Consumption Categories Research Articles

Familiar Yet New: How Design-Driven Innovation and Brand Image Affect Green Agricultural Product Purchase Intentions in the Live Streaming Environment

With the rapid development of live streaming e-commerce, green agricultural products have become an important consumer category. However, sales still face challenges such as weak brand effects, content homogeneity, and the lack of professional hosts. Research shows that various factors influence consumers’ purchase intentions, with design-driven attributes and brand image playing crucial roles. However, their impact in the context of green agricultural product live streaming remains underexplored. This study, based on the S-O-R theory, investigates the factors that stimulate consumer purchase intentions for green agricultural products and reveals the influence of design-driven attributes on purchase intentions. A total of 472 valid responses were collected through a questionnaire. The results indicate that social presence and brand image have a positive impact on purchase intention, with green perceived value and emotional attitude acting as full mediators. However, design-driven attributes do not have a significant direct impact on purchase intention. Nevertheless, emotional attitude plays a significant mediating role between design-driven attributes and purchase intention. This study contributes to the research on consumer behavior and perceived value in live streaming environments, particularly emphasizing the importance of design-driven attributes, and provides insights for optimizing live streaming strategies and improving agricultural product design.

Association of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors With Estimated Dietary Salt Consumption in Bangladeshi Adults: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

This population-based, nationally representative cross-sectional study assessed the daily salt consumption status and its associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors using weighted data from the STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance conducted in 2018 in Bangladesh. It included a non-institutionalized adults' population of 6189 men and women aged 18-69years. Their daily salt consumption was estimated using the spot urine sodium concentration following the Tanaka equation and reported according to the standard nomenclature proposed by the World Hypertension League and partner organizations involved in dietary salt reduction. Out of a total of 6189 participants, 2.4% consumed the recommended amount of salt (<5g/day), 67.8% consumed a high amount of salt (≥5-10g/day), 27.2% consumed a very high amount of salt (>10-15g/day), and 2.6% consumed an extremely high amount of salt (>15g/day). In univariate analysis, a higher than recommended level of salt intake (≥5g/day) was significantly prevalent among rural residents (high=78.4%, very-high=81.6%, extremely-high=84.9%, p=0.01), literates (high=51.6%, very-high=57.9%, extremely-high=59.1%, p=0.02), newly diagnosed hypertension (high=20.6%, very-high=23.6%, extremely-high=24.1%, p=0.008), and overweight/obese (high=25.9%, very-high=33.3%, extremely-high=29.8%, p=0.000). Similarly, in ordinal logistic regression analysis, the categories of daily salt consumption showed a significant association with rural residence (OR: 1.300, CI: 1.109-1.524, p=0.001), literates (OR: 0.777, CI: 0.671-0.900, p=0.001), newly diagnosed hypertension (OR: 1.204, CI: 1.022-1.419, p=0.026), and overweight/obesity (OR: 1.353, CI: 1.145-1.598, p=0.000). The current national pattern of salt consumption in Bangladesh may help reconstruct the salt reduction strategy considering the associated risk factors.

The impact of household digital transformation on household energy efficiency: Empirical evidence from Chinese households.

Carbon emissions from household consumption are an important part of global energy consumption, and household digital transformation is vital for realizing green and low-carbon development. Using data from the 2019 China Household Finance Survey, this study empirically examines the effect of household digital transformation on household energy efficiency. The results show that household digital transformation significantly improves household energy efficiency across all quantiles. This effect varies by consumption type, with the most pronounced improvements in food, housing, and other consumption categories. The impact is stronger for households with elderly members. Per capita household income and education level serve as important mediating and moderating mechanisms, respectively. Unlike previous macro-level studies, this research provides micro-evidence on the impact of household digital transformation on energy efficiency, explores the underlying mechanisms through income and education effects, and examines heterogeneous impacts across different consumption types and household characteristics. These findings offer important policy implications for leveraging digital transformation to enhance household energy efficiency and promote sustainable development.

