dietary constructs significantly predicted the failure to enact a healthful snack choice intention.


CONCLUSIONS
Although a substantial discrepancy between healthful intentions and actual snack choice was demonstrated, the evaluated constructs do not adequately measure the psychological process by which intention is converted into practice. Further studies are required to further investigate this process.
Weijzen
Pascalle L G
PL
Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. pascalle.weijzen@wur.nl
de Graaf
Cees
C
Dijksterhuis
Garmt B
GB
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005522:Food Services; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace