Source Of Information For Consumers Research Articles

Recipe Modification Improves Food Safety Practices during Cooking of Poultry

Many consumers do not practice proper food safety behaviors when preparing food in the home. Several approaches have been taken to improve food safety behaviors among consumers, but there still is a deficit in actual practice of these behaviors. The objective of this study was to assess whether the introduction of food safety instructions in recipes for chicken breasts and ground turkey patties would improve consumers' food safety behaviors during preparation. In total, 155 consumers in two locations (Manhattan, KS, and Nashville, TN) were asked to prepare a baked chicken breast and a ground turkey patty following recipes that either did or did not contain food safety instructions. They were observed to track hand washing and thermometer use. Participants who received recipes with food safety instructions (n = 73) demonstrated significantly improved food safety preparation behaviors compared with those who did not have food safety instructions in the recipe (n = 82). In addition, the majority of consumers stated that they thought the recipes with instructions were easy to use and that they would be likely to use similar recipes at home. This study demonstrates that recipes could be a good source of food safety information for consumers and that they have the potential to improve behaviors to reduce foodborne illness.

Product ranking using hierarchical aspect structures

Product-related comparative reviews are one of the most helpful information sources for consumers to rank the competing products and make purchase decisions. The comparative reviews are even more v...

Food contamination incidents: what do consumers seek online? Who cares?

Consumers can play an active role in managing their health during food contamination incidents. With the popularity of the internet, consumers may seek online information to minimize health risks associated with the incidents. This study examines information demand and supply for consumers' online-information seeking by investigating the search queries commonly used by consumers during the incidents and returned first page search results. We use a stage of change model to frame our hypotheses about information demand and stakeholder and agenda setting theories to frame our hypotheses about information supply. Results show that consumers' information seeking may progress through stages of precontemplation (seeking no special information), contemplation (seeking information related to the facts of the incidents), preparation and action (seeking information related to safety precautions and practices), and maintenance and termination (seeking no special information). Mainstream news media play the most important role in providing online information related to the facts of the incidents during the contemplation stage of consumers' information seeking. Online citizen journalism is the major online source for information related to safety precautions and practices during the preparation and action stage of information seeking. A diversity of other stakeholders also provide online information related to the incidents but are not primary information sources for consumers. We suggest that stakeholders, especially those who are responsible for providing accurate and timely information to consumers such as government agencies, establish online marketing strategies to make their information more accessible by consumers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Translating product reviews into a product positioning map

Product reviews are becoming ubiquitous on the Web, representing a rich source of consumer information on a wide range of product categories (e.g., wines and hotels). Importantly, a product review reflects not only the perception and preference for a product, but also the acuity, bias, and writing style of the reviewer. This reviewer aspect has been overlooked in past studies that have drawn inferences about brands from online product reviews. Our framework combines ontology learning-based text mining and psychometric techniques to translate online product reviews into a product positioning map, while accounting for the idiosyncratic responses and writing styles of individual reviewers or a manageable number of reviewer groups (i.e., meta-reviewers). Our empirical illustrations using wine and hotel reviews demonstrate that a product review reveals information about the reviewer (for the wine example with a small number of expert reviewers) or the meta-reviewer (for the hotel example with an enormous number of reviewers reduced to a manageable number of meta-reviewers), as well as about the product under review. From a managerial perspective, product managers can use our framework focusing on meta-reviewers (e.g., traveler types and hotel reservation websites in our hotel example) as a way to obtain insights into their consumer segmentation strategy.