Tea consumption, serum uric acid levels and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the effects of tea drinking on serum uric acid (SUA) and hyperuricemia (HUA). Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association between tea drinking and SUA levels and HUA. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases for relevant articles published up to August 2024 that examined the association between tea drinking, SUA levels, and HUA. The types of tea were categorized as green tea and black tea. A random effects model was used to assess the combined effect sizes of the included studies and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was assessed using the Egger test. We included 16 studies involving 285,221 participants that investigated the effect of tea drinking on SUA levels and HUA. Seven papers explored the association between tea drinking and SUA levels. The results showed that the highest and lowest tea consumption categories were associated with elevated SUA levels (WMD = 9.76μmol/L, 95% CI: 2.03, 17.49, P = 0.013). For the prevalence of HUA, 10 studies were included. There was no significant difference in the overall multivariate corrected ratio (OR) between the highest and lowest tea consumption categories (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.42, P = 0.097). The available data suggest that tea drinking may be associated with elevated SUA levels. However, the current evidence does not demonstrate an association between tea drinking and elevated HUA prevalence. Due to the limited number of studies, further well-designed prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to elaborate on these issues.

Changes in hotel activities in Ukraine and Poland due to the war: Migration aspect

Internal displacement to safer regions and migration abroad became a new phenomenon in Ukraine due to Russian military aggression. Accordingly, hotels began to provide services to a new category of consumers – internally displaced persons (in Ukraine) and migrants (abroad). In 2022, Poland received the most migrants from Ukraine due to its geographical position and significant economic ties. This study aims to identify changes in hotel activities in Ukraine and Poland caused by internal and external migration. The results are based on Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) conducted in April-July 2023, to which 300 hotels in Ukraine and Poland were invited. Answers were received from 93 Ukrainian and 94 Polish hotels. The majority (66% in Ukraine and 62% in Poland) have a star rating of 2-3*, with an average capacity of 45 rooms in Poland and 49 in Ukraine. According to hotel managers, the level of occupancy of hotels increased on average – in Ukraine by 6% and in Poland by 13%. The specific weight of migrants in hotels in Poland was 23% of all customers; in Ukraine, it was 12%. Hotels in both countries began to introduce new services, attract different sources of cost coverage (however, Polish hotels used wider opportunities), and attract migrants to employment (34% in Poland and 7.5% in Ukraine), contributing to additional occupancy rates and financial stability. Changes in hotel operations caused by migration processes as a result of the war reflect their adaptability and economic sustainability. Acknowledgment The paper shows the results of the study performed in 2021−2023 at State University of Trade and Economics at the request of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine “Forecasting the impact of the tourism system on the country’s economy” (state registration number 0122U001559).The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Kirkland Research Program, the Leaders of Change Foundation, the Polish American Freedom Foundation, Polish Chamber of Commerce for Hotel Industry, and to those who helped to disseminate information about the survey, as well as to the Polish hotels and all those who expressed interest in the results.

Alcoholic beverage consumption and female breast cancer risk:A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Alcohol consumption is an established cause of female breast cancer. This systematic review examines in detail the association between alcohol and female breast cancer overall and among the described subgroups, using all of the evidence to date. A systematic review of PubMed and Embase was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The search included articles published up to November 15, 2023. Meta-analyses and regressions were performed for alcohol consumption of less than 1 standard drink (10 g of ethanol) per day and for a range of alcohol consumption categories in relation to breast cancer. Analyses by menopausal status, hormone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, and molecular subtype were performed. The search yielded 5645 publications, of which 23 publications of individual and pooled studies examined the association between overall alcohol consumption and breast cancer incidence. The meta-regression showed a positive association; relative risks (RR) of breast cancer were 1.05 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.06), 1.10 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.12), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.21), and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.19, 1.25) for 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 standard drinks per day compared with nondrinking, respectively. A meta-analysis of nine studies indicated that for consumption of less than one standard drink per day, the RR estimate of breast cancer was 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.07) compared with nondrinking. Consumption of an additional 1 standard drink per day was associated with a higher risk of premenopausal (RR: 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.06)) and postmenopausal (RR: 1.10 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.12)) breast cancer. Alcohol consumption increases female breast cancer risk, even for women who consume one drink per day. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is associated with both pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer risk. These findings support evidence-based cancer prevention guidelines to reduce alcohol-related risks.

