Children's food neophobia across different socioeconomic backgrounds in Chile: Exploring acceptance and willingness to try unfamiliar vegetables

Abstract

This study examines the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on food neophobia (FN) in Chilean children aged 9-10 and its relationship with vegetable liking, willingness to try unfamiliar vegetables, BMI, and sex. A sensory evaluation was conducted with 216 children (63 low SES, 69 medium SES, and 84 high SES) to assess their decision to taste and their hedonic responses to the appearance, aroma, taste, and texture of six unfamiliar vegetables (spaghetti squash, kale, long white turnip, purple potato, purple cabbage microgreens, and orange bottle-shaped cherry tomato). Weight and height were recorded, and children completed an 8-item Children's Food Neophobia Scale. Results show that 34.5 % of participants chose not to taste at least one sample, with these children characterized by high FN levels (p < .0001), independent of sex, SES, or BMI. Among children who tasted all samples, FN levels were linked to their overall liking for unfamiliar vegetables, with higher FN associated with lower acceptance. SES was inversely related to FN; higher SES was linked to lower FN levels (p < .001) and increased overall liking for unfamiliar vegetables (p < .001). No significant effects of sex or BMI on FN were observed. The study identified two sensory response patterns: one where vegetables received significantly higher overall liking ratings after tasting, and another where samples showed no significant changes in acceptance post-tasting. These findings underscore the role of socioeconomic factors in shaping childrens food preferences and highlight the need for strategies that address these disparities to promote vegetable consumption.