Abstract B61: A community-engaged approach to promoting adherence to diet-related cancer prevention guidelines

Abstract Background: Supplementing traditional nutrition education with experiential, skills-building activities (e.g., recipe modification, and cookbook development) can enhance awareness of diet-related cancer prevention guidelines (D-RCPGs). The objective of this study was to document the development of a cookbook of healthy recipes with lifestyle tips to promote awareness of D-RCPG in African American communities. Methods: This mixed-method study was completed in three phases. In Phase 1, community coalitions implementing a cluster randomized control trial were invited to submit recipes. During Phase 2, recipes were transformed, refined, and prepared by a chef with input from a registered dietitian. Using a Likert scale, participants were asked to rate each prepared dish from 1 (unattractive; flavor did not appeal to me; inappropriate texture; unappetizing aroma; unacceptable) to 5 (extremely attractive; tasted great; great texture; smelled good; extremely acceptable). Comments of the raters were considered, recipes were revised and finalized, and nutritional analyses were completed. For the final phase, four focus group discussions in Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles were conducted to ensure acceptability of messages related to lifestyle (diet and physical activity). An interview guide, developed for conducting the discussions, was tested for length, clarity, and organization. Discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, manually coded, summarized, and coded to determine the degree of agreement/disagreement across themes and calculating inter-rater reliability scores. Results: Eighteen NBLIC community coalitions submitted 40 recipes reviewed for originality, cultural appropriateness, and acceptability for the cookbook. Acceptable recipes (n=32) were modified to reduce total energy, fat, and saturated fat; increase fiber and micronutrient content; replace refined grains with whole grains; and improve nutritional quality (e.g., limit sugar and salt content). Thirty-six African American men and women, ages 22-86, participated in a 2-hour cooking demonstration and taste-test of eight transformed recipes. Most participants (74%) rated dishes as 5 on appearance (extremely attractive); taste (tasted great); texture (great texture); aroma (smelled good); and overall acceptability (extremely acceptable). Recipes with overall acceptability of 4 or 5 were included in the cookbook. Four focus groups (n = 43; mean age: 57.32 years; standard deviation [SD]: 7.91; range: 35–75 years old) were completed in Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Themes emerging from content analysis converged into the following categories: 1) practical guidance on measuring ingredients; 2) best ways to prepare healthy meals; 3) health benefits of fruits and vegetables; and 4) recommendations for physical activity. The cookbook with lifestyle tips, “Down Home Healthy Living 2.0,” was distributed in print form to 2,500 trial participants and was shared electronically through websites and social media. Conclusions/Discussion: Relatively few cookbooks and related dietary resources have been developed using community-based participatory approaches. Resources that are culturally appropriate and tailored to the target audience are more likely to be disseminated and widely used. Consumers are frequently bombarded by the news media, television cooking shows, food blogs, word-of-mouth, and other channels with confusing and contradictory information about nutrition and food choices. Carefully developed cookbooks and related educational resources can serve as useful sources of information for consumers seeking to lower their risk of chronic illness by adopting or maintaining a nutritious diet. Citation Format: Selina S. Smith, Mary S. Whitehead, Ernestine Delmoor, Thomas Britt, Cassandra L. Harris, Janette Robinson-Flint, Steven S. Coughlin, Joyce Q. Sheats. A community-engaged approach to promoting adherence to diet-related cancer prevention guidelines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B61.

“Bagels and doughnuts … round food for every mood” food advertising discourses

Purpose– The relationship between food and mood has been discussed for many years. The purpose of this paper is to extend that debate by exploring how food advertising, a key source of consumer information about food, utilises and implies varied associations between food and mood.Design/methodology/approach– The research combines a textually oriented analysis with an analysis of the visual images in a sample of typical food advertisements drawn from women’s magazines.Findings– Although healthy foods have the potential to enhance mood this is not often used as a key advertising message. Conversely, advertisements for foods that can depress mood frequently adopt messages of happiness and wellbeing.Research limitations/implications– This exploratory research provides an initial investigation of advertising discourses of food and mood at a snapshot in time. Based on the findings derived from this limited sample, further research is suggested which would provide a more comprehensive survey of food advertising.Practical implications– The research is of value to food promoters in suggesting that they review food messages and the use of emotional appeals in the light of developing scientific research on the link between food and mental wellbeing.Social implications– The growing interest in promoting mental health and wellbeing means that consumers and governments are keen to understand the relationship between food and mood and its potential influence on consumer food choices.Originality/value– This research indicates that some food advertising diverges from the scientific evidence on food and mental health and wellbeing. The research is therefore of value to food promoters and advertising regulators.

