PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.Design/methodology/approachFour focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.FindingsSnacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience and health consciousness.Research limitations/implicationsThe finding was based on a non-probability sample. The paper al...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach Four focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy, and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.
Findings Snacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk, and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight, and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience, and health consciousness.
Research limitations/implications The finding was based on a non-probability sample. The study also did not explore the contexts where snacks were consumed.
Practical implications Parents can make healthy snacks more accessible at home and at schools. Educators can teach adolescents how to read food labels. Schools can increase the availability of healthy snacks on campus. Social marketers can promote healthy snacks by associating them with fun and high taste.
Originality/value This is the first study on snacking behaviors among adolescents conducted in a second-tier city in China using focus group methodology.
A qualitative study was conducted to examine work stress and burnout among practitioners in the j... more A qualitative study was conducted to examine work stress and burnout among practitioners in the journalism, advertising, and public relations industry in Hong Kong. Demerouti and her colleagues’ (2001) job demands and resources model was adopted as the theoretical framework. Altogether 13 Chinese interviewees aged 20 to 45 were recruited through a quota sampling. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed by the NVivo 10.0 software. Results found that management of clients’ expectation and deadlines as well as striving for perfection were main job demands. Job variety and social support from colleagues were major job resources. Information communication technology (ICT) was perceived more often as job resources than as job demands. The power of ICT in connecting people and the ability to access information anyplace anytime was seen as job resources. However, ICT also caused job demands as the line between work and non-work was blurred. (145 words)
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.Design/methodology/approachFour focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.FindingsSnacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience and health consciousness.Research limitations/implicationsThe finding was based on a non-probability sample. The paper al...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach Four focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy, and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.
Findings Snacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk, and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight, and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience, and health consciousness.
Research limitations/implications The finding was based on a non-probability sample. The study also did not explore the contexts where snacks were consumed.
Practical implications Parents can make healthy snacks more accessible at home and at schools. Educators can teach adolescents how to read food labels. Schools can increase the availability of healthy snacks on campus. Social marketers can promote healthy snacks by associating them with fun and high taste.
Originality/value This is the first study on snacking behaviors among adolescents conducted in a second-tier city in China using focus group methodology.
A qualitative study was conducted to examine work stress and burnout among practitioners in the j... more A qualitative study was conducted to examine work stress and burnout among practitioners in the journalism, advertising, and public relations industry in Hong Kong. Demerouti and her colleagues’ (2001) job demands and resources model was adopted as the theoretical framework. Altogether 13 Chinese interviewees aged 20 to 45 were recruited through a quota sampling. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed by the NVivo 10.0 software. Results found that management of clients’ expectation and deadlines as well as striving for perfection were main job demands. Job variety and social support from colleagues were major job resources. Information communication technology (ICT) was perceived more often as job resources than as job demands. The power of ICT in connecting people and the ability to access information anyplace anytime was seen as job resources. However, ICT also caused job demands as the line between work and non-work was blurred. (145 words)
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Papers by Gloria Hwang
The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach
Four focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy, and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.
Findings
Snacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk, and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight, and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience, and health consciousness.
Research limitations/implications
The finding was based on a non-probability sample. The study also did not explore the contexts where snacks were consumed.
Practical implications
Parents can make healthy snacks more accessible at home and at schools. Educators can teach adolescents how to read food labels. Schools can increase the availability of healthy snacks on campus. Social marketers can promote healthy snacks by associating them with fun and high taste.
Originality/value
This is the first study on snacking behaviors among adolescents conducted in a second-tier city in China using focus group methodology.
The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy and unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach
Four focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants were recruited in Changsha, a second-tier city in China, through a convenience sampling process. They were asked to report their snacking behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are healthy or unhealthy, and elaborate on factors affecting food choices.
Findings
Snacking was prevalent among the participants. The most frequently consumed snacks included fruit, milk, and instant noodles. Participants’ evaluations for the healthiness of foods were based on the actual nutritional values of those foods, the effects on growth and body weight, and word-of-mouth. Choice of snack was driven mainly by taste, image, convenience, and health consciousness.
Research limitations/implications
The finding was based on a non-probability sample. The study also did not explore the contexts where snacks were consumed.
Practical implications
Parents can make healthy snacks more accessible at home and at schools. Educators can teach adolescents how to read food labels. Schools can increase the availability of healthy snacks on campus. Social marketers can promote healthy snacks by associating them with fun and high taste.
Originality/value
This is the first study on snacking behaviors among adolescents conducted in a second-tier city in China using focus group methodology.