TY - JOUR
T1 - Validation of the Food Technology Neophobia Scale in a Chinese sample using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis
AU - McKenzie, Kirsty
AU - Metcalf, Debra Ann
AU - Saliba, Anthony
N1 - Funding Information:
Data was collected as a part of a larger cross sectional survey of Chinese consumers’ attitudes and behaviours toward domestic food and beverage products. Prior to the development of the survey, one of the authors conducted an extended trip to China involving consultation with academics and cultural experts, to gain an understanding of traditional and contemporary food and beverage industries, and to consider issues of cultural relevance and sensitivity. The work was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and approval for the project was granted by the Charles Sturt University Human Ethics Committee. The survey was translated by an accredited translator who is a Chinese National, using a process of back translation and rechecking. Final pilot study testing was undertaken in collaboration with a Chinese National living in Australia. Dissemination throughout China was contracted to a market research consulting firm with offices in Australia and China.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - Foods made using new technologies may play an important role in food security in countries such as China, which is currently heavily reliant on imports. The Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) is a 13 item scale that was developed as a means to identify segments of the population who may be resistant to foods made using new technologies. The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the factorial validity of the scale in China, using both Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analyses in different samples, and to report on the level of food technology neophobia in the general population. A total of 1917 Chinese adults completed the FTNS as part of a larger online survey. This sample was split into two separate samples (n = 970; and n = 947) for the purposes of conducting exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Results of exploratory factor analysis did not confirm the four factor structure found by the original developers, indicating instead a two factor structure. One larger factor was interpretable in terms of uncertainty about the necessity and safety of new food technologies; while a smaller factor appeared to be tapping beliefs about benefits of new food technologies. Results of confirmatory factor analysis on sample 2 indicated that a modified 11 item version of the two factor structure had an acceptable fit. Overall, Chinese do not have a high level of food technology neophobia.
AB - Foods made using new technologies may play an important role in food security in countries such as China, which is currently heavily reliant on imports. The Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) is a 13 item scale that was developed as a means to identify segments of the population who may be resistant to foods made using new technologies. The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the factorial validity of the scale in China, using both Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analyses in different samples, and to report on the level of food technology neophobia in the general population. A total of 1917 Chinese adults completed the FTNS as part of a larger online survey. This sample was split into two separate samples (n = 970; and n = 947) for the purposes of conducting exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Results of exploratory factor analysis did not confirm the four factor structure found by the original developers, indicating instead a two factor structure. One larger factor was interpretable in terms of uncertainty about the necessity and safety of new food technologies; while a smaller factor appeared to be tapping beliefs about benefits of new food technologies. Results of confirmatory factor analysis on sample 2 indicated that a modified 11 item version of the two factor structure had an acceptable fit. Overall, Chinese do not have a high level of food technology neophobia.
KW - Consumer variables in China
KW - Food technology neophobia
KW - Novel food technologies in China
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U2 - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104148
DO - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104148
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85097549241
SN - 0950-3293
VL - 89
JO - Food Quality and Preference
JF - Food Quality and Preference
M1 - 104148
ER -
