Consumption Styles Research Articles

A consumer-driven bioeconomy in housing? Combining consumption style with students' perceptions of the use of wood in multi-storey buildings

Consumer acceptance of new bio-based products plays a key role in the envisioned transition towards a forest-based bioeconomy. Multi-storey wooden buildings (MSWB) exemplify a modern, bio-based business opportunity for enacting low-carbon urban housing. However, there is limited knowledge about the differing perceptions consumers hold regarding wood as an urban building material. To fill this gap, this study explores Finnish students’ perceptions of MSWB relative to their familiarity with wooden residential buildings, and then connects these perceptions to ‘consumption styles.’ Data were collected in the Helsinki metropolitan area via an online questionnaire (n = 531). The results indicate that the aesthetic appearance of MSWB are appreciated most by frugal and responsible consumers, whereas the comfort, environmental friendliness, and longevity of MSWB are important to consumers who identify themselves as ‘thoughtful spenders.’ The study suggests that both environmental and hedonic young consumers already familiar with the use of wood in housing contribute to a successful bioeconomy in the urban context.

Salud en la prensa contemporánea

El artículo propone una categorización de las noticias de salud en la prensa gráfica argentina contemporánea. Asimismo, desde la perspectiva de análisis del discurso, se presentan una serie de resultados de investigación que dan cuenta que la salud, en tanto eje temático y conceptual, aparece de forma difusa, amplia y extendida en diferentes artículos y notas, como un valor social transversal que incluye dimensiones que van desde lo político, lo económico, lo artístico y deportivo, hasta la vida cotidiana y los estilos de consumo. Como cierre, se relaciona esta transversalidad de la noción de salud, con la idea de medicalización de la vida.

A cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of obesity, overweight and weight awareness among the students of a private medical college in Khulna

Background: Medical education is stressful throughout the whole course. Due to the medical curriculum and the examination pattern leads to psychological stress. Stressful condition leads to irregularity in diet, frequent fast food consumption & lack of exercise, each being considered as an important risk factor leading to overweight and obesity. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of obesity, overweight and weight awareness among the medical students.
 Objectives: Determination of BMI status of undergraduate medical students to evaluate their weight awareness, prevalence of overweight and obesity and also find out the relationship of the following risk factors with obesity & overweight; i) Opinion about self-image, ii) Physical activity and iii) Frequency of fast food consumption.
 Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on 131 preclinical medical students of Ad-din Akij Medical College, Khulna from January 2018 to April 2018. Height and weight of 131 preclinical students were measured and Body Mass Index was calculated and categorized according to WHO criteria.
 Results: Out of 131 students 62% come under normal weight category, 21% come under overweight category, 10% come under obese category and 7% come under underweight category.
 Conclusion: Overweight is a rising problem among the medical students. Sedentary life style and frequency of fast food consumption was high among the overweight and obese students. This study itself created awareness about their weight and promote physical activity among the medical students.
 Mediscope Vol. 7, No. 2: July 2020, Page 103-107

ҐЕНЕЗА ТА СУТНІСТЬ ПОНЯТТЯ КОГНІТИВНОГО МАРКЕТИНГУ

The development and formation of the cognitive marketing notion are considered in the article. The emergence of cognitive marketing implies the development of a new approach to influencing consumer behavior, namely the formation of consumer consciousness, the creation of a consumption style, which in the future will determine the demand for new products. After the first cognitive revolution, which gave impetus to a more thorough study of these processes, much attention was paid to the study of cognitive psychology, which examines various mental processes, such as sensation and perception, pattern recognition, attention, learning, memory, concept formation, thinking, language, emotions and developmental processes. The essence of cognitive psychology is investigated and works of scientists-psychologists, which explain the essence of the cognitive approach in marketing are analyzed. Scientists who laid the foundations for the development of cognitive psychology are Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, Leo Vygotsky, Ulrich Neisser, Robert Solso. Also, the notion of behavioral economics, which combines investigations in the field of psychology and economy, and also generates the basis for cognitive marketing is considered. The article analyzes the works of Leon Festinger, Herbert Simon, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. All human decisions are almost always based on subjective imagination, depending on values, problem formulation, experience, habits and other personal characteristics. In many cases, people are not inclined to act in accordance with the requirements of neoclassical economics and often show a tendency to a completely irrational behavior. Also, different approaches to the essence of cognitive marketing formulation are analyzed and generalized. Cognitive marketing is an interdisciplinary field that combines cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, classical marketing, which with this synergy allows better understand consumer behavior and expands the tools of research and influence of traditional marketing, to help build effective marketing strategies for product positioning and promotion. Cognitive marketing aims to create new, previously unaware consumer needs for a particular product and creates a new desired style and standard of living, seeked by the consumers of this product.