Is Your New Product Really Boosting our Sales? An Econometric Model to Quantify the Cannibalization Effect

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The need to belong and self‐disclosure in positive word‐of‐mouth behaviours: The moderating effect of self–brand connection

AbstractWord of mouth (WOM) is an important information source for consumers. Nowadays, many consumers promote and spread the word about their preferred brands, thereby influencing others' attitudes and behaviours. Based on a social behaviour perspective and the need to belong theory, this research proposes that the individual's need to belong and the individual's level of self‐disclosure increase their probability of engaging in positive WOM behaviour. The moderating role of self–brand connection in the aforementioned relationships is also analysed. In the study conducted, users of a well‐known baby food brand (n = 851) were surveyed. The results revealed that the individuals' need to belong fostered the desire to talk to others about their preferred brand. A negative moderating effect of self–brand connection was also observed. As the connection with the brand is lower, the motivation to engage in positive WOM will be more related to personal characteristics, such as their need to belong and level of self‐disclosure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessment of Web-Based Consumer Reviews as a Resource for Drug Performance.

BackgroundSome health websites provide a public forum for consumers to post ratings and reviews on drugs. Drug reviews are easily accessible and comprehensible, unlike clinical trials and published literature. Because the public increasingly uses the Internet as a source of medical information, it is important to know whether such information is reliable.ObjectiveWe aim to examine whether Web-based consumer drug ratings and reviews can be used as a resource to compare drug performance.MethodsWe analyzed 103,411 consumer-generated reviews on 615 drugs used to treat 249 disease conditions from the health website WebMD. Statistical analysis identified 427 drug pairs from 24 conditions for which two drugs treating the same condition had significantly and substantially different satisfaction ratings (with at least a half-point difference between Web-based ratings and P<.01). PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for publications that were assessed for concordance with findings online.ResultsScientific literature was found for 77 out of the 427 drug pairs and compared to findings online. Nearly two-thirds (48/77, 62%) of the online drug trends with at least a half-point difference in online ratings were supported by published literature (P=.02). For a 1-point online rating difference, the concordance rate increased to 68% (15/22) (P=.07). The discrepancies between scientific literature and findings online were further examined to obtain more insights into the usability of Web-based consumer-generated reviews. We discovered that (1) drugs with FDA black box warnings or used off-label were rated poorly in Web-based reviews, (2) drugs with addictive properties were rated higher than their counterparts in Web-based reviews, and (3) second-line or alternative drugs were rated higher. In addition, Web-based ratings indicated drug delivery problems. If FDA black box warning labels are used to resolve disagreements between publications and online trends, the concordance rate increases to 71% (55/77) (P<.001) for a half-point rating difference and 82% (18/22) for a 1-point rating difference (P=.002). Our results suggest that Web-based reviews can be used to inform patients’ drug choices, with certain caveats.ConclusionsWeb-based reviews can be viewed as an orthogonal source of information for consumers, physicians, and drug manufacturers to assess the performance of a drug. However, one should be cautious to rely solely on consumer reviews as ratings can be strongly influenced by the consumer experience.

Do Prescription Drug Ads Tell Consumers Enough About Benefits and Side Effects? Results From the Health Information National Trends Survey, Fourth Administration

Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) is a major source of consumer information about prescription drugs. The present study updates 2002 U.S. Food and Drug Administration phone survey questions that found that 44% and 61% of consumers thought that DTCA did not include enough information about benefits and risks, respectively. The present study was administered by mail using a nationally representative sample, and provides a more in-depth understanding of how these beliefs relate to demographic and health characteristics. Data collected from 3,959 respondents to the National Cancer Institute's 2011 Health Information National Trends Survey find results similar to the 2002 survey: 46% and 52% of respondents thought that DCTA did not include enough information about benefits and risks, respectively. Respondents fell into four groups: 23% agreed that DTCA tells enough about drug benefits and risks, 41% disagreed, 18% expressed no opinion, and 18% had discordant beliefs. DTCA attitudes were negatively associated with education, income, and whether respondents purchase prescription drugs; attitudes were positively associated with whether respondents understand prescription drug information. This study confirms that a plurality of Americans believe that DTCA does not include enough information about benefits and risks, suggesting that the educational effect of DTCA could be improved.

