ASSESSMENT OF THE PREVALENCE OF FOOD NEOPHOBIA AMONG NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS [NYSC] MEMBERS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

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ABSTRACT

This research was conducted to assess the prevalence of food neophobia among NYSC members in Abia state. The study evaluated the types of food served to NYSC members in camp, levels of food neophobia amongst the corps members, reasons for food rejection and ways of improving NYSC camp food acceptability. The research was carried out in Abia state Nigeria. Population size was 7277 consisting of 2018 Batch ‘A’ and ‘B’ corps members. The sample size of 192 was determined using stratified random sampling technique from Umuahia North and South, Aba North, Bende and Ohafia local government areas. The research was carried out with a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools used were frequency for data organization, percentages to describe demographic characteristics, research questions were answered using mean and standard deviations while hypotheses were analysed using z-test and ANOVA at Probability level of 5 %. From the results, the gender distribution was 48% male and 52% female; the distribution based on ethnicity was 55.2 % for Igbo, 15.1for % Hausa, and 29.7 % for Yoruba. Meals 11, 15 and 16 were mostly never eaten. Strangeness of food and fear was major contributors to food neophobia amongst the corps members. Effects of Geopolitical zones of institutions from where the NYSC members graduated from were significant (P ≤ 0.05) on the reasons for rejection of camp food. There was no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) on the suggestions of NYSC members from Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups on how to improve camp food acceptability to corps members in Abia State. There was no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) on food neophobic levels of batch 2018 ‘A’ and ‘B’ NYSC members. In conclusion, the study revealed some of the reasons NYSC members rejected some of the meals offered by the camp kitchen in Abia state and suggested that with some improvements in meal planning, preparation and service as well as more information on meals served, there will be a higher acceptance of meals served by the NYSC camp kitchen. It was therefore recommended among others that NYSC members should be encouraged to be open to try new foods while on the National Youth Service program, this is in line with the aim of NYSC which states that “the NYSC is being established with the view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity” and The camp organizers should incorporate native meals of other tribes, snacks, fruits and fruit juices in the camp food menu to increase the camp food acceptability.





TABLE OF CONTENTS


Title Page                                                                                                                               i

Certification Page                                                                                                                   ii

Declaration Page                                                                                                                    iii

Dedication                              ``                                                                                            iv

Acknowledgement                                                                                                                 v

Table of Contents                                                                                                                  vi

List of Tables                                                                                                                         x

Appendixes                                                                                                                             xi

Abstract                                                                                                                                 xii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION                                                                                         1

1.1  Background of the Study                                                                                                1

1.2  Statement of the Problem                                                                                                4

1.3  Research Questions                                                                                                           5

1.4  Purpose of the Study                                                                                                       5

1.5  Research Hypothesis                                                                                                        6

1.6  Significance of the Study                                                                                                7

1.7  Scope of the Study                                                                                                          9

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW                                                                              10

2.1 Definition of Concepts                                                                                                    11

2.1.0 Concept of Food Neophobia                                                                                        11

2.1.1 Types of Food Neophobia                                                                                            12

2.1.2 Measurement of Food Neophobia                                                                                 12

2.1.2.1 Food Neophobia Scale (FNS)                                                                                    13

2.1.3 Food Habit Formation                                                                                                  14 2.1.3.1 Childhood                                                                                                                  15

2.1.3.2 Adolescence                                                                                                               15

2.1.3.3 Adulthood                                                                                                                 16

2.1.4 Factors Affecting Food Neophobia                                                                              16

2.1.5 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)                                                                       20

2.1.5.1 Food Related Challenges                                                                                            22

2.2 Related Theories                                                                                                              23

2.2.1 Learning theories                                                                                                          23

2.2.2 Motivation theories                                                                                                       24

2.2.3 Cognitive theories                                                                                                         25

2.3 Review of Related Empirical Studies                                                                              25

2.4 Summary of Literature Reviewed                                                                                    29

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY                                                                                        35

3.1 Research Design                                                                                                              35

3.2 Area of the Study                                                                                                                         35

3.3 Population of the Study                                                                                                   36

3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques                                                                        37

3.4.1 Sample size determination                                                                                            37

3.5 Instrument s for Data Collection                                                                                      37

3.6 Validation of the Instrument                                                                                           38

3.7 Reliability of the Instrument                                                                                            38