I love shopping…but what am I going to buy? Social interaction and consumption choices.

In the present work, we analyze the emergence of fashion cycles and complex phenomena in a discrete time dynamic model in which a population is divided into two groups, bandwagoners and snobs. Both groups react differently to the aggregate demand for goods in the previous period and, in particular, bandwagoners imitate the consumption styles prevailing in society, while snobs try to distinguish themselves from them. We consider a first specification of the model in which the structure of the population is fixed and we show how in the case of polymorphic population it is possible to observe cyclical behaviors in collective consumption and the onset of chaotic regimes. We further propose an extension of the model in which we investigate the interdependence between the evolution of collective consumption choices and the evolution of the structure of the groups in a framework in which individuals may change the structure of preferences and then switch between being of one type or another. In the extension, we analyze how both consumption cycles (and then fashion cycles) and the evolution of the groups may lead to the emergence of chaotic dynamics, as well as the coexistence of attractors.

Designing youth consumption style in social media

Designing youth consumption style in social media

MEKÂNIN TÜKETİMİ BAĞLAMINDA KENT IRKÇILARI (FALCILARI)

Changing forms of production consumption in the historical process have affected the cultural lifestyles of societies. Urbanization that emerged with industrialization; it has provided the reproduction of cultural structures, places and tradition. In this context, the coffeehouse institution, which has been shaped around the coffee drink, has become a social sharing area. West moved to this institution, with the impact of globalization turning into cafes and cultural industries have become widespread in Turkey. The cafe, which is an example of urban space, is an area where cultural contents are consumed along with various beverages. Fortune-telling culture, which is one of the old belief systems, or an important place in social life, has been moved to cafes in the urban environment. Looking at fortune-telling at the cafe is an example of the consumption style of culture along with the space. In the article, the understanding of space, which emerged in line with the new social needs in the urban environment, is discussed within the framework of the transformation from coffee shop to cafe. Fortune telling, which takes place in traditional culture in the new consumption environment, has taken place in the daily life of the urban and literate society. In this context, firstly, a literature review was made on the subject, the data were collected by document analysis method and the information received from the source people by questionnaire and interview method was used to verify the determined data. Fortune telling culture, which is a means of understanding the life of people and their future, since primitive times, continues in cafes, which is the consumption style of urban life style. Although fortune-telling culture has been brought to digital environment; Satisfaction and therapy effect provided by verbal communication in cafes will ensure the continuity of culture in real places.

Clinical Study on Patients with Duodenal Perforation

Background: Perforations of peptic ulcer are third in frequencies, acute appendicitis and acute intestinal obstruction being more common. Prompt recognition of the condition is very important and only by early diagnosis and treatment it is possible to reduce the still relatively high mortality. The aim of this study was to review and study the factors influencing, the outcome of the duodenal perforations. Subjects and Methods: A clinical study was conducted in 50 cases of diagnosed duodenal ulcer perforation that was established by the admitting surgeon, based on clinical features and supposed by radiological evidence and confined at operation. This study comprises of 50 cases of duodenal ulcer perforation admitted in period from January 2017 to January 2020. Results: In present study, out of total 50 patients with duodenal ulcer 46(92%) males and 5(8%) females, with male predominance. Highest incidence was found between 41-50 years followed by 21-29 years. Most of the patients admitted by 12-24 hours, common site of ulcer is prepyloric in presentation. Duodenal ulcer perforations were single perforation, while two cases of ileal perforations were multiple. Smoking is main predisposing cause of ulcer. ARDS were 14% (7 patients) and it was observed that 32 percent (16 patients) having wound complication, 2 percent (‘1 patient) having mortality and 46% (23 patients) have no complications. In this present study, 60% of patients had h/o Peptic ulcer. On X- ray, 90% of patients had finding of air under diaphragm. Conclusion: The mortality in perforated duodenal ulcer has been reduced owing to early approach to hospital, diagnosis, prompt surgical treatment and appropriate and adequate antibiotics. Smoking and alcohol consumption and life style modification may reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with duodenal perforation.

