Conjoint Task Research Articles

Unpacking Consumer Preferences: Perceptions and Sustainability of Packaging Material for Orange Juice

Understanding the motivation behind consumers’ packaging choices is crucial to providing insights for achieving environmental sustainability outcomes. Here, we examined the influence of product attributes (packaging type, packaging claim, product claim, and price) and consumers factors (e.g., diet type, demographic information) driving orange juice selection. Participants residing in the USA (n = 847) responded to an online survey including: (1) a check-all-that-apply (CATA) to valued beverage characteristics question; (2) a choice-based conjoint task with packaging type, packaging claim, product claim, and price as the attributes; (3) a question tasking respondents to rank packaging material from their perception of the least to most sustainable; and (4) demographic questions. The conjoint analysis revealed that price was the most important attribute, particularly the lowest price. This study revealed that the most ideal orange juice option was packaged in glass, labelled as 100% recyclable, locally produced, and priced at $1.10 per 12 fl. oz. Not only was glass the most preferred packaging type, but it was also incorrectly perceived as the most sustainable. The intention to purchase sustainable packaging was the most important predictor of attribute relative importance (RI) and packaging utilities, followed by effectiveness perception, which only predicted the RI of price. Thus, for consumers to make more sustainable choices, education initiatives need to direct consumers to more sustainable, yet affordable, choices, while considering that purchase intention and effectiveness perception are key attitudinal drivers.

Workplace Corporate Social Irresponsibility in Supply Chain Operations: Generation and Gender Impacts on New Talent Recruitment

Amidst stakeholder demands for transparency and the recent pandemic, the inner workings of supply chains have become more visible. This visibility has shone a spotlight on workplace corporate social irresponsibility (CSI)—actions within a company's internal supply chain operations perceived to harm the well-being of its employees. At the same time, companies scrambling to recruit new talent for operations and supply chain management (OM/SCM) face dual challenges in the shortage of diverse talent and the emergence of new generations in the workforce. Research indicates that younger generations and women more broadly expect social responsibility from their employers, but it is unclear how they perceive social irresponsibility when evaluating job offers. To begin to address this gap, we draw on attribution theory and develop hypotheses that examine prospective employees’ responses to workplace CSI in supply chain operations and whether their responses vary with gender and pay. Results from a conjoint task and mixed effects models reveal that both young men and young women respond negatively to job offers from firms with pervasive workplace CSI across their supply chain operations and atypical levels of workplace CSI relative to other firms. Although we do not find gender differences in general, supplementary analyses offer more nuanced insights (e.g., young men respond less favorably than young women when workplace CSI is pervasive, whereas young women respond more favorably than young men to above-average pay). Overall, our study advances understanding of the spillover effects of workplace CSI on new talent recruitment and highlights that the new generation's preferences run deeper than traditional gender-based expectations. In doing so, we offer timely guidance for executives and human resource managers as companies struggle to recruit diverse new OM/SCM talent.

Caffeine warning labels may increase young adults' intention to purchase energy drinks

Increasing consumption of energy drinks has raised public health concerns worldwide. The present study intended to contribute to the literature on policies to discourage consumption of these beverages by exploring the effect of front-of-package caffeine warning labels on the purchase intention of young Uruguayan adults. A mixed-methods approach was used to address the research objectives in an online survey with 225 participants aged between 18- and 30-years old. The quantitative component of the survey intended to evaluate the effect of caffeine warnings on purchase intention using choice-based conjoint analysis, whereas the qualitative component explored participants' perceived efficacy of the warnings using an open-ended question. The conjoint task involved a series of choice sets composed of two cans differing in three 2-level variables: octagonal caffeine warning featuring the expression 'Contains caffeine', octagonal sugar warning, and brand. Results from the conjoint analysis showed that caffeine warnings increased choice likelihood, as did the brand conveying energy-related associations. On the contrary, sugar warnings reduced choice likelihood. Responses to the open-ended question provided insights on the lack of efficacy of caffeine warnings and stressed the importance of raising awareness of the potential negative health consequences of energy drink consumption. Taken together results from the present work suggest the importance of designing effective front-of-package warning labels to discourage consumption of energy drinks among young adults.

