Healthy Food Choice in Thailand: An Investigation into Illness Knowledge and Sociodemographics

Abstract

You are what you eat. Food choices have been found to have effects on people and their diseases. Given plain taste, healthy food choices are less popular. This study aimed to investigate relevant factors of healthy food-choice decisions among healthy and unhealthy consumers. We examined the impact of awareness of health conditions (illness knowledge) and sociodemographics on food-consumption behavior using logistic regression models. Empirical results showed that consumers place taste as the key determinant when making food-consumption decisions. Men are more inclined towards unhealthy food choices than women. Ageing helps sway consumers to eat more plain food. Illness knowledge influences consumer preferences towards a healthier option, the plain taste food. However, illness knowledge has less influence on educated consumers and older consumers who exhibit strong fixation on tasty food preference. Education helps consumers form healthy food preferences rather than alters existing preferences towards healthy food choices. In promoting healthy food choices, awareness of health status becomes a vital factor. Health checkup campaign is therefore encouraged, supporting consumers to wisely consider healthier food choices.