Changes in Household Consumption Style of Korean middle class: Analysis of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 1990-2016

Changes in Household Consumption Style of Korean middle class: Analysis of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 1990-2016

Animal welfare and gender: a nexus in awareness and preference when choosing fresh beef meat?

The modern consumer is now more attentive towards animal welfare practices and this represents an important factor when purchasing meat, whereby ethical, sociological and economic implications are evaluated. In addition, the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers evidence different sensitivities with regard to selection patterns and consumption styles. This study aims to explore the role of Gender in beef meat purchasing preferences, assessing consumer awareness of responsibility towards animal welfare, through the use of cross-tabulation with χ2 to test the different behaviour of men and women and the use of principal component analysis and cluster analysis to classify attitudes of choice according to gender. Among the research aims, this study examined consumer attitudes towards certain ‘ethically incorrect’ animal products, as well as their awareness of the institutional responsibility in controlling animal welfare standards during the meat production process. The study conducted in Northwest Italy, involving 512 respondents, shows that women are more sensitive to AW aspects and place trust in those responsible for certification of animal welfare standards, such as veterinarians and consumer associations, and also shows that it is possible to identify an ‘animal welfare sensitive’ profile of meat consumer. HIGHLIGHTS Modern consumer evaluates ethical, sociological and economic implications in animal friendly meat purchasing process Gender affects awareness of the responsibilities of veterinary, public health control bodies and consumer associations to verify animal welfare Cluster highlighted consumer differences in perception towards animal welfare

The soup of the scholar: food ideology and social order in Song China

This essay explores the food discourse elaborated by Chinese intellectuals in the Song period (960–1279) and puts forward a hypothesis concerning its social function. Starting from the Bourdieusian idea that different consumption styles support different visions of the social order, I first define luxurious eating and describe its social diffusion in Song. I then document and analyze the food ideology of frugality, characterized by an emphasis on simple cooking and naturalness as well as by a form of controlled hedonism which I call “Epicurean.” Finally, I offer a sociological interpretation of this food ideology, which I understand as an expression of Song intellectuals’ cultural capital: the scholars euphemistically took position against luxurious eating and the “temporal” (i.e. economic capital dominated) vision of the social order it signified; through the ideology of frugality, they supported an alternative, “spiritual” vision of society in which status is based on culture rather than wealth.

Adolescentes chilenos: compra, valores materiales y satisfacción con la vida

La globalización y el modelo económico neoliberal en Chile sitúa al consumo como articulador del proceso de construcción de identidad individual y colectiva, dando relevancia al materialismo y a la impulsividad en la compra, impactando especialmente en las generaciones que han crecido dentro del modelo. El presente estudio examina la relación entre estilos de compra, valores materiales y satisfacción con la vida en adolescentes de educación Secundaria de distintos niveles socioeconómicos del sur de Chile mediante un muestreo bietápico (423 estudiantes de primero y segundo año). Los resultados indican una relación directa y positiva entre materialismo, compra impulsiva y compra compulsiva; una relación inversa y baja entre satisfacción con la vida y compra compulsiva y valores materiales; una relación lineal entre compra impulsiva y nivel socioeconómico, y no se encontró relación entre nivel socioeconómico y satisfacción con la vida y materialismo.

La socialità mediata: Strategie e modalità comunicative degli adolescenti tra online e offline

