Age, an Important Sociodemographic Determinant of Factors Influencing Consumers' Food Choices and Purchasing Habits: An English University Setting

Importance-Performance Map Analysis of the Drivers for the Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food with a Theory of Planned Behavior Groundwork

The revolution in biotechnology at the end of the 20th century has improved agricultural productivity, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced food nutrition. However, genetically modified food (GMF) consumption remains low, particularly in the European Union, including Spain. This study develops a GMF acceptance model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, incorporating five key variables alongside gender and age as control factors. Attitude-related variables include perceived benefit (PB) and perceived risk (PR). Perceived control factors involve food neophobia (PHOB) and knowledge (KNOWL) about GMFs. Additionally, subjective norm (SN) is considered. Using a sample of 728 Spanish consumers, the model was validated, explaining 70% of the variance and demonstrating strong predictive capability. The results so PB, KNOWL, and SN positively influence GMF acceptance, whereas PR and PHOB have negative effects. PB and SN emerged as the most influential variables, which are also highlighted as priorities in the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). Based on these findings, strategies have been proposed to enhance perceived benefits and influence subjective norms, potentially increasing GMF acceptance. This study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and offers guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders to promote the adoption of GMFs.

Associations of Sociodemographic Characteristics with Food Choice Motives' Importance Among Mexican Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Several studies have explored food choice motives (FCMs), but their association with sociodemographic characteristics remains under-researched. This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional associations between sociodemographic factors and FCMs in a sample of Mexican adults. Sociodemographic data and eight FCMs' importance (health and natural content, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, price, food identity, image, and environmental concern) measured with a 75-item Updated Food Choice Questionnaire were studied in 786 participants (70% women, mean age: 24.7 years). The adjusted estimates from multivariable linear regressions are reported. Higher relative importance of convenience, price, and image management (all, p < 0.05) were associated with men. Older participants (≥41 years) showed greater concern for environmental and wildlife awareness (EWA) (p = 0.04). Higher education was associated with higher appreciation of health and natural content and EWA (both, p < 0.05), and less of sensory appeal and mood (both, p < 0.05). Individuals in a relationship placed less importance on sensory appeal compared to singles (p = 0.008). Middle-low socioeconomic status was linked to higher importance of food identity (p = 0.039), while food insecurity was associated with higher concern for price and food identity (both, p < 0.05). Our findings highlight the influence of sociodemographic factors on FCMs that might act as barriers or drivers for adopting healthy diets.

Milk consumers in Pakistan and Italy: a comparative study on the effects of geographical affiliation, socio-demographic characteristics and consumption patterns on knowledge, attitude and perception of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobials are extensively used in livestock to treat common diseases, including mastitis and other bacterial infections, with around 80% of food-producing animals receiving such treatments. Despite a ban in the EU since 2006, antibiotics are still used globally for growth promotion, exacerbating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). From the consumers' point of view, the potential exposure to resistant zoonotic bacteria in animal-derived food products may represent a threat to public health. However, consumers' knowledge and attitude vary across socio-demographic characteristics and geographical location. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of milk consumers regarding AMR in Pakistan (as a representative of low-to-middle income countries (LMICs)), compared to Italy (as a representative of high-income countries (HICs)).Data were collected via surveys from 401 Pakistani and 550 Italian milk consumers, focusing on socio-demographics, milk purchasing habits, and awareness of antibiotic residues and AMR. The study identified three principal components (PCs) influencing milk consumption: milk quality attributes and tradition, family-dependence, and eating style-dependence. A cluster analysis categorized consumers into four groups: "Attentive to milk quality attributes," "Loyal to milk," "Undecided consumer," and "Milk is essential in my food pattern."Italian consumers predominantly belonged to the "Attentive to milk quality attributes" group, valuing safety and health benefits, and were the most informed about AMR. Pakistani consumers, primarily belonging to the "Loyal to milk" group, exhibited high purchasing frequency influenced by family size but showed limited awareness about AMR risks. The "Undecided consumer" group, a mix of Italian and Pakistani individuals, lacked strong preferences and displayed moderate awareness of AMR, influenced by habitual consumption patterns.This research underscores the need for targeted educational campaigns to raise awareness about AMR and antibiotic residues in milk, particularly in LMICs. Survey findings can help to identify targeted action plans and boost policy development on AMR. Enhancing consumer knowledge through the One-Health approach could mitigate AMR risks and promote informed decision-making in milk consumption across different socio-economic contexts.

