Health and taste attitudes in the prediction of use frequency and choice between less healthy and more healthy snacks

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Abstract

Health and Taste Attitude scales developed by Roininen, Lähteenmäki and Tuorila, (1999). Quantification of consumer attitudes to health and hedonic characteristics of foods. Appetite, in press, were used in predicting choices among a ‘healthy’ (apple) or an ‘unhealthy’ (chocolate bar) food for a snack. A total of 144 respondents (15–60 years, mean 32 years of age) first completed Health and Taste Attitude questionnaires and then chose a snack (apple or chocolate bar) as a reward for their participation; these choices were recorded. In the second part of the study 1 week later, the respondents first chose a snack (an apple or chocolate bar) and then rated the pleasantness, healthiness, and use frequency of the snacks. The reported mean use frequency of apples was higher than that of chocolate bar, while in the choice task, subjects chose the chocolate bar more frequently. General health interest and Craving for sweet foods were good predictors of choices in the simple behavioral task and self-reported use frequencies of the products. Furthermore, Light product interest predicted choices and Using food as a reward predicted the frequency of use. In conclusion, several Health and Taste sub-scales proved to be useful in segmenting consumers. ©

Introduction

Health authorities in Western countries have recommended reduction of fat intake in the daily diet due to the link between a number of chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, and high fat consumption (Anonymous, 1994); however, while some improvement of nutrition counseling has been observed there are still a large number of individuals who do not maintain diets in line with national guidelines. Increasing segmentation among consumers according to their food orientations, especially attitudes, appears to predict differences (e.g. Contento, Michela & Goldberg, 1988); thus information as to the difference between those adhering to advice and those not is of key importance for developing future promotion strategies.

According to Rothenberg, Bosaeus and Steen (1994), fat-containing foods are considered either pleasure-giving or non pleasure-giving, depending on the food in question. In contrast fruits are generally considered healthy and pleasure-giving, and a number of various high-fat foods are regarded as unhealthy (Rothenberg et al., 1994) and good-tasting (Tuorila & Pangborn, 1988). Foods such as chocolate and ice cream are usually considered as pleasure-giving treats, while foods that are included in the daily diet, e.g. spreads and milk, are more easily accepted as reduced-fat versions. Wardle (1993)found positive correlations between the consumption frequency and health ratings of fruit consumption, and negative correlations between these variables and high-fat foods.

Females have been found to have more positive dietary beliefs (Wardle, Steptoe, Bellisle, Reschke, Lappalainen & Fredrikson, 1997) and healthier behavior patterns than males (Wardle & Steptoe, 1991, Steptoe & Wardle, 1992). Females also have more negative attitudes toward high-fat foods (Shepherd & Stockley, 1985, Towler & Shepherd, 1992) and more positive attitudes toward low-fat foods (Stafleu, de Graaf & van Staveren, 1994) than males do. Although females are more interested in eating ‘healthily’ and using light products, they have more cravings for foods (Pelchat, 1997, Weingarten & Elston, 1991) and are more interested in obtaining pleasure from eating (Roininen, Lähteenmäki & Tuorila, in press).

Consumers must often make compromises when they choose their food, as they can afford only a certain amount of money or effort in making food purchases. It was hypothesized that the Health and Taste Attitude scales developed in previous studies (Roininen et al., in press) could potentially be utilized in predicting the extent to which population segments will be more or less sensitive to the perceived loss of health value when using unhealthy foods.

The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of the Health and Taste Attitude questionnaires in a simple behavioral test situation, and to compare the results of the choice task with another commonly used measure of behavior, that of reported use frequency of each food item. The comparison enables evaluation of the predictive value of the Health and Taste Attitude questionnaires. Apples and chocolate bars were selected as objects in the study because of their common use and appropriateness as snacks, as well as their different sensory properties and health values.

Section snippets

Subjects

Subjects living in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area were recruited into the study at two different canteens: the head post-office and University campus. A total of 174 subjects (out of 278 who participated at least once) completed both choice tasks of the study (110 females and 64 males). The final subject population (n=144) consisted of only those participants who completed both choice tasks and chose the same food twice (post-office, n=55, and University, n=89; 90 females and 54 males). The age

Attitude questionnaires

The Health and Taste scale items loaded on factors similarly to the previous study (Roininen et al., in press). The three-factor solution of the Health scale accounted for 48.5%, while the three-factor solution of the Taste scale accounted for 42.8% of the variance. Sub-scale descriptions in both the previous and present study are presented in Table 1.

Demographic influences

Females rated higher than males in General health interest [F(2,142)=4.43, p<0.05] and in Natural product interest [F(2,142)=18.42, p<0.001]. No

Discussion

The predictive validity of the Health and Taste scales was measured using a simple choice task with a replication and self-reported use frequencies. General health interest and Craving for sweet foods predicted behavior whether measured with reported use frequencies or by observing the choice between two alternatives. Light product interest predicted choices but not use frequencies, while Using food as a reward predicted only use frequencies. The reason for Using food as a reward not predicting

Acknowledgements

The study has been carried out with financial support from the Commission of European Communities, Agriculture and Fisheries (FAIR) specific RTD program, CT95-0574: “Understanding and improving the selection and acceptance of foods for health promotion”.

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