Determination of Food Neophobia in Municipal Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of food neophobia in a group of municipal employees in Bursa and to examine the relationship between this condition and various factors. This study was conducted with 205 participants aged 18-65 years working in a municipality in Bursa between September and November 2024. Sociodemographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements of the individuals were collected by face-to-face questionnaire method. Food neophobia levels were evaluated with the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS). SPSS 29.0 software was used for statistical analysis. The mean age of the individuals was 39.00±9.84 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.82±3.38 kg/m². The mean neophobia score was found to be significantly higher in men (39.85±10.34) compared to women (36.03±11.68). It was determined that the most common food fear was towards the vegetable-fruit group, followed by cereal products and meat products. A weak positive association (r=0.151 p