Are Sleep Parameters and Chronotype Associated with Eating Disorder Risk? A Cross-Sectional Study of University Students in Spain

Objectives: Eating disorders (EDs) have emerged as a growing public health concern. However, the role of sleep in this context remains underexplored. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between sleep parameters and chronotype with ED risk in a sample of university students in Spain. Methods: ED risk was assessed via the Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food Questionnaire, and sleep quality was assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Other sleep parameters and chronotypes were self-reported. Sociodemographic, body composition, lifestyle, and depressive symptom data were collected. Logistic and linear regression models adjusted for the main confounders were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the study associations. Results: A total of 403 students (70.2% female) aged 18 to 30 years participated in the study. Those reporting poor sleep quality (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.08-3.17, p = 0.025) and ≤6 h of night-time sleep duration (OR = 4.14, 95% CI 2.00-8.57, p < 0.01) were more likely to be at risk of EDs in the adjusted analyses. The association between night-time sleep duration and the risk of ED did not remain significant when we adjusted for sleep quality. In addition, an evening chronotype was associated with an increased risk of EDs (OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.07-2.66, p = 0.039) only before adjustment for confounders. Conclusions: Among university students, poorer sleep quality was cross-sectionally associated with EDs. Future prospective studies are needed to examine whether promoting sleep quality may serve as an effective strategy for preventing the risk of EDs.

Exploring tea and herbal infusions consumption patterns and behaviours: The case of Portuguese consumers

Consumption of tea and herbal infusions (THIs) have a long history in traditional medicine and cultural practices. The health-promoting benefits attributed to THIs are considered influential factors in consumer choices. However, there is limited data on consumer choices and attitudes that might interfere with the positive effects associated with THIs consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the consumption pattern and behavior of THIs consumers in Portugal, assessing the influence of socio-demographic factors on the selection of THIs products and consumer practices related to these beverages. An online survey was conducted, and from the collected data, 720 responses met the aim of the study and were further analyzed. Most of the respondents were female, 74.4%, belonging to the 40-60 age group (40.6%) and were medium consumers of THIs (47.2%). Green tea was the most consumed type among participants, and its consumption was associated not only with age but also with the pattern of THIs consumption. Despite that, participants preferred herbal infusions, with citronella, chamomile, and lemon verbena being the most consumed types. For certain types of herbal infusions, consumption was associated with age, while other types were preferred by moderate or heavy consumers. Most participants purchased THIs in supermarkets, registered trademark and brand stores, in the form of THIs bag. Light consumers use only bag, while medium/heavy consumers indicated the use of other forms. Almost half of the respondents admitted to not reading the information on product labels before consumption and using THIs after the expiry date, while only one-third of them declared paying attention to the label instructions. This study revealed the impact of socio-demographic factors as age on the consumption patterns and preferences of THIs of consumers. Of concern is the neglect of label usage among Portuguese consumers. This emphasizes the urgency of implementing interventions to guide proper label use and promote good consumption practices to ensure the quality of THIs products.

Effects of front-of-package caffeine and sweetener disclaimers in Mexico: cross-sectional results from the 2020 International Food Policy Study

OBJECTIVE

Front-of-package warning labels introduced in Mexico in 2020 included disclaimers that caution against allowing children to consume products with non-sugary sweeteners and caffeine. We examined the awareness and use of the disclaimers among Mexican adults and youth 1 month after the regulation was implemented. We also investigated their impact on the perceived healthfulness of industrialised beverages designed for children.

DESIGN

Data on the awareness and use of the disclaimers were analysed. Two between-subjects experiments examined the effect of a sweetener disclaimer (Experiment 1, youth and adults) or a caffeine disclaimer (Experiment 2, only adults) on the perceived healthfulness of industrialised beverages. Interactions between experimental conditions and demographic characteristics were tested.

SETTING

Online survey in 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Mexican adults (≥18 years, n 2108) and youth (10-17 years, n 1790).

