Background

Discuss about the Reseach on Vegetable Consumption by Children.

Consuming vegetables reduces the risk of chronic disease and acts as an important source of vital nutrients (Nguyen et al., 2016). Based on the “Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL)”’s report Australians has observed with inadequate intake of consuming vegetables. This trend is particular in younger age groups, with only 25% consuming the recommended daily serves. Based on the secondary data evaluation it has been recognised that the total percentage of females consuming vegetable is higher than the males.  The inadequate vegetable intake has been depicted with 91.2% to 91.2% in 2012. This problem has been evident since 2004-2005 (Foundation, 2017). 

Research Objectives

Some of the main objectives of the research are stated below as follows:

• To depict the factors responsible low consumption of vegetables and broccoli in general among the younger age group
• Identify the reasons/ barriers among children for not consuming broccoli
• To recommend suggestions for improving present situation

Research Scope

The research has mainly considered the consumption of broccoli and vegetables among the younger age groups. It has only included the responses from Australia and not considered any respondents who are pursuing higher than secondary education.

Justification

The importance of the study is in knowing the reasons for lower consumption of vegetables/broccoli among the younger age group in Australia.  

The key findings from the Australian Dietary Guidelines or ADG the Guidelines)conducted in 2013 has revealed that most Australian did not met their minimum number of serves for Vegetables and legumes/beans. The overall age of this was prevalent among the 2 years and over had consumed only 2.7 serves of the vegetables and legumes/ beans each day. This has been children aged 2-18 years with average of 1.8 serves per day, which has been identified as less than 1% of the usual recommendation (Ausstats.abs.gov.au, 2017).

The previous study undertaken by “Nutritional surveillance” of Australia has revealed there has been considerable debate in the low consumption of the vegetables among the children in Australia. It has been seen with the varied types of the statements which has been stated in teh report has been related to the different aspect vegetable intake consumptions had been decreasing with the increasing age of the children (Morgan, 2013).

Several types of the other studies conducted by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have revealed that the most Australians are consuming eating vegetables which are not enough. This has been evident with only 6% of the Australian adult eating the recommended serves of both fruit and vegetables. It has been further discerned that only 22% of the children aged 4-8 years consume recommended serves of vegetables (Aihw.gov.au, 2017).

Research problem and objectives

The conceptual framework has been suggested with the following diagram:

Hypotheses

The important hypotheses set for the study based on the suggested framework from the literature review have been listed below as follows:

H1: Vegetable Eating Habits with family/ household members has an impact on the vegetable consumption on their children?

H2: Family’s perception of cost of vegetables has an impact on the vegetable?      

H3: Perception of nutrition value of eating vegetables by the family members has an impact on the vegetable consumption on their children?          

H4: Quantity of vegetables bought has an impact on the vegetable consumption on their children?           

Quantitative Research

The main aspect of the research will be based on the quantitative research approach. This is due to the fact that the data will be based on the evaluation of the various types of the interval, ordinal and data based on ratios. It has been further seen that as the study has four hypotheses set for the study it will be easy depict then using quantitative research methods by using statistical tools. It has been further seen that the dependent and variable will be easier to be evaluated using descriptive statistics.

Measurement and Scaling

The main dependent variable will be considered to be Children’s consumption of vegetables. Some of the main independent variable has been considered based on Vegetable Eating Habits with family/ household members, Family’s perception of cost of vegetables, Perception of nutrition value of eating vegetables by the family members and Quantity of vegetables bought by the household members. The questionnaire has been able to make an effective use of nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales.

Sampling

The main form of the sampling will be based on simple random sampling technique. Hence there will be no biasness in the selection of the participants based on their gender, educational status and age group. The sample selection for the research will be further based on the children based in Australia. Despite of conducting the study in Australia, it will take into account the various types of opinions from the foreign origins in Australia. Some of the various types of the other consideration have been further based on the total sample size of 100 respondents. These respondents are may be the children themselves or their parents will assist in the filling of the survey forms. The respondents will be classified based on pre-school, primary or secondary study.

Literature Review

Data collection

The various types of the collection of the primary data will be based on survey method. It has been discerned that the various types of the responses will be collected with the survey questionnaire prepared for the study. The survey form will be mainly distributes via email to the different children through schools and parents in Australia. The main considerations of the secondary data will be reviewed from the Government websites in Australia.

Data Analysis

The various types of the data collected from the survey questionnaire will be based on the conversion of the percentage values for a better understanding of the responses.  The evaluation of the quantitative data will be further taken into account based on the various types of the consideration with central tendency analysis of respondent’s data. For having a better understanding of the related to the connection of the variables various types of the statistical tools such as are Sample Variance, Skewness, Standard Deviation and the median will be evaluated. The different sources of the secondary data will be able to address the relevant issues associated to the theoretical bases considered for the literature for the study.

The ethical issues associated to the research have been identified in terms of the informing of the human subjects for the involvement in the data collection process and their willingness to participate in the research process. The main issue has been further seen with disclosure of personal information of the individuals. The research will address the various types of the ethical constraints by maintaining an ethical checklist. The ethical checklist will be designed to alert the various types of the ethical obligations which are seen to be associated to the different types of the ethical obligations depicted during the conduction of the research involving human subjects. The ethical checklist will ensure that nature of the involvement of the collection of data involving the features of the research and the considerations which has been considerations for the influence willingness to participate.

The various types of the other considerations in the checklist has included to show the awareness of the human subjects with the research objectives, prior consent, confidentiality of the human subject’s identity and necessary measures to prevent the security of the privacy.

Based on the research proposal we will be able to depict the factors responsible low consumption of vegetables and broccoli in general among the younger age group, Identify the reasons/ barriers among children for not consuming broccoli and recommend suggestions for improving present situation. The main dependent variable will be considered to be Children’s consumption of vegetables. Some of the main independent variable has been considered based on Vegetable Eating Habits with family/ household members, Family’s perception of cost of vegetables, Perception of nutrition value of eating vegetables by the family members and Quantity of vegetables bought by the household members. The main form of the sampling will be based on simple random sampling technique. Hence there will be no biasness in the selection of the participants based on their gender, educational status and age group. The research will be further collect data from the survey questionnaire, whicch will be based on the conversion of the percentage values for a better understanding of the responses.  The evaluation of the quantitative data will be further taken into account based on the various types of the consideration with central tendency analysis of respondent’s data. For having a better understanding of the related to the connection of the variables various types of the statistical tools such as are Sample Variance, Skewness, Standard Deviation and the median will be evaluated

References

Foundation, T. (2017). Fruit and vegetable consumption statistics. The Heart Foundation. Retrieved 19 August 2017, from https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/heart-disease-in-australia/fruit-and-vegetable-consumption-statistics

Nguyen, B., Bauman, A., Gale, J., Banks, E., Kritharides, L., & Ding, D. (2016). Fruit and vegetable consumption and all-cause mortality: evidence from a large Australian cohort study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13(1), 9.

Ausstats.abs.gov.au. (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/12E8766EBAB492B0CA257FAF001A3CFD/$File/43640do002_20112012.pdf [Accessed 19 Aug. 2017].

Morgan, E. (2013). Fruit and vegetable consumption and waste in Australia. Victoria, Australia: State Government of Victoria, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.

Aihw.gov.au. (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737422844 [Accessed 19 Aug. 2017].