Abstract
Abstract This study investigated the Lebanese consumers’ knowledge about healthy food perception and their food motivations according to gender and also to environmental, social, and health behaviors. The survey consisted of a longitudinal study undertaken on a sample of 450 participants from which only 410 questionnaires were considered to be valid. For the analysis of the data, basic descriptive statistics were used, complemented with statistical tests (Student t-test for comparisons between two groups and ANOVA for comparisons between three or more groups). Finally, analyses were done to evaluate the importance of healthy food perception among these people, and the possible sociodemographic variables are as follows: age group, level of education, gender, and living environment. The results allowed identifying which types of factors mostly influence people's food choices. They revealed that both the economic and availability motivations (mean scores 2.83 and 2.98 for female and male participants, respectively) and the social and cultural motivations (mean scores 2.90 and 3.09) have less impact on the perception of a healthy diet than the healthy motivations (mean scores 3.48 and 3.29) and the environmental and political motivations (mean scores 3.35 and 3.43), this last being also the highest expression and without statistical gender differences. This work is relevant because it highlights the food motivation factors that influence people’s perception about a healthy diet in a developing country, facing social and economic crisis in addition to many gender inequalities, yet having the highest education levels in the region in addition to its multiethnical diversity and religiosity.
Highlights
People’s behavior toward food is very complex and is influenced by diverse factors, such as the biological need of nutrients and energy, hunger, socioeconomic status, demographic variables, personal taste, lifestyles, health factors, emotions, security, convenience, food prices, ethical concerns, cultural and religious influences, or nutrition knowledge (Liu et al 2017; Sami et al 2017; Ferrão et al 2018; Bartkiene et al 2019; Cînpeanu et al 2019).In a typical day, and including while performing their shopping, people are faced with many food choices, which are compelled by motives that they even don’t realize
Part X – Marketing and commercial motivations (7 questions) Globally, 55 statements related to eating habits and the choice of certain food were compiled according to different motivations. These types of motivations were chosen because many different studies somehow have indicated that eating habits and/or food choices are dependable on factors such as the ones investigated through this questionnaire, which was developed, validated at first on a sample of Portuguese people (Ferrão et al 2019b), and was extended into other countries
For the senior adults, who represent 8.3% of total participants, the results showed that they have the most correct perception about a healthy diet when compared with other age groups
Summary
People’s behavior toward food is very complex and is influenced by diverse factors, such as the biological need of nutrients and energy, hunger, socioeconomic status, demographic variables, personal taste, lifestyles, health factors, emotions, security, convenience, food prices, ethical concerns, cultural and religious influences, or nutrition knowledge (Liu et al 2017; Sami et al 2017; Ferrão et al 2018; Bartkiene et al 2019; Cînpeanu et al 2019).In a typical day, and including while performing their shopping, people are faced with many food choices, which are compelled by motives that they even don’t realize. People’s behavior toward food is very complex and is influenced by diverse factors, such as the biological need of nutrients and energy, hunger, socioeconomic status, demographic variables, personal taste, lifestyles, health factors, emotions, security, convenience, food prices, ethical concerns, cultural and religious influences, or nutrition knowledge (Liu et al 2017; Sami et al 2017; Ferrão et al 2018; Bartkiene et al 2019; Cînpeanu et al 2019). The process of selecting foods is very complex and is influenced by numerous factors; some of them are related to the products (like the organoleptic characteristics) while some others are related to the consumers (such as personal preferences or restrictions of some sort), and still, others are depending on the consumption context (cultural or religious influences, health preoccupations, convenience and cost, biological needs, emotional status, marketing influences, or political and environmental concerns). The definite contribution of nutrition knowledge to shape dietary behaviors, This work is licensed under the Creative
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