Validation of fluid milk consumer segments using qualitative multivariate analysis

Consumption of fluid milk in the United States has declined in recent years. To increase appeal and meet ever-changing consumer demands, several product features have been introduced to the fluid milk market. As such, it is imperative to assess consumer sentiments from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives to better understand the effect of various product offerings. The objectives of this study were to identify fluid milk consumer segments that were characterized by preference for specific product features and to verify those sentiments using qualitative multivariate analysis (QMA). An adaptive choice-based conjoint survey (n = 719) was designed to explore consumer desires regarding the fat content, package type, shelf life, label claims, and prices of commercial milks. Part-worth utilities from the conjoint task were subsequently clustered, revealing 4 unique consumer segments. Representative consumers from each cluster (n = 18 total) were selected to participate in a 4-wk QMA study, consisting of a home-usage test followed by focus groups and projective mapping. Nine commercial milks representing various pasteurization methods, label claims, and packaging types were used within the study. When analyzed by segment, significant differences in conjoint utilities for specific product features were identified. Overall, price was the largest differentiator of segments, followed by fat content, shelf life, and milk designation. Several of the segmental differences were confirmed in the QMA study, with sentiments regarding price and milk type (i.e., conventional, organic, local) consistent between conjoint survey and QMA for each consumer group. Within the projective mapping exercise, intrinsic sensory properties, price, and quality perception were the primary differentiators for fluid milks. Comments from QMA journal entries and focus groups revealed that consumer segments with preferences for nonconventional milk types were primarily motivated by the belief that organic, local, or pasture-raised milks were superior in sensory quality and congruent with personal values. Overall, QMA was an effective means for verifying conjoint-derived consumer groups and provided a contextual support for conjoint insights. Joint conclusions drawn from the components of this study may serve to guide marketing campaigns and new product development for fluid milk processors.

Food waste tendencies: Behavioral response to cosmetic deterioration of food.

American households discard a significant amount of food that represent a sizable portion of their food expenditures. This study adds to our understanding of product attributes associated with food waste, with a focus on cosmetic deterioration during home storage. Specifically, we profile a sample of U.S. individuals by patterns of common food-related behaviors and determine the effects of product attributes on food waste tendencies at the point of consumption by distinct behavioral profiles. An interactive survey at the Minnesota State Fair (N = 333) was used to obtain measurements on food-related behavior and sociodemographic factors. The survey included a conjoint task to elicit food discard tendencies to construct the food waste proxy. The study considered cosmetic deterioration, date labels, implied shelf life, package size, and prices paid, in fresh, packaged spinach and ground beef products. Factor analysis and latent class modeling categorized the sample into two classes, revealing distinct food-related behavioral patterns. Planners, who constituted a slight majority in our sample, were likely to have established pre-shopping and in-store behavior and food management and cooking skills. Extemporaneous Consumers had inferior food handling routines and were less knowledgeable and skilled in the kitchen. Regression analysis using a random-effects tobit model showed Extemporaneous Consumers were prone to waste a greater portion of the spinach product than Planners. Otherwise, both classes showed similar increases in likelihood to discard the products, as their appearance deteriorated. Their tendency to waste increased with shorter remaining shelf life for spinach but not for ground beef, and was not affected by the date label type. Results suggest an intervention that targets a general audience designed to enhance people’s skills to discern edibility of food in home storage by manipulating sensory expectations from cosmetic deterioration could be impactful in efforts to curtail food waste.

Effectiveness of traffic light system on Brazilian consumers perception of food healthfulness

Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling schemes were developed to improve consumer’s comprehension about the food nutrients associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Several FOPs have already been developed, and Brazil is in the process of evaluating a scheme to introduce in the products. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of TLS, the scheme proposed by the food industry, on the product healthfulness perception. A study with 141 participants was carried out. A conjoint task was designed considering three categories and levels: types of dairy products (light yogurt, prato cheese, and chocolate flavoured milk), Traffic Light System (yes vs. no) and brand (well-known vs. unknown). The effect of TLS on perceived healthfulness was evaluated using a 9-point scales (1: not healthy; 9: very healthy). Results showed that the inclusion of TLS did not influence the perceived healthfulness of the products by consumers, even among consumers with higher interest in healthy eating. These findings suggest that the proposal supported by the food industry does not seem to be the most appropriate, being recommended the development of further studies to compare the efficacy of TLS and other FOP schemes.