RESULTS

Most participants (>80 %) had seen the disclaimers at least rarely, and over 60 % used them sometimes or frequently. The sweetener disclaimer led to a lower perceived healthfulness of a fruit drink (adults: 2·74 ± 1·44; youth: 2·04 ± 0·96) compared with the no-disclaimer condition (adults: 3·17 ± 1·54; youth: 2·32 ± 0·96) (t's: >4·0, P values: <0·001). This effect was larger among older adults and male youth. The caffeine disclaimer did not affect adult's perceived healthfulness of a caffeinated drink (t = 0·861, P value = 0·3894).

CONCLUSIONS

There were high awareness and use of the sweeteners and caffeine disclaimers shortly after the warning labels were implemented. The sweetener disclaimer appears to be helping consumers modify their perceptions regarding industrialised beverages for children. Findings may help decision-makers improve the regulation and better target communication strategies.

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality as a versatile tool in food consumer behavior evaluation: Recent advances in aroma, taste, and texture incorporation

The perceptual behavior of consumers on a product displayed in the market has a vital role in analyzing the importance given to that product. Therefore, various strategies have been developed to understand this consumer behavior in the selection of products. Immersive technologies like virtual, augmented, and mixed reality are among them. With the foremost feature of immersion in the virtual world and interaction of users with virtual objects, virtual reality, and augmented reality have unlocked their potential in research and a user-friendly tool for analyzing consumer behavior. In addition to these technologies, mixed reality also has a significant role in investigating consumer behavior. Studies on immersive technologies in food applications are vast, hence this review focuses on the applications of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality in the food selection behavior of consumers. The behavioral studies are elicited to develop new products based on consumer needs, to understand the shopping behavior in supermarkets for real-time usage, and to know the influence of emotions in a selection of products. The findings suggest that virtual, augmented, and mixed reality induce immersion of the users in food selection behavioral studies. Information on the technological advancements in the tools used for bringing immersion and interaction are discussed for its futuristic applications in food. Though immersive technology gives users a realistic virtual environment experience, its application in food systems is in the budding stage. More research on human response studies would contribute to its innovative and inevitable application in the future.

Influencing Factors and Group Differences of Urban Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Low-Carbon Agricultural Products in China

Developing low-carbon agriculture has become a development goal for low-carbon economies in various countries, and consumers' awareness and willingness to pay (WTP) for low-carbon agricultural products is an important link in achieving the sustainable development of low-carbon agriculture. The theory of planned behavior is a widely used framework to explain consumers' food choices. Considering the intrinsic norms of consumers, their perceptions of low-carbon agricultural products, and shifts in consumer behavior, our study adds the influence of environmental awareness and consumer preferences to the theoretical framework of analysis. We choose the contingent valuing method (CVM) and use 532 consumer questionnaires in Shanghai to validate Chinese urban consumers' WTP for low-carbon products and its influencing factors. The findings show that Chinese urban consumers have a high overall awareness of low-carbon agricultural products and, after strengthening the conceptual information of consumers, most consumers agree that low-carbon vegetables are more conducive to ecological environment protection, quality, and safety guarantees than conventional vegetables. The existing analysis showed that some variables such as bid price, behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and consumption preferences significantly influenced consumers' willingness to pay for low-carbon leafy greens, while the effect of the environmental awareness variable was not significant. Further research found that consumers' WTP for low-carbon leafy greens showed significant group differences across income, gender, age, and education. Therefore, to promote the consumption of low-carbon agricultural products in China, we should attach importance to the publicity and guidance of low-carbon vegetables and strengthen the certification of low-carbon vegetable products. This study can provide policy reference for reasonably regulating and subdividing China's low-carbon agricultural products market.

Factors Affecting Food Consumers' Behavior during COVID-19 in Romania

Crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic may reshape consumers' behavior and challenge all food chain actors on how to assure and better respond to consumers' needs and wants. This study aimed to reveal the main concerns of consumers related to food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify factors that may influence their behavior. An online survey was performed among 859 Romanian consumers. The Principal Component Analysis revealed five factors: ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects, food waste, plant-based food, and easily accessible food, which affected consumers' food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was noticed that females tended to be more preoccupied with the socio-economic aspects and food waste components, compared to males. At the same time, older people were more concerned about the ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects and health concerns, compared with the younger group, the differences being statistically significant. These insights provide information on crucial aspects that shape consumers' behavior during crisis periods.