Exploring the influence of role modeling on food consumption among the youth in Uganda

Abstract

Abstract Background Certain diseases are associated with individual eating habits. Eating habits of the youth are at times copied from other people and replicated throughout a lifetime. Despite this, the influence of role modeling on food consumption among the youth seems to have received scant attention in the extant literature. Previous studies appear to largely focus on children and adolescent populations within Europe and the United States of America. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring the influence role modeling has on food consumption among the youth in Uganda. Methods Utilizing an exploratory qualitative methodology, we conducted nine in-depth interviews of University students aged between 20–29 years in central Uganda. Discussions covered a range of issues related to how role modeling influenced the youths’ food consumption. Results Using thematic content analysis found that role models influence the youth’s food consumption in three ways; live demonstration, abstract shows, and instructional guidance. This means an individual may influence a youth’s eating habits through physically eating in the same social setting, through digital screen platforms, and through advice that may also include written literature. Conclusion Parents should, thus, repeatedly eat healthy foods as a way of training their child’s nutrition habits. In addition, health professionals designing screen media campaigns for the youth should consider using healthy foods in their image-related content. Written literature with healthy eating messages should also be prepared to target the youth.