The utilization of immersive virtual environments for the investigation of environmental preferences

The article discusses the feasibility and benefits of using immersive virtual environments (IVEs) to gauge the environmental preferences of individuals. The discussion is based on the results of a stated preference conjoint experiment employed within an IVE. In the experiment, participants were asked to rate and rank their cycling experience during and after they had cycled a few virtual routes with changing environmental characteristics. Participants repeated the experiment a week later to allow the examination of the test–retest reliability of the method. Presence level—namely the extent to which one has an actual sense of being in the simulated world—was computed using the ITC–SOPI questionnaire. The scores were compared with an equivalent, more traditional, still images conjoint task that was administrated to a control group. Presence level was significantly higher in the IVE compared to the still images experiment. This finding supports the notion that IVEs may yield greater external validity due to their higher level of realism. Relatively low test–retest reliability scores between the two IVE experiment rounds were obtained. This might be explained by the participants’ low familiarity with IVEs, which in the first round diverted their attention from the conjoint task itself. In contrast, the test–retest scores of post-IVE evaluations, which are considered more cognitive in their nature, were satisfactory. Implications of the experiments and suggestions for future research are discussed.

E-tailer website attributes and trust: understanding the role of online reviews

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of an experimental study designed to better understand the role of online product reviews, both valence and volume, in the formation of initial online trust during a consumer’s exploratory stage with an e-tailer. This is done within the context of simultaneously varying e-tailer reputation and product type.Design/methodology/approachParticipants take part in a conjoint task that involves viewing fictitious web pages and indicating their level of trust in using the site to purchase the product displayed. The web pages are developed by manipulating four attributes (e-tailer reputation, product type, summary product star rating and number of online reviews) according to a full factorial design. Conjoint models are estimated to determine the relative influence of each attribute on trust perceptions, the significance of selected two-way interactions among the four attributes, and potential moderating effects of varied prior online experiences, including previous usage frequency of online reviews.FindingsResults reveal that e-tailer reputation has the greatest impact on initial trust perceptions, followed by the summary review star rating of the product. Significant two-way interactions show that a large number of reviews enhance the effect of a positive summary review on trust while shopping for high priced experience products diminishes the positive influence of e-tailer reputation. Prior online experiences moderate the relationship between these website attributes and perceived trust by interacting with the two strongest trust cues in the model. The effects of these attributes on trust perceptions are less for those with higher levels of prior online experiences.Originality/valueThe study uses conjoint analysis, which requires participants to implicitly “tradeoff” among website attributes in making overall judgments about e-tailer trustworthiness. Consequently, the relative influence of online reviews (both valence and volume) on initial trust perceptions is derived empirically in a realistic setting that involves online shopping contexts with different risk (by varying product type). Moreover, the authors are able to estimate interaction effects. A significant interaction between summary product star rating and number of reviews implies that online review volume may be more important to perceived e-tailer trustworthiness than earlier studies suggest.

An experimental study using manipulated photographs to examine interactions between micro-scale environmental factors for children's cycling for transport

Installing cycling infrastructure well-separated from motorized traffic is hypothesized to increase children's transportation cycling. However, in some streets it may not be possible to install such cycling paths (e.g. due to financial or space constraints). The current paper investigates which physical factors could increase parents' perceptions of environmental supportiveness for children's transportation cycling, across six different types of cycling infrastructure.Parents completed a choice-based conjoint task by indicating which photographed street they preferred to let their child cycle along. The streets were experimentally manipulated on 7 physical factors (e.g. traffic speed, vegetation). Interactions between type of cycle path and the other environmental factors were identified.When no or limited separation from motorized traffic is present, street characteristics increasing parents' safety perceptions (traffic density and speed) should be prioritized when aiming to improve the supportiveness of streets for children's transportation cycling. Comfort and aesthetics can further improve streets' environmental supportiveness when cycling paths are more separated from traffic.