Parent-child dynamics of cultural tensions between traditional and consumerist values through an identity perspective

This study addresses a gap in literature by exploring how dynamic cultural forces between parents and children lead to paradoxical identity conflicts and related tensions. The study explores two distinct consumer categories. The results reveal that traditionally rooted parents consider dependent children as extensions of their identity and experience intense tensions due to the conflict between consumerist aspirations and traditional obligations toward children. They experience tensions due to discrepancies between an ideal self-guide or ought self-guide (both representing traditional values), an ideal self-guide (representing consumerist values at a level considered ideal) and a feared self (embracing too many consumerist values beyond what is considered ideal). The child, in turn, feels obliged to comply with parents’ traditional expectations despite their consumerist identity. They feel similar tensions just as their parents do, between conflicting value systems. In contrast, non-traditional parents do not use children as identity extensions; hence, they find no need to transfer personally rooted values to children and do not experience tensions. The findings contribute to literature on how children as contemporary consumers have implications with regard to identity and tensions of parents and vice versa. Accordingly, practitioners should cater products differently to target groups, based on specific value internalizations—the traditionally rooted parent and child are influenced by each other’s values during the buying decision process. However, marketers have the liberty of considering non-traditional parents and children as separate consumer categories as there are no interplay of values during the buying decision process. By such considerations marketers can successfully exploit consumer expectations and desires that would help address prevailing anxieties and cultural contradictions in society.

From affordable to accessible: How the pharmaceutical industry transformed patient consumers into charity recipients

Recent changes in healthcare pricing and financing have resulted in patients paying more out of pocket for their healthcare. As a result, more patients with insurance are being priced out of essential or desired medications. Pharmaceutical companies have responded by offering financial assistance programs for patients. Medical sociologists have productively used the concept of consumerism to describe the effects of markets on the provision of healthcare. But in this current context where financial assistance programs are increasingly important for patients seeking prescription drugs, what are the implications for medical sociological theories of patient consumerism? I use medical and economic sociology theories to analyze pharmaceutical executive testimonies in 34 federal US Congressional hearing transcripts prices from 1959 to 2020. Congressional testimony offers an ideal window into how these executives justify their prices and describe the implications for patients downstream in the healthcare system. I find that executives initially justified prices as fair and drugs as cost-effective because medications were an affordable form of healthcare. However, as drug prices rose, executives abandoned affordability arguments and instead argued drugs were accessible to patients though pharmaceutical company run financial assistance programs. Findings contribute to medical sociology by theorizing a system of corporate charity as the next phase of the capitalist US healthcare system and demonstrates how elite market actors (re)define downstream categories of consumers.

Study of Bacteriological Content and Risk Factors of Drinking Water Consumption Patterns in Cases of Stunting Toddler

