Abstract / Summary
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported food-related attitudes and behaviors among Holocaust survivors and second- and third-generation descendants, and to compare responses across generational cohorts. This exploratory cross-sectional questionnaire study included 120 Hebrew-speaking adults who self-identified as Holocaust survivors or as second- or third-generation descendants. Data were collected between October 16 and December 5 2023. The questionnaire included sociodemographic items and 15 structured food-related items adapted from previously published qualitative interview prompts. Responses were analyzed using an exploratory 15-item questionnaire index and item-level comparisons across cohorts. False discovery rate correction was applied for multiple item-level testing. The exploratory questionnaire index differed across cohorts ( F (2,117) = 3.36, p = 0.038), with the highest mean score among Holocaust survivors ( M = 6.90, SD = 3.47) and the lowest among third-generation descendants ( M = 4.55, SD = 2.24). Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc comparisons showed a significant difference between Holocaust survivors and third-generation descendants. At the item level, only two differences remained statistically significant after correction for multiple testing: the influence of food abundance in Israel on attitudes toward food and food-related dreaming. Other item-level patterns, including anxiety when food was not readily available, food storage, food preoccupation, difficulty discarding spoiled food, fasting practices, and sex-related differences, did not remain statistically significant after adjustment or were based on small cell counts and should be interpreted descriptively. This study identified cohort-level differences in selected self-reported food-related attitudes among Holocaust survivors and descendant cohorts. The findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the cross-sectional design, small Holocaust survivor subgroup, reliance on self-report, and use of an exploratory structured questionnaire. The study did not include linked family units, trauma measures, family communication measures, longitudinal follow-up, or direct measures of war-related exposure or food insecurity. Therefore, the findings cannot establish mechanisms of intergenerational transmission or effects of the contemporary crisis. Future studies should use larger samples, validated measures, and family-based or longitudinal designs to clarify the meaning and stability of food-related attitudes across generations.