Probl Hig Epidemiol 2017, 98(3): 266-270pl

Organic food in opinion of preschool children´s mothers in Lublin

Wioletta Samolińska ^1/, Bożena Kiczorowska ^1/, Agnieszka Marzec ^3/, Edyta Kowalczuk-Vasilev ^2/, Renata Klebaniuk ^1/, Małgorzata Kwiecień ^2/

1/ Zakład Bromatologii i Fizjologii Żywienia, Instytut Żywienia Zwierząt i Bromatologii, Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Lublinie
2/ Zakład Żywienia Zwierząt, Instytut Żywienia Zwierząt i Bromatologii, Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Lublinie
3/ Zakład Dietetyki Klinicznej, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lublinie

Summary
Introduction. Introduction of organic food into the diet is largely determined by the consumers´ expectations of its positive impact on health. Strong relationships between the choice of food by mothers and consumption by children as well as awareness of factors influencing purchase decisions can contribute to health-enhancing nutritional behavior in children.
Aim. To review the opinions and awareness of preschool children´s mothers in Lublin on organic food. Their consumer preferences concerning purchase and consumption of organic food products were analyzed as well.
Material & Method. The survey method was employed in the study. The questions concerned e.g. mothers´ knowledge of organic food, motives and places of purchase of this type of food, and presence of organic food in the family diet. The survey was conducted in a group of women with preschool children. Three survey groups were distinguished: mothers with one child (n=51), mothers with two children (n=28), and mothers with three children (n=10).
Results. The attitudes of preschool children´s mothers towards organic food were not differentiated by the number of their children. A vast majority of the mothers exhibited proper knowledge of organic food (97%) and labelling thereof, with the Internet (74%) and television (45%) as the main sources of the knowledge. Organic food was included in the diet of every fifth family several times or once a week and sporadically in every third family. The major rationale behind the purchase of this type of food was mothers´ care for health.
Conclusion. The surveyed mothers appreciated health benefits of organic food in the family diet irrespective of the number of children in the family. Given their willingness to bear additional costs of introduction of organic meals in kindergarten, the awareness of personnel responsible for catering at these facilities should be increased.

Key words:  organic food, mothers, awareness, consumer preferences