Abstract
LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) describes an emerging lifestyle that is defined by attention to health, well-being, and environmental sustainability. Discussions of the LOHAS lifestyle have moved faster than any of the research to support it. Originally developed in South Korea, it has been picked up in the U.S. and other cultures worldwide. However, researchers have proceeded as if one scale fits all. The implications of LOHAS can only proceed if there is a reliable and valid measure for LOHAS and empirical evidence that the scale is effective for diverse groups. The current research focuses on the development of a psychometrically reliable and valid scale to measure the multi-dimensional nature of LOHAS. By following generally accepted scale development procedures, a LOHAS scale is created and tested for its reliability, dimensionality, construct, and nomological validity. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications are outlined.
Highlights
LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) is presented as a perceptual, attitudinal, and behavioral lifestyle that emphasizes personal health and well-being as well as environmental and social sustainability in the pursuit of balanced prosperity between the individual, the environment, and society [1]
LOHAS constructs and terminology were created by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI)
The main purpose of purifying a multi-item scale is to reduce the number of items, to obtain an internally consistent scale [76]
Summary
LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) is presented as a perceptual, attitudinal, and behavioral lifestyle that emphasizes personal health and well-being as well as environmental and social sustainability in the pursuit of balanced prosperity between the individual, the environment, and society [1]. It is assumed that LOHAS consumers make behavioral decisions based on the measure of their LOHAS-ness (high versus low) [2]. LOHAS constructs and terminology were created by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI). That purported to identify the rapid growth of a global trend. This proposed lifestyle was not accompanied by any empirical evidence. The NMI created twelve questions that they said measured the LOHAS lifestyle, these questions did not undergo any rigorous scientific scale development procedures nor extensive validation. Arguing that LOHAS exists does not make it “real” to research areas or useful to marketing. Instantly understandable and appealing when reading the background literature of the NMI, very little research has been conducted on the nature and scope of this lifestyle [3]
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