This dataset contains data on perceived compliance to the UK Eatwell guide (19 items) and food wellbeing (20 items) from a survey in 2021 of UK consumers (n=409). The original 15 item (Q1-Q15) Eatwell guide questionnaire was developed from the UK Eatwell guide (Public Health England 2018), with 4 additional items (Q16-Q19) added after examining the Vegetarian Eatwell guide (Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom 2018) and the Vegan Eatwell guide (Vegan Society 2020). Other variables include Snacking choice (3 items), Snacking practice (2 items), Packaging (3 items), eating behaviour (3 items). Demographic data (Type of Diet, Ethnicity, Gender and Age) and (perceived health, Mental health and exercise frequency) were also collected.
Data has been stored in the data tab of the file chew2021b.xlsx. A full description of each column is provided here.
The column Participants assigns a numeric code to each of the survey participants, starting with 2540 and ending with 2948.There were a total of 409 participants.
Table 1. is a list of 19 questions. The original 15 item (Q1-Q15) questionnaire was developed from the UK Eatwell guide (Public Health England 2018), with 4 additional items (Q16-Q19) added after examining the Vegetarian Eatwell guide (Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom 2018) and the Vegan Eatwell guide (Vegan Society 2020).
| 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. |
| Q16 | In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of processed plant-based foods (e.g. soy or pea-protein burgers, sausages, nuggets). |
| Q17 | In a typical week I choose to include walnuts/ground linseed/or seed rich in omega 3. |
| Q18 | In a typical week I try to consume fortified foods containing minerals or vitamins, for example, vitamin D, iodine, selenium or Vitamin B12. |
| Q19 | In a typical week I try to consume mineral or vitamin supplements, for example, vitamin D, iodine, selenium or vitamin B12. |
| 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). |
Table 2. is a list of the 20 questions examining various aspects of the perceived effects of food on wellbeing.
| 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). |
Table 3. lists the questions used to examine snacking choice
| Description1 | |
|---|---|
| Q892 | If I am looking to eat a snack on the go (e.g. Morning commute) between breakfast and lunch I would prefer to consume this product from the following options (pick one): |
| Q903 | On a normal working day, if I have time between eating my Lunch and Evening meal, I would prefer to consume the following product to at my desk or place of work: |
| Q914 | Following my evening meal (and dessert if I choose to consume one), I would select the following snack to consume as I take part in my usual evening routine(e.g. watching TV, reading): |
| 1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab. | |
| 2 8-point category scale (1 = Crispy Fruit Breakfast Bar; 2 = Honey and Oat Granola Bar; 3 = All Butter Pastry Item; 4 = Typical Sweet Cereal Bar; 5 = On the Go Yogurt with Crispy Granola Topper; 6 = Large Meat Pastry; 7 = I would not consume a snack on this occasion; 8 = I would prefer to consume an alternative snack on this occasion). | |
| 3 8-point category scale (1 = Typical Chocolate Snack Bar; 2 = Malted Loaf or Fruit Bread; 3 = Cake Slices; 4 = Snacking Rice Crackers; 5 = Typical flavoured nut and seed mix; 6 = Typical Crisp/Corn Snack Grab Bag ; 7 = I would not consume a snack in this occasion; 8 = I would prefer to consume an alternative snack on this occasion). | |
| 4 8-point category scale (1 = Corn Chip/Potato Crisp Grab Bag; 2 = Typical Potted Yoghurt; 3 = Sweet, Salted or Sweet ‘n’ Salted Popcorn; 4 = Chocolate Dessert Pot; 5 = Dried Fruit Bag; 6 = Toffee/Sweet Coated Popcorn; 7 = I would not consume a snack in this occasion; 8 = I would prefer to consume an alternative snack on this occasion). |
Table 4. lists the questions used to examine snacking practice
| Item1 | Description2 |
|---|---|
| Q92 | I consume a snack in between main meal times every day |
| Q93 | I will always finish a snack if I begin to consume it and will not save it for a later time |
| 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 = Neutral; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly agree). |
Table 5. is a list of 3 multi-select questions on packaging characteristics that might be considered when choosing a meal or snack.
| Description1 | |
|---|---|
| Q94A-Q94F2 | I consider the following features of a product most significantly when deciding my preference (multiple selections available): |
| Q95A-Q95E3 | The following factors are the most significant motivators for me to consume a snack between meals (select all that apply): |
| Q96A-Q96G4 | I am most likely to pay attention to the following values on a product nutrition table (select all that apply): |
| 1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab. | |
| 2 6 categories (Pack Branding Design; Product Nutrition Label; Image or window showing the product; Product name/description; Portion Size; Price) | |
| 3 5 categories (Mood; Time Pressure; Percieved Nutritional Value of product; Feelings of hunger between meals; Friends or peers snacking around me) | |
| 4 7 categories (Calories; Sugar; Fat; Saturated Fat; Salt; Fibre; Protein) |
Table 6. lists the questions used to examine snacking practice
| Item1 | Description2 |
|---|---|
| Q97 | I regularly cook meals for myself or others from scratch. |
| Q98 | I consider eating a snack in between meals to contribute to a healthy lifestyle |
| Q99 | I am satisfied with my current snacking behaviour |
| 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 = Neutral; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly agree). |
Table 7. lists the questions used to examine perceived health, Mental health and exercise frequency.
| 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) |
Table 8. is a list of 7 demographic question items.
| 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-point 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) |