Consumer perception of dry-cured sheep meat products: Influence of process parameters under different evoked contexts

The development of high-quality air-dried cured sheep meat products adapted to meet consumer demands represent an interesting option to add value to the meat of adult animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of process parameters on consumer choice of two products from sheep meat under different evoked contexts, considering product concepts. A total of 375 Brazilian participants completed a choice-based conjoint task with three 2-level variables for each product: maturation time, smoking, and sodium reduction for dry-cured sheep ham, and natural antioxidant, smoking, and sodium reduction for sheep meat coppa. A between-subjects experimental design was used to evaluate the influence of consumption context on consumer choices. All the process parameters significantly influenced consumer choice. However, their relative importance was affected by evoked context.

Is taste the key driver for consumer preference? A conjoint analysis study

A conjoint design was applied to examine the effects of three conjoint factors (based on the results of two focus groups): one intrinsic attribute (sweetener, with levels of sugar and Stevia) and two extrinsic attributes (brand and package size) on preference and purchase probability for chocolate and sugar substitute chocolate. Tasting and ingredient information were linked to the intrinsic factor.The first objective of this research was to study the influence of using tasting vs. ingredient information as a stimulus on consumers’ preference for chocolate using adaptive conjoint analysis. A second objective was to examine whether completing a behavioural questionnaire might influence consumer’s preference. A third objective was to investigate whether participants could be clustered based on their chocolate preference and if these clusters would be influenced by the stimulus (tasting vs. ingredient information). Given the objectives, a 2×2 factorial design was used with tasting vs. ingredient information as a first factor and completing a behavioural questionnaire vs. not completing a behavioural questionnaire before the conjoint task as the second factor.Respondents were divided into four groups according to the experimental design. A total of 2096 respondents completed the study, resulting in useful data from 1570 respondents. Consumer data were deleted based on consistency checks in the questionnaire.The results indicated that actual tasting led to greater consistency in respondents’ answers. Moreover, tasting had an influence on the importance ratings and the utilities for the overall population sample. Furthermore, completing a behavioural questionnaire did not impact the results of the conjoint analysis. Through clustering the respondents, three clusters were identified: ‘sugar driven’, ‘brand driven’ and ‘sugar substitute driven’. These clusters were recurrent in all four groups of respondents. Tasting or receiving ingredient information about the product did not influence the existence of the clusters. However, this difference in stimulus presentation did induce a shift in cluster sizes.

Park attributes that encourage park visitation among adolescents: A conjoint analysis

Parks provide opportunities for people of all ages to engage in physical activity, connect socially with family and friends, and have contact with nature. Despite these benefits, park visitation among adolescents is particularly low; however, little is known about what attributes would attract adolescents to visit parks. This study examined the relative importance of park features that might influence their decision to visit a park. Adolescents were recruited in 2014–5 from four secondary schools located in Melbourne, Australia. Participants completed an adaptive choice based conjoint (ACBC) task during one school class-lesson. This methodology makes it possible to identify the relative importance of individual park features. Ten park attributes were included in the survey and part-worth utility and importance scores were estimated for each attribute with Hierarchical Bayes analyses using Sawtooth Software. Participants (n=92) had a mean age of 14.7 years (SD=1.0) and 57% were female. Importance scores showed that playground slides (particularly long steep slides) were the most important attribute for park visitation (16.1%; 95% CI=15.0, 17.2), followed by an absence of rubbish/graffiti (13.0%; 95% CI=11.2, 14.8), and the presence of swings (12.4%; 95% CI=11.4, 13.3), walking/cycling paths (12.1%; 95% CI=11.0, 13.2) and BMX tracks/skate bowls (10.6%; 95% CI=9.3, 11.9). These findings can assist those involved in designing parks to identify attributes that should be prioritised to ensure visitation by adolescents is maximised. The novel methodology utilised may be transferable to other studies of the built environment among other population groups.