Trends affecting social media: implications for practitioners and researchers

Purpose – This paper aims to review relevant literature to identify trends affecting social media to help managers and researchers better understand social media; this paper also provides the implications of these trends for mangers and researchers. Social media is viewed as a credible source of information from consumers who have experienced travel products. The user-generated content these consumers post on social media Web sites influences those who read their posts or view aggregate ratings of multiple reviews about a product. It can move the reader to either purchase or not purchase the products. Social media is an important source of consumer information and can create new customers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviewed both academic and trade literature to provide an overview of social trends that are relevant to practitioners. Findings – The author identified four trends: millennials replacing baby boomers as the major business travel segment, increased use of mobile devices, dynamic pricing and marketing dollars shifting to social media. The implications of each of the trends are discussed. The findings provided valuable insights for practitioners and researchers. Originality/value – Social media is emerging as an important marketing tool for the travel industry. It is transforming the way companies allocate their marketing budget. The identification of trends that are affecting social media and will continue to affect social media in the future will provide immediate benefits to practitioners and researchers with a stream of research ideas.

The impact of emotions on the helpfulness of movie reviews

Online customer reviews have become a significant source of product-related information for consumers. As a result of the growing number of customer reviews, determining which customer reviews are the most helpful is important in reducing information overload. The ways in which reviews can be helpful need to be identified. In this study, we examine the impact of emotional content in online customer reviews on the number of votes those customer reviews receive that indicate they were helpful. We find that content that is more emotional yields more votes. Furthermore, our findings suggest that reviews with positive emotional content have a positive effect on review helpfulness whereas reviews with negative emotional content have no effect on review helpfulness. This study contributes to an understanding of emotional content in word of mouth and has important implications for online retailers and consumers. All Rights Reserved © 2015 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnologico. This is an open access item distributed under the Creative Commons CC License BY-NC-ND 4.0.

What do we know from consumers about dental advertising? A scoping study

BackgroundUntil the late 1970s, dental advertising was prohibited virtually worldwide. After the restrictions had to be lifted in the USA in 1979, a worldwide deregulation process began to unfold. Much has been written about dental advertising thus far, including both whether it should be allowed and how best to advertise dental services. This study aims to broaden the understanding of this controversial topic by focusing on the most important party involved, the consumer.MethodsThis literature review uses the methodological framework of a scoping study which comprises five consecutive steps: (1) formulating the research question, (2) identifying the relevant studies, (3) selecting the relevant studies, (4) charting the data, and (5) collating, summarizing and reporting the results.ResultsIn total, 58 articles are included in this study which follows the question: what do we know from consumers about dental advertising? Most of the articles originate from the USA and they span more than four decades. Five topics emerged: (1) the attitudes of consumers toward dental advertising, (2) the information sources that consumers use to find a new dentist, (3) the choice criteria that consumers use to select a new dentist, (4) the segmentation of consumers, and (5) advertising experiments.ConclusionIn countries where dental advertising is legal, consumers do not seem to have an issue with this marketing tool. Complementing the predominant personal recommendations, advertising has become a considerable information source for consumers searching for a new dentist. However, advertising appears to be unable to attract non-consumers into the dental market or to redistribute existing patients on a large scale. Consumers view the dental service quality and the professional and personal skills of the dentist as the most important choice criteria. In addition to business cards, brochures, and practice signs, websites and newspapers appear to be the most appropriate advertising media. Especially new residents and the young working class can be effectively targeted by dental advertising. For future research, a standardization of research instruments is necessary and more realistic experiments should be conducted.

The quality and readability of online consumer information about gynecologic cancer.