3.8 Method of Data Collection                                                                                               38

3.9 Method of Data Analysis                                                                                                39

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION                                                                    41       

4.1 Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents.                                                          41

4.2 What is the extent of acceptability of the food provided by the NYSC orientation camp of Abia state by its NYSC members                                                                             43

4.3 What is the food neophobic level of the corps members in Abia state NYSC orientation camp                                                                                                                                     45

4.4 What are the NYSC members’ reasons for rejecting some of the foods served by the NYSC orientation camp in Abia state                                                                                          46

4.5 What are the suggested ways of improving NYSC camp food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia state                                                                                                                        48

4.6 HYPOTHESES TESTING                                                                                             50

4.6.1 Hypothesis 1                                                                                                                 50

4.6.2 Hypothesis 2                                                                                                                 52

4.6.3 Hypothesis 3                                                                                                                 54

4.6.4 Hypothesis 4                                                                                                                 57

4.6.5 Hypothesis 5                                                                                                                 59

4.7 Discussion of Major findings                                                                                           61

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION                    69

5.1 Summary                                                                                                                          69

5.2 Conclusion                                                                                                                       70

5.3 Recommendation                                                                                                             71

References                                                                                                                             73

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES

2.0 A Summary of Instruments used to measure food neophobia                                        77

4.1 Distribution of respondents according to their demographic characteristics                     41      

4.2 Mean responses of respondents on the extent of corps members’ meal acceptability43

4.3 Mean responses of respondents on Food Neophobic Level                                            45       

4.4 Mean response of respondents on reasons for rejecting some of the NYSC camp food 46

4.5 Mean response on the suggested ways of improving NYSC camp food acceptability48

4.6.1 t-test analysis of the mean response of male and female corps members with food neophobia among NYSC members in Abia                                                                                                  50

4.6.2  ANOVA analysis on the effect of Ethnicity on food neophobic level of NYSC members in Abia state                                                                                                                                             52

4.6.3 ANOVA analysis of the effect of geopolitical zone of tertiary institution graduated from on reasons for food rejection by NYSC corps member in Abia State                 54

4.6.4 ANOVA analysis of Ethnicity on suggestions on improvement camp food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia State                                                                             57

4.6.5  t-test evaluation of the effect of Batch  on food neophobic level                                59

 

 

 

 

Appendixes

1. A Summary of Instruments used to measure food neophobia                                           77

2. Derivation of the sample size using Taro Yamane’s equation                                            88

3. Questionnaire                                                                                                                      90

 

  

 

 


 

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION


1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Mankind has been observed to seek variety in food contrasts with a concern about the unfamiliar and unknown. There is considerable evidence that this personality trait affects willingness to consume certain new or novel foods (Flight et al., 2003). Humans have the opportunity to partake in a plethora of foods comprising many cultures and styles of preparation. However, humans are not exempted from the predicament that all omnivores experience when it comes to the selection of food they have available known as the “omnivore’s dilemma”, where the approach towards new foods may provide a source of nutrition or toxicity thus resulting in neophobic behavior (Capiola et al., 2012). This neophobic behavior is observed as an evolutionary survival mechanism amongst individuals, the ‘dilemma’ generally manifests itself through avoidance of expected unpleasant tastes and potentially harmful plants and animals.

Tuorila et al., (2001) investigated such dilemmas through exploring food neophobia defined as a ‘reluctance to eat and/or avoidance of novel foods’. Dovey et al., (2008) defined food neophobia as a reluctance to eat unfamiliar foods. The phenomenon has been hypothesized to occur due to man’s restrictions to his diet in an attempt to protect himself from ingesting potentially poisonous foods by adopting a novel approach while in search for food (Armelagos, 2014).

Food neophobia is characterized as a personality trait, with regards to a person’s tendency to accept or avoid new foods (Shenettleret al., 2017). It exists in all age groups and its intensity varies among individuals, with some showing great pleasure in eating new foods and others showing a strong repugnance to new food. Researches by Shenettler et al., (2017) revealed sizeable and to some extent, predictable individual differences in food neophobia.

