Development of a scale for assessing determinants of construction workers’ food choices
- Authors: Okoro, C. , Musonda, I. , Agumba, J.
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Construction workers , Factors , Food choice
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/214963 , uj:21347 , Citation: Okoro, C., Musonda, I & Agumba, J. 2016. Development of a scale for assessing determinants of construction workers’ food choices.
- Description: Abstract: Research on the factors influencing construction workers’ food choices and overall nutrition is limited, in South Africa and indeed Africa. The aim of the present paper is to develop and validate a questionnaire of factors influencing construction workers’ food choices. A quantitative, purposive approach was used in the study. Fourty-two items, divided into six constructs, were used to develop a field survey questionnaire after an extensive literature review. Principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to examine the structures and validity of the constructs. Cronbach’s alpha test and mean inter-item correlations were used to examine internal consistency reliability. After repeated factor analysis, the questionnaire of food choice factors revealed seven different factors: food context, biological factors, nutritional knowledge, personal ideas and systems, economic factors, resources and cultural background. These factors explained 60.09% variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.62 to 0.85, indicating good internal consistency reliability. The factors which influence construction workers’ food choices are important considerations when designing and implementing nutrition interventions in the South African construction industry. Future research can adopt the instrument when conducting psychometric assessments of construction workers’ food choices.
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Evaluating the influence of nutritional determinants on construction workers’ nutritional intake
- Authors: Okoro, C.S. , Musonda, I. , Agumba, J.
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Determinants , Nutrition , Construction workers
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/216740 , uj:21547 , Citation: Okoro, C.S., Musonda, I. & Agumba, J. 2016. Evaluating the influence of nutritional determinants on construction workers’ nutritional intake.
- Description: Abstract: Nutritional knowledge, economic, social, biological and cultural factors have been known to determine an individual’s food choice and intake. Despite the existence of research on the factors which influence nutrition globally, there is little known about the extent to which these factors influence the nutrition of construction workers, which in turn influences their health and safety performance during construction activities. The present paper investigates the extent to which construction workers’ nutrition is influenced by knowledge, economic, social, biological and cultural factors. A field questionnaire survey was conducted on site construction workers in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Principal components analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that consumption of foods termed alternative foods including dairy products, eggs, nuts, fish and cereals, was influenced by nutritional knowledge and resources. Foods termed traditional core foods were identified to be influenced by cultural background; foods termed secondary core foods comprising fruits and vegetables were reported to be influenced by economic factors, resources and cultural background; while foods termed core foods were mostly influenced by nutritional knowledge. By providing evidence of the factors which most influence selection and consumption of certain foods by construction workers, relevant nutrition interventions will be designed and implemented, taking cognizance of these factors.
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