Total rewards that retain: A study of demographic preferences

Orientation: Changing workplace demographics and a dearth of employees with scarce skills have forced employers to better understand the various factors that retain talented employees. Research purpose: In this empirical study, the reward preferences and ideal combination of total reward elements (based on an estimation of their relative importance) that retain employees from various demographic groups, including employees of different race, gender and age groups, were investigated. Motivation for study: Organisations are competing for talented employees and to benefit from the value these individuals add, it is required of them to stay at the respective businesses. Previous studies have indicated that employees who are offered a reward package that is aligned to their personal preferences are prone to stay longer at the organisation and to be more engaged at work. However, new and novel ways need to be found to identify the reward preferences of employees. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative approach and descriptive research design was employed to estimate the individual reward preferences and identify an ideal mix of total reward elements that retain different cohorts of employees. Three questionnaires were distributed, including a Remuneration Managers Questionnaire ( n = 7), a Remuneration Preference Questionnaire ( n = 368) and a Choice-based Conjoint Task Questionnaire ( n = 368). The latter two questionnaires were distributed as an online questionnaire to South African businesses and consisted of eight choice-based conjoint tasks, as well as a field survey. Main findings: The results of the choice-based conjoint analysis revealed that all respondents considered financial rewards (Benefits, Performance and Recognition, Remuneration, Career, in that order) as relatively speaking, the most important components in their total rewards package that would lead to their retention. For most demographic groups, the remaining three places (i.e. ranked) were Career Advancement, Learning and Work–life balance. Work–life balance was found to be relatively more important for Generation Y than career advancement. For those employees with only a matric qualification and those in non-managerial positions, access to learning opportunities were the least important in their retention. Practical/managerial implications: Human Resource managers and line managers should note that reward elements should be chosen and offered as total reward packages in such a way as to best be able to attract, engage and retain talented employees. Contribution/value-add: The findings of the present study adds value in a sense that it assists organisations in creating customised reward packages that best suit the needs of both employees and them as employers. Providing a more ideal or preferential combination of reward elements can, by increasing retention and engagement, provide a competitive advantage for organisations.

Total rewards that retain: A study of demographic preferences

Orientation: Changing workplace demographics and a dearth of employees with scarce skills have forced employers to better understand the various factors that retain talented employees.Research purpose: In this empirical study, the reward preferences and ideal combination of total reward elements (based on an estimation of their relative importance) that retain employees from various demographic groups, including employees of different race, gender and age groups, were investigated.Motivation for study: Organisations are competing for talented employees and to benefit from the value these individuals add, it is required of them to stay at the respective businesses. Previous studies have indicated that employees who are offered a reward package that is aligned to their personal preferences are prone to stay longer at the organisation and to be more engaged at work. However, new and novel ways need to be found to identify the reward preferences of employees.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative approach and descriptive research design was employed to estimate the individual reward preferences and identify an ideal mix of total reward elements that retain different cohorts of employees. Three questionnaires were distributed, including a Remuneration Managers Questionnaire (n = 7), a Remuneration Preference Questionnaire (n = 368) and a Choice-based Conjoint Task Questionnaire (n = 368). The latter two questionnaires were distributed as an online questionnaire to South African businesses and consisted of eight choice-based conjoint tasks, as well as a field survey.Main findings: The results of the choice-based conjoint analysis revealed that all respondents considered financial rewards (Benefits, Performance and Recognition, Remuneration, Career, in that order) as relatively speaking, the most important components in their total rewards package that would lead to their retention. For most demographic groups, the remaining three places (i.e. ranked) were Career Advancement, Learning and Work–life balance. Work–life balance was found to be relatively more important for Generation Y than career advancement. For those employees with only a matric qualification and those in non-managerial positions, access to learning opportunities were the least important in their retention.Practical/managerial implications: Human Resource managers and line managers should note that reward elements should be chosen and offered as total reward packages in such a way as to best be able to attract, engage and retain talented employees.Contribution/value-add: The findings of the present study adds value in a sense that it assists organisations in creating customised reward packages that best suit the needs of both employees and them as employers. Providing a more ideal or preferential combination of reward elements can, by increasing retention and engagement, provide a competitive advantage for organisations.