Food consumers can be classified into three groups according to their behavior to novel food. These groups are Neophilic, Neutral and Neophobic consumers. Neophilic Consumers are individuals who are overtly willing to try new foods. They tend to accept unfamiliar foods easily. They perceive unusual foods in a positive light and embrace situations involving new food (Veeck, 2010). Neophobic consumers are individuals who tend to reject unfamiliar foods and have an overall lower preference for unknown food and food products. They perceive new or unknown food as a treat and tend to avoid them while Neutral consumers are indifferent on food acceptance or rejection. Asperin et al., (2011) added that food acceptance or rejection behavioral patterns are affected by a number of factors which include; Psychological factors (beliefs, values, habits and past experiences), motivations, familiarity with food, health (perceived benefits, demerits, allergies), belief, sensory affective, anticipated consequences, disgust, socio-economic status and cultural factors respectively.

Tuorila et al., (2001) reiterated that food neophobia is an individual characteristics and accounts for a reluctance to choose new or unusual foods, independent of an individual’s own culture.  Culture means the totality of people’s way of life which is expressed in their language, history, philosophy, art, religion, economics, politics, music, dressing and food. Culture refers to the summation of people’s way of life (Eze, 2014). Olayinka (2012) described culture as the totality of ways and manners in which people live their lives and make sense of their existence and Nigeria is a country with several diverse cultures.

The Nigerian National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) is one of the platforms that bring people especially youths of different backgrounds and cultures together as well as cause people to migrate to other geographical locations within the country where they are completely unfamiliar with the lifestyle, food, language, dress styles and in most cases dominant religion of the host community. This program is aimed at fostering unity in the country and helping youths appreciate other ethnic groups in the country.

The National Youth Service scheme was created in a bid to reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil War. The unfortunate antecedents in our national history gave impetus to the National Youth Service Corps by decree No. 24 of 22nd May 1973 which stated that “the NYSC is being established with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity” (NYSC ACT, 2004).

Nigeria is a country with several diverse cultures. Nigeria has 36 states with about 250 different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own unique culture. During the NYSC exercise, Corp members are randomly posted from their place of origin to other far places (any of the 250 ethnic groups) wherein they are expected to live with and blend in with people of other tribes, with different social and family backgrounds and to learn the culture of the indigenes (Marenin, 2009).

Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo (95% of the population). It is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region. The name “ABIA” is an abbreviation of the state’s densely populated regions Aba, Bende, Isikwuato and Afikpo. It is one of the thirty-six states that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Wikipedia, 2018).

NYSC members from different ethnic groups are posted to Abia state likewise other states in the country. They are expected to carry out the NYSC orientation program in the NYSC orientation camp for three weeks. When in camp the corps members are expected to eat whatever food is served to them by the camp kitchen. Some of the time, NYSC members find it difficult to eat or avoid the local delicacies of Abia state served by the camp as they are unfamiliar with them. Based on the aforementioned, the need to assess the prevalence of food neophobia among NYSC members in Abia state as well as to ascertain the reasons for meal rejection and ways of improving meal acceptability.


1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Corps members in NYSC orientation camp are faced with several food related challenges which include the dislike of meals served by the orientation camp kitchen which leads to loss of interest in meals as well as loss of interest in the activities of the orientation program hence hunger, a lot of complaints and fatigue. Some corps members indulge in excessive spending of money in purchasing alternative meals from food vendors in camp. These expenditures by the NYSC members leads them to sometimes having to demand money from home while some of the vulnerable ones especially the females may associate with males or bad female company in order to obtain money to buy food from food vendors in camp. Malnutrition is also another challenge that is encountered by corps members due to not eating food served by the camp kitchen and inability to buy alternatives due to lack of funds. In addition, some corps members develop ill health as a result starvation, consuming junks and eating foods not suited for their health condition etc. There is also constant food wastage by NYSC kitchen because food prepared for the entire camp population ends up being eaten by only a fraction of the population, as a result, the rest of the food becomes a waste. Based on these problems, the study therefore aimed at determining the extent of meal acceptability by the NYSC members, their reasons for rejecting some of the meals and to suggest ways of improving the camp meal acceptability.


1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS      

The study sought to answer the following questions:

  1. What is the extent of acceptability of the food provided by the NYSC orientation camp of Abia state by its NYSC members?
  2. What are the food neophobic levels of the corps members in Abia state NYSC orientation camp?
  3. What are the NYSC members’ reasons for rejecting some of the foods served by the NYSC orientation camp in Abia state?
  4. What are the suggested ways of improving food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia state?