Stunting is one of global nutrition problems, especially in developing countries including Indonesia. The prevalence of stunting in Demak Regency, Indonesia, in 2021 was 4.34%, and in 2022 it was 2.99%. However, stunting problem remains a priority because the impact of stunting can hinder efforts to enhance the health of the society and the development of the quality of human resources. Risk factors for stunting are influenced by behavioral aspects of the environment, like sanitation and drinking water. This study aimed to determine the content of bacteriological factors that contribute to the risk pattern of drinking water consumption in cases of stunting toddlers in Temuroso Village, Working Area of Guntur I Health Center, Demak Regency, Indonesia. This study was a quantitative observational case study. The population included families and toddlers in Temuroso Village, totaling as many as 854 people. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, so the sample size was 182 people for cases and controls. Data analysis used Chi-Square test and linear regression test. The bacteriological content was predominantly negative (66.5%), with the majority of subjects showing no infections (67%). Most participants fell into the high drinking water consumption category (62.1%). Stunting incidence was significantly associated with bacteriological content (p &lt;0.0001) and drinking water consumption patterns (p &lt;0.0001). Among these, bacteriological content was the most dominant factor influencing stunting (exp B =0.199). In summary, the primary risk factors for stunting among toddlers in Temuroso Village, within the Guntur I Health Center working area, Demak Regency, were bacteriological content (p &lt;0.000) and drinking water consumption patterns (p &lt;0.000).

Revealing the effect of hydrothermal processing of legumes on the accumulation of dry matter in aquafaba

Legumes are an affordable source of vegetable protein, fiber, and vitamins, and due to their high nutritional and biological value, they are widely used in the nutrition of various categories of consumers. The main methods of processing legumes include hydromechanical and hydrothermal treatment, which is aimed at achieving culinary readiness of boiled legumes. Studying the parameters of the specified technological process for the accumulation of dry substances in aquafaba could make it possible to influence the composition and properties of this liquid, which would provide opportunities for its use in the food industry. The influence of hydrothermal processing of leguminous grains on the accumulation of dry matter in aquafaba, as well as the kinetics of moisture content of various types of leguminous grains, have been experimentally investigated, which made it possible to determine the rational parameters of hydromechanical and hydrothermal processing of chickpeas, beans, peas, lentils, with the preparation of boiled leguminous grains and aquafaba. It was determined that during hydromechanical processing intensive moisture absorption occurs in the first hours and reaches up to 80 % of the initial mass, after which the intensity of water absorption decreases somewhat. Rational technological parameters of hydrothermal processing of leguminous grains by two methods, basic (cooking at a temperature of 99±1 °С) and under pressure (cooking in a pressure cooker at a temperature of 120±1 °С) were established in the relationship "achieving the readiness of legumes – the content of dry substances in aquafaba". The use of the above-mentioned techniques for hydrothermal processing of leguminous grains make it possible to obtain the content of dry substances in aquafaba in the range of 2.8–4.8 % for cooking by the main technique and 3.9–7.0 % under pressure cooking conditions. To understand the processes regarding the influence of hydrothermal processing of legume grains on the accumulation of dry substances, the Peleg model was used. The experimental data could be used to substantiate parameters for the technological process to produce foods based on legumes

Coal price, economic growth and electricity consumption in China under the background of energy transition

With the increasing share of renewable energy generation in China's electricity consumption and the dramatic fluctuation of coal prices in recent years, the discussion of the relationship between coal prices, economic growth and electricity consumption in China becomes more relevant. This paper collects monthly data from 2016 to 2023, uses industrial value added to represent economic growth, and explore the relationship between the three through a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model, which shows that: (1) The mutual impact effects among coal prices, economic growth, and electricity consumption vary across short-, medium- and long-term. This finding underscores the importance of considering different time horizons when evaluating the interactive effects of these variables. (2) Compared to 2017 and 2022, the lagged impact effects among the three have undergone certain changes, indicating that the understanding of their relationships should be contextualized within specific developmental phases. (3) The relationship between coal prices, economic growth, and different categories of electricity consumption exhibits heterogeneous characteristics, suggesting that recognition of these relationships should be based on specific types of power generation. This research enhances the understanding of the dynamic relationship between coal prices and the macroeconomy in China at the current stage.

Protective Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cancers, Gastrointestinal Cancers, and All-Cause Mortality: A Competing Risk Analysis in a Southern Italian Cohort.

