Argumentatie van Nederlandse kinderen van vier tot en met acht jaar bij het toewijzen van suikerhoudende dranken

Abstract

Prevalence of overweight among children is increasing over the years. The consumption of sugary drinks can be associated with this prevalence. The goal of this research is to understand children’s reasoning about their choice for sugary drinks, so that preventive programs can be adjusted adequately. Method. 66 children between four and eight years old are included in this research. The children were given the task to assign a drink to different people at ten drawings of the electronic Appropriate Beverage Task. After assigning, the children were asked to explain the choices they made at two drawings (i.e., party-drawing and Christmas drawing). These arguments were analysed by a qualitative analysis. Factors considered in this study are gender, age, educational level of the mother and the favourite drink of the child. Results. It was found that young children provide brief arguments, in which older children give long and thoughtful arguments. This also applies to the favourite drinks. Girls provide an additional reason when they argue, more often than boys do. Arguments of boys seem to be more based on their own opinion or their preference, then arguments of girls are. Finally, it was found that children of highly educated mothers are more likely to create a link between a beverage and a situation, in comparison to children of average educated mothers. Conclusion. This research shows that exposure to sugary drinks affects the choices of young children. The environment has a direct influence on the consumption of sugary drinks by young children.