Does a time constraint modify results from rating-based conjoint analysis? Case study with orange/pomegranate juice bottles

People do not usually process all the available information on packages for making their food choices and rely on heuristics for making their decisions, particularly when having limited time. However, in most consumer studies encourage participants to invest a lot of time for making their choices. Therefore, imposing a time-constraint in consumer studies may increase their ecological validity. In this context, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of a time-constraint on consumer evaluation of pomegranate/orange juice bottles using rating-based conjoint task. A consumer study with 100 participants was carried out, in which they had to evaluate 16 pomegranate/orange fruit juice bottles, differing in bottle design, front-of-pack nutritional information, nutrition claim and processing claim, and to rate their intention to purchase. Half of the participants evaluated the bottle images without time constraint and the other half had a time-constraint of 3s for evaluating each image. Eye-movements were recorded during the evaluation. Results showed that time-constraint when evaluating intention to purchase did not largely modify the way in which consumers visually processed bottle images. Regardless of the experimental condition (with or without time constraint), they tended to evaluate the same product characteristics and to give them the same relative importance. However, a trend towards a more superficial evaluation of the bottles that skipped complex information was observed. Regarding the influence of product characteristics on consumer intention to purchase, bottle design was the variable with the largest relative importance in both conditions, overriding the influence of nutritional or processing characteristics, which stresses the importance of graphic design in shaping consumer perception.

Influence of evoked contexts on rating-based conjoint analysis: Case study with lamb meat

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of two evoked consumption contexts on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat cuts using rating-based conjoint analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the evoked consumption contexts: a celebratory lunch with family over the weekend (n=157), and a dinner at home after a day’s work (n=171). Rating-based conjoint analysis was used to evaluate the influence of four independent variables on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat in each of the two evoked consumption contexts: type of cut, presentation, seasoning and price. Intention to purchase scores were significantly affected by the evoked context. Consumers were more willing to purchase lamb meat when the celebratory weekend lunch context was considered, compared to the weekday dinner. In the two contexts, price was the most important variable affecting willingness to purchase lamb meat, followed by type of cut. However, at the aggregate level the utility values were similar for the two contexts: consumers expressed higher intention to purchase for leg cuts without seasoning at the highest price. In the two contexts different consumer segments were identified, which gave different relative importance to the variables included in the conjoint task. However, conclusions regarding consumers’ segmentation were affected by evoked consumption context. The findings suggest that evoked consumption contexts influence results from conjoint analysis, which suggests that they may be an interesting methodological alternative to increase the validity of conjoint tasks.

Influence of label design on children’s perception of two snack foods: Comparison of rating and choice-based conjoint analysis

The contribution of package design to the marketing of food products targeted at children has increased in the last years, which makes it necessary to study how label design affects children’s perception of food products in order to inform policy design and development. Considering that methodological selection is one of the major challenges when conducting research with children, the present work aimed at comparing rating and choice-based conjoint to study the influence of three design variables (cartoon characters, nutrition claims and traffic-light system) on the hedonic reaction of school-aged children towards labels of two popular snack foods: yogurt and sponge cake. A total of 238 children in grades 1–6 from a private primary school in Montevideo (Uruguay) participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups of similar size who performed either a rating or a choice-based conjoint task. The rating-based conjoint involved the evaluation of 8 labels using a hedonic scale, whereas in the choice task children had to select the label they would like the most from each of 8 pairs of labels. None of the variables was found to significantly affect children’s hedonic scores in the rating-based conjoint analysis. On the contrary, choice-based conjoint proved to be easily understood and enabled to discriminate among labels. Results from this approach showed that the inclusion of cartoon characters and nutrition claims positively influenced children’s preferences. Implications for research and policy making in label design for children are discussed.

Creating Cycling-Friendly Environments for Children: Which Micro-Scale Factors Are Most Important? An Experimental Study Using Manipulated Photographs.