This article analyses the online consumption styles and social relations of adolescents based on the integration of online and offline contexts, accounting for age and gender differences. With respect to this theme, the more recent national and international literature has considered the distinction between ‘real world’ and ‘virtual world’ anachronistic. Current studies consider online and offline spaces not as exclusive worlds to choose from but as two absolutely ‘real’ sides of the same experience. The use and consumption styles of digital media represent high-tech bricolage forms for young people, and communication and online socializing among peers seem to play a positive role in the development of social skills and the sense of identity for adolescents. Moreover, numerous empirical findings highlight an overlap between offline and network-mediated relationships, which tend to integrate traditional social behaviour rather than increase or decrease it. Starting from this theoretical framework, the quantitative research project “Young people and digital media within and outside the school: practices, relationships and sociality” – carried out in collaboration between the universities of Genova, Milano Bicocca, Padova and Salerno – involved a sample of 771 second and fourth grade high school students. The survey was carried out through the administration of a questionnaire in the urban and extra-urban contexts of Como, Genoa, Padua and Salerno. Schools and classes were selected via purposive sampling involving the following upper secondary schools: lyceums, technical institutes and vocational institutes. The results presented in this article focus specifically on the network’s use types and on online and offline relational modes. The findings show how the network is perceived in a multidimensional way by the young respondents, declined as an extension of face-to-face relations, a way to discover new things about known people, a recreational digital space, an expansion of knowledge opportunities and, finally, a place for social experimentation. As for the specific theme of the mediated sociality, in line with what emerges in previous studies, the results seem to confirm that the relations mediated by the network are not a substitute for face-to-face relationships. Rather, they represent an extension for getting in touch with friends and the peer group in order to share different activities and interests.

POSSIBILITIES OF THE METHOD OF DIELECTROPHORESIS OF ERYTHROCYTES IN DISTINCTION OF PATIENTS WITH FATTY LIVER DISEASE OF ALCOHOLIC AND NON-ALCOHOLIC GENESIS

The aim of the work is to study the possibilities of distinguishing between men with fatty disease of alcoholic and non-alcoholic origin using the viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes - deformation amplitude, summerized indicators of viscosity and rigidity (baseline and after exposure to ethanol in vitro) obtained using the method of erythrocyte dielectrophoresis; to determine associations of the amplitude of deformation, summerized viscosity and rigidity of erythrocytes with blood lipid levels. The study involved 54 men (44,62±1.52 years) with fatty liver disease according to ultrasound of the abdominal organs, the severity of fibrosis corresponded to 0-1 (FibroScan® 502 Echosens, France). All patients underwent a study of the viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes - the amplitude of deformation, summerized indicators of viscosity and rigidity by the dielectrophoresis method: the baseline level of indicators was determined, as well as their values after exposure of red blood cells with 10 μl of 0,0 2% ethanol solution in vitro for 300 s. The dynamics of changes in the viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes during the experiment with alcohol in patients with fatty liver disease of unknown origin made it possible to highlight two groups with diametrically opposite trends in erythrocyte indices. The group with a decrease in the amplitude of erythrocyte deformation against the background of an increase in summerized viscosity and rigidity ( n = 26) consisted mainly of patients with metabolic syndrome who do not drink or occasionally consume alcohol in low doses (less than 20 g in terms of pure ethanol). Group with increased erythrocyte deformability and decrease in summerized viscosity and rigidity ( n = 28) includes systematic alcohol consumers who were in a state of abstinence. Ethanol exposure, important energy substrate of this group, built into metabolic processes, led to an increase in the amplitude of cell deformation. Correlations of the viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes with the style of alcohol consumption, components of the metabolic syndrome, lipid profile indicators, and liver tests were established. Direct associations of the amplitude of erythrocyte deformation with the level of HDL cholesterol and inverse - with the values of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides were identified. Summarized viscosity and rigidity correlated with the levels of these lipid indicators inversely compared with the amplitude of deformation. The diagnostic accuracy of distinguishing between NAFLD and AFLD using models, including the viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes and their changes after exposure to ethanol, using Random Forest and SVM methods reached 99 %, sensitivity of 98 % and specificity of 99 %.

Exploring Sport Consumption Style of Generation Z that the 4th Industrial revolution paid attention to: Applying Decision Tree Analysis based on Data Mining

Exploring Sport Consumption Style of Generation Z that the 4th Industrial revolution paid attention to: Applying Decision Tree Analysis based on Data Mining

Lizbona – miasto zawłaszczone

Lisbon – A City Taken Over. Who Does the Portuguese Capital Belong to?
 Dynamic development of tourism is a force transforming many of today’s cities. Changes caused by growing tourism mobility are visible at different levels: economic (imbalance of housing market, increasing prices), socio-cultural (gentrification and its consequences: change of inhabitants’ profiles, new neighborhood relations, new styles of consumption) and aesthetic-symbolic (intervention in urban landscapes through modernization and reorganization of traditional spaces). As an answer to these processes different forms of social protest appear against the uncontrolled development of mass tourism. The aim of this paper is to show the dynamics between the inhabitants of historical zones of Lisbon and visitors, as well as to explain the consequences of touristification on social relations in urban space.