The Internet has become an important source of health-related information for consumers, among whom younger women constitute a notable group. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the quality and readability of online information about gynecologic cancer using validated instruments and (2) to relate the quality of information to its readability. Using the Alexa Rank, we obtained a list of 35 Web pages providing information about 7 gynecologic malignancies. These were assessed using the Health on the Net (HON) seal of approval, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and the DISCERN instrument. Flesch readability score was calculated for sections related to symptoms and signs and treatment. Less than 30% of the Web pages displayed the HON seal or achieved all JAMA benchmarks. The majority of the treatment sections were of moderate to high quality according to the DISCERN. There was no significant relationship between the presence of the HON seal and readability. Web pages achieving all JAMA benchmarks were significantly more difficult to read and understand than Web pages that missed any of the JAMA benchmarks. Treatment-related content of moderate to high quality as assessed by the DISCERN had a significantly better readability score than the low-quality content. The online information about gynecologic cancer provided by the most frequently visited Web pages is of variable quality and in general difficult to read and understand. The relationship between the quality and readability remains unclear. Health care providers should direct their patients to reliable material online because patients consider the Internet as an important source of information.

Trust in health information websites: A systematic literature review on the antecedents of trust.

Health websites are important sources of information for consumers. In choosing websites, trust in websites largely determines which website to access and how to best utilize the information. Thus, it is critical to understand why consumers trust certain websites and distrust others. A systematic literature review was conducted with the goal of identifying the antecedents of trust in health information websites. After four rounds of screening process, 20 articles between 2000 and 2013 were harvested. Factors that determine trust are classified into individual difference antecedents, website-related antecedents, and consumer-to-website interaction-related antecedents. The most frequently studied antecedents were socio-demographics, information quality, appearance, and perceived reputation of the website. Each antecedent of trust are discussed in detail and future research directions are proposed.

Percepção de qualidade da carne bovina com marca no sul do Brasil

The objective of this study was to analyze the quality perceived by different actors in beef marks chain production at Rio Grande do Sul state. The data were obtained through a descriptive exploratory research, using as an instrument of data collection standards a based structured questionnaire with six questions covering seven levels of the beef market chain: i) consumers, ii) butchers, iii) perishable managers and iv) supermarket general managers, v) sales managers of meat and vi) cattle purchase managers and vii) farmers. The results showed that the most important source of information for consumers is still the butcher. From researched questions the highest coefficient of variation was observed in the questions who can inform about meat quality to consumers? and in your opinion, does the breed guarantee meat quality?, showing low agreement among the meat agents (60 %). On the other hand, the higher uniformity (30 %) of responses was observed in the questions mark the importance from 1 to 5 the attributes of higher influence at meat purchase moment and in order, what is the more important information as indicators of quality meat?. It was concluded that the different actors of the production chain have relatively similar understanding about the quality of meat each other and have good understanding of consumer preferences.

Media actors' perceptions of their roles in reporting food incidents.

BackgroundPrevious research has shown that the media can play a role in shaping consumer perceptions during a public health crisis. In order for public health professionals to communicate well-informed health information to the media, it is important that they understand how media view their role in transmitting public health information to consumers and decide what information to present. This paper reports the perceptions of media actors from three countries about their role in reporting information during a food incident. This information is used to present ideas and suggestions for public health professionals working with media during food incidents.MethodsThirty three semi-structured interviews with media actors from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were conducted and analysed thematically. Media actors were recruited via purposive sampling using a sampling strategy, from a variety of formats including newspaper, television, radio and online.ResultsMedia actors said that during a food incident, they play two roles. First, they play a role in communicating information to consumers by acting as a conduit for information between the public and the relevant authorities. Second, they play a role as investigators by acting as a public watchdog.ConclusionMedia actors are an important source of consumer information during food incidents. Public health professionals can work with media by actively approaching them with information about food incidents; promoting to media that as public health professionals, they are best placed to provide the facts about food incidents; and by providing angles for further investigation and directing media to relevant and correct information to inform such investigations. Public health professionals who adapt how they work with media are more likely to influence media to portray messages that fit what they would like the public to know and that are in line with public health recommendations and enable consumers to engage in safe and health promoting behaviours in response to food incidents.

