1 Data Description

This dataset contains data on perceived compliance to the UK Eatwell guide (15 items) and food wellbeing (20 items) from a survey in 2020 of UK consumers (n=258) . Demographic data (Type of Diet, Ethnicity, Gender and Age) and (perceived health, Mental health and exercise frequency) were also collected.

2 List of Questions

Data has been stored in the data tab of the file chew2020a.xlsx. A full description of each column is provided here.

2.1 Participants

The column Participants assigns a numeric code to each of the survey participants, starting with 1302 and ending with 1559.There were a total of 258 participants.

2.2 Eatwell guide questionnaire

Table 1. is a list of the 15 questions that was developed from the UK Eatwell guide (Public Health England 2018).

Table 1. Question items from the Eatwell guide questionnaire
Item1 Description2
Q1 In a typical week I tend to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Q2 In a typical week I limit my consumption of red meats.
Q3 In a typical week I try to include low fat dairy products/alternatives.
Q4 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of foods high in salt.
Q5 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumptions of food/drinks high in sugar.
Q6 In a typical week I tend to use low fat cooking methods such as steaming, grilling, baking etc.
Q7 When preparing a meal, typically I consider first starchy carbohydrates, e.g. bread, rice, potatoes & pasta.
Q8 In a typical week I tend to choose unsaturated oils and spreads (e.g. vegtable based fats such as olive oil as opposed to butter and lard).
Q9 In a typical week I tend to choose wholegrain options when available to me.
Q10 In a typical week I choose to include fish as a part of my diet.
Q11 In a typical week I tend to drink water over other beverages.
Q12 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of alcohol.
Q13 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of processed meats (e.g. bacon, ham, salami).
Q14 In a typical week I try to include beans, pulses and other protein sources.
Q15 In a typical week I try to include low sugar dairy products/alternatives.
1 Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 All item responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree;2 = Disagree;3 = Neither agree nor disagree; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly agree).

2.3 Food Wellbeing questionnaire

Table 2. is a list of the 20 questions examining various aspects of the perceived effects of food on wellbeing.

Table 2. Question items from the Food Wellbeing questionnaire
Item1 Description2
Q20 Growing my own foods gives me full control over my diet and improves my quality of life.
Q21 I try not to eat or reduce my intake of processed foods, as it is bad for me and damaging my health.
Q22 When I am ill, I will eat certain foods instead of medicine to make me feel better.
Q23 Eating fruit and vegetables as part of my diet makes me feel healthier.
Q24 Eating just a salad for lunch wouldn’t make me feel full and I wouldn’t have enough energy required for the rest of the day.
Q25 Consuming detoxifying foods or drink, after a hangover or a period of unhealthy or excessive eating, brings my body back into equilibrium.
Q26 I drink a hot beverage when I wake up in the morning to prepare myself for the day, or to keep me alert and help me concentrate.
Q27 Eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet improves my mental wellbeing.
Q28 Taking a break from work for a snack and/or drink allows me to function better during the day.
Q29 Eating food helps me get over my anxiety.
Q30 I feel guilty if I eat (too much) unhealthy food.
Q31 When I am lonely or depressed, eating my favourite comfort foods makes me feel better.
Q32 When I am stressed and in a rush to eat, I will sometimes opt for an unhealtier food choice.
Q33 When I have a meal together with friends and family, I really enjoy it and puts me in a positive frame of mind.
Q34 I will only drink alcohol when I am with friends as it makes me feel cheerful around them.
Q35 I don’t mind eating an unhealthy meal at Christmas (or other celebrations), filled with lots of cakes and treats, as it is an occasion to be with family and friends.
Q36 Having food that reminds me of being at home is nostalgic and makes me happy.
Q37 After a busy day at work, drinking alcohol helps me relax and destress.
Q38 If I couldn’t eat sugary foods such as sweets and chocolate, life would feel meaningless.
Q39 I am enthusiastic about cooking and baking and I enjoy it.
1 Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 All item responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree;2 = Disagree;3 = Neither agree nor disagree; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly agree).

2.4 Other variables

Table 3. lists the questions used to examine perceived health, Mental health and exercise frequency.

Table 3. Health and exercise
Description1
Q522 How healthy do you consider your diet to be?
Q533 How would you rate your general mental health?(Note: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community)
Q544 How often do you complete at least 30 minutes of physical activity?
1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 6-point category scale (1 = Very healthy; 2 = Healthy; 3 = Average; 4 = Unhealthy; 5 = Very Unhealthy; 6 = Prefer not to say).
3 6-point category scale (1 = Excellent; 2 = Very Good; 3 = Good; 4 = Fair; 5 = Poor; 6 = Prefer not to say)
4 6-point category scale (1 = Never; 2 = Once in a week; 3 = Twice in a week; 4 = Three times in a week; 5 = More than 3 times in a week; 6 = Prefer not to say)

2.5 Demographic variables

Table 4. is a list of 7 demographic question items.

Table 4. Demographics
Description1
Diet2 What type of dietary behaviour best describes you?
Ethnicity3 What is your ethnic group?
Gender4 What is your gender?
Age5 What is your age group?
BMI6 Body Mass Index
Height7 What is your height (approximately)?
Weight8 What is your weight (approximately)?
1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 6-category scale (Omnivore; Pescatarian; Vegetarian; Vegan; Other; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
3 6-point category scale (White; Asian = Asian/Asian British (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or any other Asian background); Black = Black/African/Caribbean/Black British; Mixed = Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups (White and Black Caribbean, White and Asian or any other mixed/multiple ethnic background); Other = Other ethnic group; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
4 3-point category scale (Female; Male; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
5 8-point category scale (18-24; 25-34;35-44;45-54; 55-64; 65-74; 75+ = Greater or equal to 75 years old; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
6 BMI calculated from data from Column Height and Weight.
7 Height for all individuals are in meters (m)
8 Weight for all participants are in kilograms (Kg)

References

Public Health England. 2018. “The Eatwell Guide: Helping You Eat a Healthy, Balanced Diet.” https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/742750/Eatwell_Guide_booklet_2018v4.pdf.