School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, The University of Nottingham, Derby, DE1 2QY.
Sociol Health Illn. 2010 Jul;32(5):745-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2010.01238.x. Epub 2010 Apr 26.
This exploratory study set out to analyse discourse about 'friendly bacteria' by scrutinising data from focus groups convened to discuss participants' reasons for choosing probiotic food products and to set their use of probiotics in context in relation to other food choices. In discussing food choice and dietary patterns, participants in the five focus groups reported here drew on a major interpretive repertoire - that of 'nutritional altruism' in which participants described making choices and preparing food which they believed would benefit others. Those caring for children or shopping for a family member with an illness or disability expressed this imperative to make decisions which would benefit the other most acutely. So far, much research has focused upon the sensory qualities and perceived health benefits for individual consumers, but this study begins to explore the discourses drawn upon when people describe why they might buy food for others. The findings have implications for health education, but also reflect a broader socio-political trend in that risks and benefits are devolved and managed at the level of individual citizens and through processes of individual choice and consumption.
本探索性研究旨在通过仔细分析为讨论参与者选择益生菌食品产品的原因并根据其他食品选择将其益生菌使用置于上下文中而召开的焦点小组的数据来分析有关“友好细菌”的论述。在讨论食物选择和饮食模式时，这里报告的五个焦点小组的参与者利用了一种主要的解释性词汇——“营养利他主义”，参与者用这种词汇来描述他们认为会使他人受益的选择和准备食物。那些照顾孩子或为患有疾病或残疾的家庭成员购物的人表达了做出最有利于他人的决策的必要性。到目前为止，许多研究都集中在感官品质和对个体消费者的感知健康益处上，但这项研究开始探索人们描述他们为什么可能为他人购买食物时所依据的论述。这些发现对健康教育具有重要意义，但也反映了一种更广泛的社会政治趋势，即风险和利益在个体公民层面上分散和管理，并通过个体选择和消费的过程来管理。