A call for a moratorium on the .health generic top-level domain: preventing the commercialization and exclusive control of online health information.

In just a few weeks, the Internet could be expanded to include a new .health generic top-level domain name run by a for-profit company with virtually no public health credentials - unless the international community intervenes immediately. This matters to the future of global public health as the “Health Internet” has begun to emerge as the predominant source of health information for consumers and patients. Despite this increasing use and reliance on online health information that may have inadequate quality or reliability, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) recently announced it intends to move forward with an auction to award the exclusive, 10 year rights to the .health generic top-level domain name. This decision is being made over the protests of the World Medical Association, World Health Organization, and other stakeholders, who have called for a suspension or delay until key questions can be resolved. However, rather than engage in constructive dialogue with the public health community over its concerns, ICANN chose the International Chamber of Commerce—a business lobbying group for industries to adjudicate the .health concerns. This has resulted in a rejection of challenges filed by ICANN’s own independent watchdog and others, such that ICANN’s Board decided in June 2014 that there are “no noted objections to move forward” in auctioning the .health generic top-level domain name to the highest bidder before the end of the year. This follows ICANN’s award of several other health-related generic top-level domain names that have been unsuccessfully contested. In response, we call for an immediate moratorium/suspension of the ICANN award/auction process in order to provide the international public health community time to ensure the proper management and governance of health information online.

User-Generated Content and Competing Firms' Product Design

Firms employ various techniques to obtain information about consumer taste/location and valuation prior to making product design decisions. User-generated content, a hallmark of Web 2.0 technologies, is becoming an important source of consumer information for firms. The vast variety and volume of user-generated content makes firms better informed about consumers (precision-improving effect). Furthermore, the common and public nature of user-generated content makes firms' information about consumers more correlated (correlation-increasing effect). We examine the impact of user-generated content in a setting where two competing firms uncertain about consumer location or valuation design and sell horizontally differentiated products. We find that user-generated content has very different implications for competing firms' location decisions and quality decisions. When firms choose their location in the consumer taste space and are uncertain about consumer taste, we find that user-generated content can have a negative or positive overall impact on firms depending on whether the precision-improving or the correlation-increasing effect dominates. Also, user-generated content may have a positive or negative effect on consumers. Only when the correlation-increasing effect is moderate, a win-win scenario for both firms and consumers occurs, but the society always benefits from user-generated content. Stronger consumer preference exacerbates the negative impact and amplifies the positive impact of user-generated content in this case. In sharp contrast, when firms choose product quality and face uncertain consumer valuation of quality, they do not benefit from user-generated content, but consumers may benefit or lose from it. When the correlation-increasing effect is significant, both firms and consumers, and therefore the society, are hurt by user-generated content. Stronger consumer preference mitigates the negative impact and amplifies the positive impact of user-generated content in this case.

EWOM as Source of Influence: The Impact of Participation in eWOM and Perceived Source Trustworthiness on Decision Making

Word of mouth (WOM) is an important information source for consumers. Previous researchers have shown it is more credible and persuasive than commercial information. The development of new electronic media has increased the importance of this interpersonal influence (referred to as eWOM). The degree of participation in eWOM varies among individuals. Participation in eWOM is composed of two behaviors: opinion-seeking behavior and opinion-giving behavior. Several antecedents of participation in eWOM have been previously studied, but the consequences of participating are mostly unknown. This article proposes and tests a theoretical model that analyzes the extent to which participation in eWOM can be considered a determinant of eWOM influence on decision making at an individual level, and it includes perceived source trustworthiness as a mediator. Both opinion-seeking and opinion-giving behaviors seem to predict eWOM influence on decision making. Results also indicate that perceived source trustworthiness partially mediates the relationship between opinion-seeking behavior and eWOM influence on decision making. In contrast, perceived source trustworthiness totally mediates the relationship between opinion-giving behavior and eWOM influence on decision making. Therefore, perceived source trustworthiness arises as a key factor of eWOM influence on decision making for those who usually give opinions.