This study investigates the association between extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumption and mortality risk in a cohort of Italian adults adhering to the Mediterranean diet. In a 17-year follow-up study involving participants from Castellana Grotte, Italy (2005-2023), we analyzed dietary intake and mortality data. Participants were categorized into three EVOO consumption groups: <30 g/day, 30-50 g/day, and >50 g/day. Mortality Hazard Ratios (HR) and Subdistribution Hazard Ratios (SHR) were calculated to assess the relationship between EVOO intake and all-cause and cancer mortality. Higher EVOO consumption was associated with significantly reduced cancer and all-cause mortality. Specifically, the daily intake of 30-50 g of EVOO was linked to a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.63-0.93), while the consumption of more than 50 g/day was associated with a 20% reduction (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.65-0.98). The most pronounced benefit was observed for gastrointestinal cancers, with a 60% lower mortality risk for those consuming over 50 g/day (SHR 0.39; 95% CI 0.21-0.73). A 50% reduction in mortality risk from other cancers was also noted for the highest consumption category (SHR 0.50; 95% CI 0.31-0.81). The findings support the beneficial role of EVOO in reducing cancer mortality, particularly with higher consumption levels. The results underscore EVOO's potential as a dietary intervention for cancer prevention, aligning with the Mediterranean diet's overall health benefits. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Association between bubble tea consumption and mental health among adults in mainland China: A national cross-sectional analysis of cohort study

BackgroundBubble tea has emerged as an essential beverage in the daily lives of many individuals, which is particularly pronounced among nurses. However, few studies have investigated the potential effects of bubble tea consumption on mental health among nurses. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between bubble tea consumption and mental health among nurses. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the Nurses' Mental Health Study (NMHS), a national cohort study. Odds ratios (ORs) were employed to evaluate the relationship between bubble tea consumption and mental health. ResultsA total of 132,910 participants were enumerated nationwide in our survey. 8666 (6.52 %) were male and 124,244 (93.48 %) were female. The median age of participants was 34 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratios (ORs) for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychiatric diagnosis, fatigue, burnout, loneliness, and well-being trend changed across categories of bubble tea consumption. Low frequency of bubble tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation, while high frequency of consumption was related to an increased suicidal risk. The relation between bubble tea and mental health varies with gender and age. ConclusionsThis large-sample cross-sectional study found that consumption of bubble tea was significantly associated with increased anxiety, depression, psychiatric diagnosis, fatigue, job burnout and loneliness, and decreased well-being among nurses. Moreover, research indicates that limited consumption of bubble tea may be correlated with a reduction in suicidal ideation, whereas excessive consumption may be linked to an increase in such ideation.

The carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services in Sweden at municipal and postcode level and policy interventions

Carbon footprints show the greenhouse gas emissions associated with consumption of goods and services. Many countries now calculate carbon footprints at the national level, published as part of national environmental accounts. However, carbon footprint estimates at the local or regional levels are less common. Municipalities call for consistent and comparable carbon footprint data to support their low carbon transitions.This study presents estimates of households' carbon footprints for all Swedish municipalities, down to the postcode level. It uses a downscaling approach to disaggregate the Swedish national carbon footprint from the national level to Swedish postcode level, using the best available local data on expenditure, greenhouse gas emissions or other data such as energy use, at the smallest geographical scale. The variation in carbon footprints at municipal and postcode levels is analysed and key contributing consumption categories identified. The study then discusses how these data can and have been used to support policymaking.The results show considerable variations in average carbon footprints at the postcode level in Sweden, between about 3.7 and 17.8 t CO2eq per capita. Footprints of items such as flights and personal vehicles have high variation, whereas the consumption categories of food, electricity, and clothing are more similar. A strong positive correlation exists between incomes and the total carbon footprint. Carbon footprints from personal vehicles have a negative correlation to population density, while the footprint of clothing, restaurants and flights have a positive correlation to population density.In terms of policy, several municipalities in Sweden were found to have carbon footprint reduction goals and related policies. A number of municipalities also demonstrated the application of preliminary data from the study for raising public awareness, policymaking, and monitoring progress towards reduction targets. The recommendations for future development and use of these data for policy and decision-making include: (1) ensuring data access, learning and stakeholder engagement with the data; (2) using the data to develop policy visions and goals and associated reduction targets and; (3) designing policy interventions that will reduce carbon footprints, taking into account factors such as variation at the local scale and between consumption categories, geography, socio-economic circumstances, inequalities, and systemic change.

