Food habits and attitudes towards food quality among young students

Abstract

Purpose The food consumption has always received a lot of attention in the marketing literature, as it tends to reflect and determine the overall consumer behaviour, expression of the individual lifestyle. Nevertheless, less attention has been devoted to the young. This paper aims at analysing how university students, a segment of young people, perceive and evaluate the quality of food and which attributes most influence their food choice and consumption. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was carried out from March to December 2015 among Italian university students. A sample of 1,138 people took part in the survey. Data were elaborated through SPSS 21.0 statistical software package. Findings Findings suggest a number of interesting points. First, a high attention of university students towards price and sales promotion was observed. Nevertheless, they are well informed in food products they buy and pay high attention to ingredients, origin and healthiness of food products. Finally, performing a principal component analysis three different components on food store selection were found, namely, “Price saving”, “Convenience” and “Food assortment and quality”. Practical implications A more comprehensive understanding of the food behaviour of the young could be useful for marketing researchers and practitioners to define marketing programs aimed at satisfying the food demand of a growing segment of the market. Originality/value The food behaviour of young people as a whole has been little addressed in the marketing literature. Existing studies have explored specific topics such as the consumption of organic food, fast-food buying habits or alcohol abuse.

Percepções de consumidores sobre alimentos orgânicos: uma análise multifatores

“…Estes dados são corroborados principalmente pelo público jovem, que opta por preços mais baixos e promoções por não possuírem uma renda própria (SAVELLI et al, 2017). Este aspecto é visualizado na renda por faixa etária, pois os que possuem até 25 anos são os que recebem até um salário mínimo (80,95%).…”

Сonsumer food choice: Factors, current state and expected changes

“…Это подтверждает недавнее исследование, в котором приняли участие итальянские студенты. Выяснилось, что 10% студентов покупают еду только со скидкой, а почти пятая часть из них -выбирают наиболее дешевый бренд [Savelli et al, 2017]. Несмотря на то что низкие цены и акции на продукты питания являются важным фактором, определяющим потребительский выбор, это не главное при покупке для студентов.…”

“…Уменьшение цены на полезные снеки в вендинговых автоматах на 50% увеличивает продажи в четыре раза [Мусатова, 2013] Заявленные данные (опрос) Завышенная цена оказывает негативное влияние на желание потребителей купить здоровые продукты питания, однако не является самым важным препятствием. При этом около 36% потребителей отмечают этот фактор в качестве более значимого, чем позитивное воздействие таких продуктов на здоровье [Plassmann et al, 2008] Физиологические данные (МРТ) Потребители как сознательно, так и подсознательно отдают предпочтение более дорогим по стоимости продуктам (в частности, винам) даже в том случае, если продукты идентичны [Savelli et al, 2017] Заявленные данные (опрос) Ограниченные бюджеты студентов вынуждают их оптимизировать расходы. В том числе поэтому 10% студентов покупают еду только со скидкой, а 20% -выбирают наиболее дешевый бренд [Matiza, Oni, 2014] Заявленные данные (опрос) Consumer food choice is based on many factors.…”

Factors influencing healthy food choices of university students

“…Thus, schools and universities should be able to encourage young people to choose higher quality food products by promoting certain menu changes (2). Today it is known that young consumers are well informed about the products they eat (3) and also have become more aware of the foods they chose both at home and away from home (4). Increasingly interested in adhering to a healthy diet, young people are progressively opting for more complete food products, both in terms of their nutritional value, as well as their origin, the form of production, including locally grown and organically grown produce, the composition, and the healthiness of the food product (5,6).…”

“…Os jovens colocam ainda, uma atenção progressivamente maior na qualidade de um produto. Além do parâmetro de qualidade de um produto alimentício, existem ainda outros fatores que influenciam as escolhas dos jovens, sendo eles fatores económicos (7), sociais e o gosto pessoal (3). No entanto, devido à adaptação a um novo ambiente, stress provocado pelo estudo, falta de gestão adequada do tempo e horários ocupados pelas aulas, os universitários podem sofrer uma falta de preocupação com a própria saúde e, consequentemente, também apresentar escolhas alimentares pouco saudáveis (8,9).…”