Sociodemographic influence and sociocultural pressure on food attitudes toward taste among university students

Objective Eating attitudes, a set of beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, are important because they influence food choices. This cross-sectional study investigated the influence of sociodemographic factors and sociocultural pressure on eating attitudes regarding food taste. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 513 university students (≥ 18 years), of both sexes, from the health sciences and humanities. Sociodemographic data were collected, including sex, region of origin, income and employment status. Eating attitudes were assessed using the Taste Related Attitudes Scale, and sociocultural pressures were evaluated using the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed. Results A multiple linear regression model (r² = 21.4%) indicated the influence of sociodemographic factors, where being male, working, and coming from the Central-West region predicted few taste related eating attitudes. Internalization of the ideal of a muscular/athletic body also predicted few attitudes (β = -0.217; p = 0.012), while family pressure (β = 0.216; p = 0.044) and media pressure (β = 0.326; p < 0.001) predicted more taste related eating attitudes. Conclusion The results indicate that sociocultural pressures and the internalization of the muscular/athletic body ideal are associated with eating attitudes related to food taste. These findings may help us understand the factors that influence the consumption of highly palatable foods, such as ultra-processed foods.