Resumo

ORELLANA, Ligia María; SEPULVEDA, José Andrés  e  DENEGRI, Marianela. Psychological meaning of eating meat, vegetarianism and healthy diet in university students: a natural semantic network study. Rev. Mex. de trastor. aliment [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.1, pp.15-22. ISSN 2007-1523.

The prevailing cognitive models for the promotion of health and prevention of disease through good diet assume that information is an incentive for change. However, consumers tend to choose their food based on motives more complex than nutritional values. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological meanings that Chilean university students attribute to the concepts of Eating meat, Vegetarianism, Vegetarian person and Healthy diet. A descriptive-comparative cross-sectional design was used, applying a quantitative-qualitative Natural Semantic Network instrument to 60 university students. Students attribute meanings to Eating meat and Vegetarianism by citing concrete food products more than subjective characteristics they associate with these concepts. Vegetarian person is defined as simultaneously healthy and sickly, while Healthy diet is described as a "balanced" diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and less meat. Differences between concepts men and women are also discussed to highlight gender dynamics related to food and health.

Palavras-chave : Vegetarianism; Natural semantic network; university students.