Chronically ailing or failing chronically: a typology of South African diners living with diabetes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dining out serves both nourishment and entertainment needs. This study segments diabetics based on their dining out motivations, restaurant preferences, and satisfaction levels. The research in South Africa utilised an online survey on QuestionPro, resulting in 350 responses. The analysis took place in three stages: (a) socio-demographic profiling, (b) exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) on dining motivations, restaurant choice factors, and satisfaction, and (c) clustering to identify segments. Out of 350, only 239 complete responses were valid for cluster analysis. Four dining motivations were identified: celebration and socialisation, tourism and novelty, vitality and appreciation, gastronomy and enjoyment, and convenience and practicality. Restaurant choices hinged on value and relaxation and E-WOM and quality. Dining satisfaction (dining experience) emerged as a singular factor. The Two-step cluster analysis revealed two diabetic diner groups: Affluent, ageing, frequent, Caucasian, discontent Type 1’s and Middle-class, mature, infrequent, multi-racial, content Type 2’s. Recommendations for the hospitality sector include adaptability to evolving consumer demands, offering nutritional details, minimising food wastage, catering to health-conscious patrons, enhancing point-of-sale systems for meal customisations, and staff training for diabetic-friendly requests. The research improves understanding of diabetic dining behaviour in South Africa, unveiling relationships between variables defining two diabetic diner segments.