BackgroundIncreasing participation in transportation cycling represents a useful strategy for increasing children’s physical activity levels. Knowledge on how to design environments to encourage adoption and maintenance of transportation cycling is limited and relies mainly on observational studies. The current study experimentally investigates the relative importance of micro-scale environmental factors for children’s transportation cycling, as these micro-scale factors are easier to change within an existing neighborhood compared to macro-scale environmental factors (i.e. connectivity, land-use mix, …).MethodsResearchers recruited children and their parents (n = 1232) via 45 randomly selected schools across Flanders and completed an online questionnaire which consisted of 1) demographic questions; and 2) a choice-based conjoint (CBC) task. During this task, participants chose between two photographs which we had experimentally manipulated in seven micro-scale environmental factors: type of cycle path; evenness of cycle path; traffic speed; traffic density; presence of speed bumps; environmental maintenance; and vegetation. Participants indicated which route they preferred to (let their child) cycle along. To find the relative importance of these micro-scale environmental factors, we conducted Hierarchical Bayes analyses.ResultsType of cycle path emerged as the most important factor by far among both children and their parents, followed by traffic density and maintenance, and evenness of the cycle path among children. Among parents, speed limits and maintenance emerged as second most important, followed by evenness of the cycle path, and traffic density.ConclusionFindings indicate that improvements in micro-scale environmental factors might be effective for increasing children’s transportation cycling, since they increase the perceived supportiveness of the physical environment for transportation cycling. Investments in creating a clearly designated space for the young cyclist, separated from motorized traffic, appears to be the most effective way to increase perceived supportiveness. Future research should confirm our laboratory findings with experimental on-site research.

Patient and parent preferences for characteristics of prophylactic treatment in hemophilia.

IntroductionNew longer-acting factor products will potentially allow for less frequent infusion in prophylactic treatment of hemophilia. However, the role of administration frequency relative to other treatment attributes in determining preferences for prophylactic hemophilia treatment regimens is not well understood.AimTo identify the relative importance of frequency of administration, efficacy, and other treatment characteristics among candidates for prophylactic treatment for hemophilia A and B.MethodAn Internet survey was conducted among hemophilia patients and the parents of pediatric hemophilia patients in Australia, Canada, and the US. A monadic conjoint task was included in the survey, which varied frequency of administration (three, two, or one time per week for hemophilia A; twice weekly, weekly, or biweekly for hemophilia B), efficacy (no bleeding or breakthrough bleeding once every 4 months, 6 months, or 12 months), diluent volume (3 mL vs 2.5 mL for hemophilia A; 5 mL vs 3 mL for hemophilia B), vials per infusion (2 vs 1), reconstitution device (assembly required vs not), and manufacturer (established in hemophilia vs not). Respondents were asked their likelihood to switch from their current regimen to the presented treatment. Respondents were told to assume that other aspects of treatment, such as risk of inhibitor development, cost, and method of distribution, would remain the same.ResultsA total of 89 patients and/or parents of children with hemophilia A participated; another 32 were included in the exercise for hemophilia B. Relative importance was 47%, 24%, and 18% for frequency of administration, efficacy, and manufacturer, respectively, in hemophilia A; analogous values were 48%, 26%, and 21% in hemophilia B. The remaining attributes had little impact on preferences.ConclusionPatients who are candidates for prophylaxis and their caregivers indicate a preference for reduced frequency of administration and high efficacy, but preferences were more sensitive to administration frequency than small changes in annual bleeding rate.

Treatment preference and patient centered prostate cancer care: Design and rationale

Prostate cancer is a slow progressing cancer that affects millions of men in the US. Due to uncertainties in outcomes and treatment complications, it is important that patients engage in informed decision making to choose the "optimal treatment". Patient centered care that encompasses informed decision-making can improve treatment choice and quality of care. Thus, assessing patient treatment preferences is critical for developing an effective decision support system. The objective of this patient-centered randomized clinical trial was to study the comparative effectiveness of a conjoint analysis intervention compared to usual care in improving subjective and objective outcomes in prostate cancer patients. We identified preferred attributes of alternative prostate cancer treatments that will aid in evaluating attributes of treatment options. In this two-phase study, in Phase 1 we used mixed methods to develop an adaptive conjoint task instrument. The conjoint task required the patients to trade-off attributes associated with treatments by assessing their relative importance. Phase 2 consisted of a randomized controlled trial of men with localized prostate cancer. We analyzed the effect of conjoint task intervention on the association between preferences, treatment and objective and subjective outcomes. Our conjoint task instrument can lead to a values-based patient-centered decision aid tool and help tailor treatment decision making to the values of prostate cancer patients. This will ultimately improve clinical decision making, clinical policy process, enhance patient centered care and improve prostate cancer outcomes.