Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating and Their Association with Dietary Behaviors: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating and Their Association with Dietary Behaviors

Abstract

Several perceived barriers, including time constraints, food costs, convenience of fast food, and limited cooking skills, influence healthy eating. Objectives: To identify which of four perceived barriers to healthy eating—lack of time, cost of fresh ingredients, convenience of fast food, and lack of cooking skills—are most strongly associated with dietary behaviors. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study of 150 respondents assessed agreement with four barrier statements on a 5-point Likert scale and current dietary habits. Non-parametric procedures were employed: Spearman's correlation for bivariate associations, Kruskal-Wallis H-test with epsilon-squared effect size, and Dunn's post hoc test with Bonferroni correction. Results: Cost of fresh ingredients showed the strongest associations, correlating with slow food frequency (ρ = −0.406, p<0.001), slow food change (ρ = −0.325, p<0.001), and diet health (ρ = −0.375, p<0.001), with the highest effect size across slow food groups (ε² = 0.219). Convenience correlated with fast-food consumption (ρ = 0.275, p=0.001), as did lack of cooking skill (ρ = 0.242, p=0.003). Lack of time showed only a weak association with slow food frequency (ρ = −0.194, p<0.005). Conclusions: Perceived cost is most closely associated with reduced home cooking and lower diet quality, whereas convenience and cooking self-efficacy are associated with increased fast-food consumption. Interventions targeting affordability and cooking skills may be more effective than time-management messages.