Life Cycle Assessment of Consumption Patterns – Understanding the links between changing social practices and environmental impacts

As we are still not on track to achieve environmental sustainability through technological change, we need to further stress the importance of understanding routinized types of behaviour by private households and the environmental assessment of corresponding consumption of resources. Social practice theories allow us to understand the constitution of human activity and its embeddedness in society. In transformation research, the relevance of social practice theories has been recognized. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the conditions under which practices change substantially and what kinds of tools and governance approaches are suitable to foster change in social practices. We therefore propose a novel way to address the transformation of consumption patterns of private households by a) connecting social practice theories to life cycle assessment for a quantitative environmental evaluation of transformation processes and b) using narrative approaches to understand the links between several social practices and conditions for change. An illustrative study of a bottom-up neighbourhood initiative shows how specific meanings and values (expressed, for example, through meanings of “enough”) affect several social practices from different consumption categories (nutrition, daily mobility, travelling). Environmental assessments further show that changing social practices across consumption categories can substantially decrease environmental pressures from private household consumption, especially in the field of nutrition. The understanding of how various social practices are connected in a nexus through narratives embodying deeper meanings point to novel ways of fostering change and the relevance of social practices related to urban or neighbourhood initiatives as an entry point to a more sustainable way of living.

Association between nut consumption and mortality risk: a 20-year cohort study in Korea with a stratified analysis by health-related variables.

Although nuts are a well-known healthy food group, the relationship between nut consumption and mortality remains unclear, particularly among Asians. This prospective cohort study examined the association between nut consumption and the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality in Korean adults. Data from two cohorts (the Ansan-Ansung and Health-Examinees) from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were used. A total of 114,140 individuals aged 40-79 years were included in the data analyses. Nut consumption was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and categorized into four groups: non-consumers, less than 1 serving/week, 1-2 servings/week, and 2 or more servings/week (one serving was 15g of nuts). Mortality outcomes were determined based on the 2001-2021 death records from Statistics Korea. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality across nut consumption categories. A stratified subgroup analysis by health-related variables was also performed. During a mean follow-up of 12.3 years, 4,559 deaths were recorded. After adjusting for covariates, the HR for all-cause mortality was 0.877 (95% CI = 0.772-0.996, p for trend = 0.006) in individuals with a nut consumption of 2 or more servings/week compared with that in non-consumers. Multivariable HRs for CVD mortality were 0.800 (95% CI = 0.681-0.939) in individuals consuming less than 1 serving/week, 0.656 (95% CI = 0.469-0.918) in those consuming 1-2 servings/week, and 1.009 (95% CI = 0.756-1.347) in those consuming 2 or more servings/week compared with that in non-consumers (p for trend = 0.080). No association was observed between nut consumption and cancer mortality. Stratified analysis identified significant interactions in the association between nut consumption and all-cause mortality by age, body mass index, and physical activity. Nut consumption was linearly associated with the reduced risk of all-cause mortality and showed a non-linear dose-response relationship with CVD mortality in Koreans, but had no association with cancer mortality. The effects of nut consumption, which have been inadequately investigated in this population, varied across different subgroups. These findings suggest that incorporating nuts into the diet should be encouraged for long-term health of Korean adults.