Mortality Risk among Heroin Users Accessing Treatment: Natives and Non-Natives Patients Results of a Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine mortality risk and causes of death for natives and non-natives in a cohort of heroin population of treated in Northern Italy. Crude Mortality Rates (CMRs) were 12.78 per 1,000 Person Years (PY), Standardized Mortality Rate (SMR) was 9.93. Mortality has been decreasing over time, was higher for patients who accessed the treatment services before 2001 and has been increasing with age. CMRs and SMRs were higher among natives, while non-natives were distinguished by higher CMRs and SMRs for suicide. The natives were at greater risk of death than non-natives both injecting and non-injecting, but the mortality risk was not statistically significant in the different periods of first admission. Among non-native patients, older on average, there was a lower proportion of injecting, and a higher quota of people unemployed than among Italian natives. We highlight differences between the various areas of origin concerning consumption patterns and risk of death. The results of the study highlight a particular sub-population of heroin users, the non-natives, who as compared with the Italians, have less invasive consumption styles, reach the health services later but benefit from fewer medical controls.

A Survey on Seafood Consumption and Consumer Preference in İzmir Province

Seafood are important in human nutrition due to being healthy and valuable proteins resources. Despite serious problems in balanced nutrition found in Turkey, seafood are not consumed sufficiently. In our country, it is necessary to review this situation regarding the consumption of fisheries and to produce solutions by considering the reasons. In this study, the consumption preference of seafood was analyzed in İzmir province, where the fishing and aquaculture production and consumption are made as common. The study was carried out as a questionnaire application to 700 individuals randomly selected in different districts in July 2012. It was determined that 33.8% of the respondents consumes white meat, 19.6% consumes red meat and 8.8% consumes fish. The most consumed fishes by the participants were observed as 40.4% sea bream, 34.2% sea bass, 32.4% horse mackerel, 31.8% anchovy, and 30.4% sardines, respectively. It was determined that 90.4% of the participants consume the fish freshly. As consumption style, frying (51.6%) and grilling (33%) was determined as major preferences. In the study, it was determined that the participants consume an average of 15 kg of fish per year.

NEW CONSUMER TARGETS TOWARDS A TRADITIONAL SPIRIT: THE CASE OF GRAPPA IN PIEDMONT (NORTHWEST ITALY)ITALY

A choice experiment was conducted in Piedmont, Italy, to define purchasing preferences and behaviours of Grappa consumers. A total of 667 individuals were interviewed at different points of Grappa purchase/consumption. The most important attributes considered during Grappa purchase by consumer were defined using the Best-Worst Scaling methodology. The Latent Class Analysis was employed to identify consumer clusters characterized by different Grappa preferences and consumption styles. For Piedmont consumers, Grappa choice was related to previous experience, product knowledge and origin. Conversely, consumers considered alcohol content and packaging the two least important factors to be considered during purchase. The lClass analysis allowed the identification of four clusters of Grappa consumers that were described in function of socio-demographic variables.

Moments of luxury – A qualitative account of the experiential essence of luxury

This study advances an unconventional perspective on the experiential essence of luxury, with the aim to uncover different types of luxury moments and shed light on their shared qualities and momentousness, independent of consumption styles or contexts. The findings of an interpretive study identify five types of luxury moments: interrupting, climactic, disrupting, ritualistic, and terminating. They differ in their temporal focus and degree of contrast to ordinary life, created through shared experiential qualities. These qualities set moments of luxury apart from other pleasurable moments, since moments of luxury are freeing, happy, perfect, scarce, caring, and exciting. The concept of luxury moments helps illuminate the essence of experiential luxury and unfolds in themes of growth and advancement, bliss and Eudaimonia, unity with the other, and awe and self-transcendence, thus adding to the understanding of the meaning of luxury in liquid times.