Abstract
Food choices that shape human diets and health are influenced by
various socio-economic factors. Vietnam struggles to meet many nutrition
targets where links between food choice and diet have not been widely explored.
This study assesses the food choice motives, based on a 28-item food choice
questionnaire (FCQ), and the diet quality of 603 adults in three sites (urban,
peri-urban, and rural) in northern Vietnam. We assess diet quality using the
Diet Quality Index–Vietnam (DQI-V) which consists of variety, adequacy,
moderation, and balance components. Using factor analysis, we grouped FCQ items
into five factors: health focus, sensory appeal, mood ethics, convenience, and
familiarity. The structural equation modeling indicates that food choice
motives significantly impact the DQI-V and its components but in different
directions. The results show that sensory appeal has a positive association
with the overall DQI-V score, while having a negative impact on the variety
component. Findings present a potential trade-off issue for interventions and
policies related to food products. Nutrition knowledge is positively associated
with all elements of diet quality across all three study sites. Vietnamese
agrobiodiversity could be better utilized to increase dietary diversity.
Differentiated policies are necessary to address the poor dietary diversity and
adequacy in northern Vietnam.
Fulltext: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/13/2505