The influence of consumers’ interest in healthy eating, definitions of healthy eating, and personal values on perceived dietary quality

Abstract

Consumers often associate healthy food consumption with different definitions. Yet relatively little is known about how definitions of healthy eating influence perceived dietary quality. Based on an online survey of 718 Danish food consumers, the present research finds that the healthy eating definitions entitled ’healthy/unhealthy eating’ and ‘mind/body healthy eating’ both showed positive effects on perceived dietary quality, whereas the definition ’healthy eating guideline’ was not significantly related to perceived dietary quality. We also found that consumers’ interest in healthy eating had a significant indirect effect on perceived dietary quality through mind/body healthy eating and that the relationships between interest in healthy eating, consumer definitions of healthy eating, and perceived dietary quality were moderated by different levels of personal values. Our results provide guidance to those seeking to influence consumers’ dietary behavior based on their interest in healthy eating, definitions of healthy eating, and personal values.