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of food neophobia among NYSC members in Abia state. Specifically, the study:

1.      Determined the extent to which corps members accept the foods served to them at the Abia state orientation camp

  1. Ascertained the food neophobic levels of the corps members in Abia state NYSC orientation camp.
  2. Determined the NYSC members’ reasons for rejecting some of the food served by NYSC orientation camp kitchen.
  3. Suggested ways of improving NYSC camp food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia state.

1.5   RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance

1        Ho1:  there is no significant difference between the mean responses of male and female NYSC members on food neophobic levels

2        Ho2: there is no significant difference among the mean responses of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba NYSC members on the food neophobic levels.

3        Ho3: there is no significant difference among the mean responses of corps members who graduated from each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria on reasons for rejecting some of the foods served by the NYSC orientation camp kitchen.

4        Ho4: there is no significant difference among the mean responses of corps members from Igbo, Hausa and Yourba on the suggested ways of improving camp food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia state.

5        Ho5: there is no significant difference between the mean responses of the batch 2018 ‘A’ and batch 2018 ‘B’ of NYSC members on the food neophobic levels.


1.6  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great benefits to young Nigerian graduates, NYSC camp organizers/officials, parents/guardians, NYSC camp business owners and Research scholars who are interested in food neophobia related studies.

This study will identify the food related issues that confronts young graduates in their state of national service as corps members. It will also identify from information provided by the corps members, critical areas of challenges experienced by corps member in the state with regards to their generally provided diet. The study will recommend to the National body in charge of the NYSC program, as well as the NYSC state coordinators/ officials alternative food roasters and meal combination from other tribes to check for even satisfactions of corps members in the NYSC program. These will be communicated to the relevant authorities through presentations at summits, sensitization programs, seminars and publications.

NYSC camp organizers/ officials will be beneficiaries of this study as it will aid in the development of a better diet plan that puts into consideration factors related to food neophobia which results in rejection of food thereby preventing food wastage and improving cost effectiveness. The study will recommend alternative food roaster and meal combinations to improve food acceptability by NYSC members and to minimize food and cost wastage by the NYSC camp organizers. Feedback information of this study will be given to the NYSC officials, seminars and publications are some of the ways these benefits will be communicated to the NYSC camp organizers/ officials through feedback information, seminars, media and publications.

NYSC camp businesses belong to food vendors who take advantage of the fact that some NYSC members reject the camp kitchen food and seek alternatives in their bosom. This study via lectures and interactions will enlighten the business owners on some of the reasons these NYSC members come to them for patronage and also help them improve their customer base by enhancing some of these qualities that will boost their business patronage by suggestive teachings, seminars etc.

Parents and guardians contribute to a child’s eating habit by teaching him/her in various ways; what, how, when and how much to eat. Also parents transfer cultural and family beliefs and practices surrounding food and their consumption pattern to their children. The influence of parents/guardians on food habits is significant as it is reflected on what is on the plate and the context in which it is offered. This study will recommend to parents/guardians better ways of developing children’s food habit in order to improve their food acceptability as well as general adaptability abilities in preparation for the future which can toss one to an entirely new location, nation, ethnicity, tribe or culture as is the case with NYSC program. It will also create awareness to parents/guardians (especially those who did not participate in the NYSC program), the challenges their children/ wards face in assessing acceptable food during the NYSC program, the financial requirements of feeding while in camp, it will also enlighten parents and guardians on the phenomenon of food neophobia and its associated challenges through social media, seminars, workshops, village meetings, council meetings, churches, publications etc.

Research scholars who are interested in food neophobia related studies will benefit from this study as it will provide them with necessary information, background study, and findings on food neophobia among NYSC members and young people in general via reviewing the literature of this study. They can further these studies as well as take basis on this study and improving on it. They will be granted access to the work via publications, internet websites, seminar presentation and obtaining firsthand information from the researcher


1.7      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focused on assessing the prevalence of food neophobia among NYSC members in Abia state. The study was limited to determining the extent to which corps members accepted the food served to them by the kitchen at Abia state orientation camp, ascertaining the food neophobic level of NYSC members in Abia state, determining the NYSC members’ reasons for rejecting the food served to them and suggesting ways of improving NYSC camp food acceptability by NYSC members in Abia state.

 


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