ALTERNATIVE NATURAL SWEETENERS AS SUGAR SUBSTITUTES USED IN MAKING ICE CREAM

Ice cream is a frozen dessert highly appreciated by all categories of consumers. Lately, consumers' attention is focused on healthy products, with as few ingredients as possible or with natural ingredients. By definition, ice cream is a sweet product. As a rule, sugar is used to obtain ice cream for its characteristics (sweet taste, creaminess, texture, melting time), but the new requirements require the addition or substitution of sugar with other sweeteners. Consumers still prefer the sweet taste of artificial sweeteners, but they are cultivating their taste and increasingly choosing natural nutritious or non-nutritive sweeteners as consumer awareness of healthy foods has increased. This manuscript was based on the study of the literature regarding the use of natural sweeteners in ice cream formulations.

Toward sustainable energy transition: understanding electricity-use behavior among low-income urban households in Kumasi

ABSTRACT The residential sector is a critical contributor to global energy consumption. In Ghana, it accounts for 47% of the total electricity consumed. However, inadequate knowledge of categories of residential consumers, their profiles, and the implications on their consumption patterns could impede the development of targeted and sustainable interventions. This study examined the behavioral patterns among low-income urban households in Kumasi, using their socio-demographic and housing characteristics, and self-reported values. This is coherent to the current discourse on Ghana’s transition to zero carbon by 2070 given that Kumasi is the fastest-growing city in the country. Using quantitative methods within a transdisciplinary research design, a survey of 285 households was conducted. The findings yielded varied outcomes. Households reported good electricity use behavior (e.g. covering liquids in the refrigerator) and poor behaviors (e.g. not adjusting the power setting of refrigerators to weather conditions). Logistic regression operations showed associations between energy use behavior, the type of housing units and the type of electricity meters. A significant proportion of respondents exhibited pro-environmental behaviors across all nine value domains. The study concludes that low-income households engage in energy-saving practices. We suggest that policy mediation could enhance the effectiveness of behavioral interventions toward electricity use efficiency.

Research on carbon emission reduction based on responsibility of four participants with consideration of circular economy factors in China

Abstract The complex relationship between carbon emissions and economic development has become a global issue. In China, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions is very great because the responsibility of four participants for economic activities has not been able to break away from the linear economic model of ‘produce-consume-discard’. In this paper, four categories of participants, namely extractors/producers, manufacturers, consumers and recyclers, are classified according to the life cycle framework, and the impact of their activities on carbon emission reduction is analysed taking into account circular economy factors. The results of the study show that during the rapid development of China’s economy from 2005 to 2021, there is a significant correlation between carbon emission reduction and the activity behaviour of the four participants with consideration of circular economy factors. In particular, the activity behaviours of the extractors/producers, manufacturers and consumers have a very strong correlation with the carbon emission reduction. Our findings indicate that China should continue to exert efforts in the existing circular economy model to achieve the double carbon goals.

Milking the label: The impact of category labels on consumer liking and category fit of non-dairy milks

The influence of labels on expectation is well documented, but the effect of category labels on consumer perception is not well understood. The fast pace of emerging product categories highlights the importance of ensuring that category labels meet consumer expectations. To examine the impact of category expectations on liking, 384 consumers were assigned one of four conditions where they were told they were drinking either milk (broad condition), plant-based milk (intermediate condition), almond milk (specific condition), or given no information (control group). All groups were given six almond milks and asked to rate their liking on a 9-point hedonic scale. Consumers in the broad, intermediate, and specific conditions were also asked to rate category fit on a 9-point Likert scale. Category label had a significant impact on overall liking, with the specific condition having significantly higher liking than the control, as well as a significantly higher liking than the intermediate and control conditions. External preference mapping showed that the sensory drivers of liking were constant across the four conditions, but the sensory drivers of category fit changed depending on which category condition participants were part of. In the broad condition, sweetness and vanilla flavour contributed to category fit. Creaminess was more important for the intermediate condition, while nutty and roasted flavours determined category fit for the specific condition. Our results suggest that increased specificity in category labels can increase product liking, underscoring the importance of sensory evaluation for understanding the link between category labels and consumer perception.