Older Consumers Research Articles

Reasons Why the Ageing Population Stands Out on TikTok and the Analysis of Its Commercial Potential

Even in an era of information explosion, many older people still miss out on important information due to technical limitations. But TikTok, a global short video platform, has attracted more and more senior users in recent years through its creative and entertaining content, diverse community interactions, and easyto- use methods. It is even creating senior netizens with millions of followers. These older consumers and content contributors are showing their energy and vitality through TikTok to rewrite the way people expect older people to behave on social media. This paper investigates the accounts of older celebrities on Chinese TikTok platform to understand how older people are expanding their reach by making TikTok videos and how they can engage with the rapidly developing society through this online platform, which is regarded as a virtual playground for teenagers. In addition, this paper also discusses the undervalued commercial potential of an aging society. The data analysis reveals that older people may challenge stereotypes brought about by ageism and conclusions can be drawn that the aging group on TikTok is standing out on the platform because of its positive image and optimistic attitude towards life. Moreover, because of the increased digitalisation and the changing attitudes of older adults, their purchasing power is continuing to grow, and the aging industry is booming.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY FOR OLD-FASHIONED USERS: THE POWER OF E-WOM (ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH) ON MOBILE PHONES PURCHASE AMONG OLDER GENERATIONS

The intention to purchase a mobile phone can be influenced either internally or externally. This study investigates the influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) particularly the source’s expertise, the source’s trustworthiness, the richness of message content, strength of advocacy, and tie strength towards such intention among consumers from the older generation. Compared to the younger generation, the possibility of older consumers having higher purchasing power is likely and without many people being aware of it. Some of them are interested in new technologies that will not want to be left behind. They are willing to learn and know more. Empirical data analysis involving 180 respondents aged more than 50 years old showed that the hypothesized relationships were all supported. Findings suggested that older consumers were more prone to act on their purchasing intent with credible eWOM recommended by others whom they trust. They are also attracted by strong emotional appeal from highly informative messages delivered through eWOM.

Consumer ethnocentrism under the circumstances of the COVID-19 virus pandemic

Background: The new circumstances of life due to the proclamation of the COVID 19 virus pandemic have caused numerous changes both in general people's lives and in consumption. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify changes in the degree of consumer ethnocentrism when choosing products during the COVID 19 virus pandemic, compared to the period before its occurrence. In addition, differences in consumer preferences for certain domestic products and services before and during the pandemic were analyzed. The paper also deals with differences in ethnocentric tendencies during the pandemic between different socio-demographic consumer segments. Study design/methodology/approach: The primary data were collected from 176 respondents by using the survey method. A paired samples t test is used for hypotheses testing. Independent samples t test and Anova, post hoc Scheffe test, were conducted for analysing differences in ethnocentric tendencies between observed consumer segments during the pandemic. Findings/conclusions: Higher level of consumer ethnocentrism is confirmed in period during the pandemic, especially when it comes to choice of domestic medical products. On the other hand, lower level of consumer ethnocentrism is observed for fashion products and insurance during the pandemic. Older consumers and pensioners exhibit stronger ethnocentric tendencies during the pandemic. Limitations/future research: The main limitation of the paper relates to the use of only a few of the 17 statements within the CET scale for measuring ethnocentric tendencies before and during the pandemic. Also, the research did not cover all categories of domestic products and services. According to the limitations, future studies are recommended to fully apply the CET scale for measuring consumer ethnocentrism. Also, the recommendation is to observe higher number of categories of products and services, and to break down the categories into several subcategories. Finally, future studies can also include some of the determinants of consumer ethnocentrism in the research model.

How Likely Are Viewers to Watch Television Commercials: A Connectedness Perspective

With the recent return to more advertising-generated content by entertainment providers, it again becomes important to understand what will drive consumers to view commercials. We utilize the construct of television connectedness developed by Russell, Norman, and Heckler (2004) to predict viewers’ propensity to watch television commercials. Based on data derived from a survey completed by 816 residents of the United States, we estimate a logistic regression model and find that older (35+) viewers high on connectedness are more likely to view television commercials. We further employ correspondence analysis of free-response data to uncover differences in motivations to view commercials among younger (18-34) and older (35+) consumers with different connectedness levels. We discuss implications for television networks and subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD, streaming) providers that seek to enhance revenue with advertising-supported content on their platforms.

Patient Information Leaflets of Drugs Used in Cardiometabolic Disorders: Suitability for Use by Older Persons

In the European Union, all medicines must include appropriate labelling and the respective patient information leaflet (PIL), which is the most reachable source of medicine’s information for patients. This document includes a set of information understandable by their potential users and complementary to the information provided by health professionals. The ageing of the Portuguese population raises the need for the appropriateness of medicine’s information for older consumers, taking into account their specific needs arising from physiological changes impacting drug action. This project aimed to analyse the content of medicines’ PILs, specifically directed at older persons. A sample of medicines was selected considering the 100 active substances more consumed in Portugal by patients with chronic pathologies such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia. The analysis included readability, legibility, and content (directly and indirectly related to the use of medicines by older persons). A total of 69 PILs were analysed, and it was observed that the information provided about the drugs was included in most of these PILs (95.7%; n = 66) but without any specific information for patients belonging to different age groups. Signalling-specific warnings for older persons were only available in less than half of the PILs (46.4%; n = 32). The presence of relevant information on the appropriate use of the drug such as the recommended dose was only specified for older persons in 28% (n = 19) of the analysed PILs. The information available in PILs which can be considered as specifically directed to older persons is relatively scarce, even in areas as critical as the instructions for use. Hopefully, these results will contribute to increasing awareness regarding the need to adapt PILs’ content to specific consumers and to test them to guarantee that they are adequate for all potential consumers.

Investigating older consumers’ acceptance factors of autonomous vehicles

Although autonomous vehicles are expected to provide various benefits for older consumers regarding physical and social health and successful aging, they do not show a high acceptance rate. This study develops the research model to explore the external and internal factors affecting baby boomers’ acceptance of autonomous vehicles based on the Automation Acceptance Model. We conducted an anonymous online survey with a professional online research company to examine the research model. Based on the results, we propose the implications of improved mobility due to autonomous vehicles on the healthy life of older consumers.

HOW BEING AT HOME CHANGED US: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Background: Worldwide COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for societies significantly altering the lives of all people. The consequences resulted in changes in habits including those related to shopping. Information on how consumers reacted to the pandemic and restrictions imposed by governments is limited and lacks detailed implications based on the opinions of consumers. Aims: This research aims to fill this gap by exploring major changes in consumer behavior that occurred during the pandemic. Methods: A nation-wide survey was conducted in Slovakia in 2022 to collect data. The sample file consisted of 347 consumers. Findings: The findings include information on how the consumers perceived the pandemic. The frequency of visiting shops drastically decreased, however, the majority of consumers stayed loyal to familiar brands of products. Older consumers were more likely to decrease the amount of products bought during a pandemic. Slovak consumers increased the use of delivery services, however less drastically than was expected based on a major increase in home office type of work. Implications: Organizations providing products can expect further changes in consumer behavior, which they can stimulate since the influence of media increased during the pandemic.

BARRIERS AND FACILITATING FACTORS TO HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECH ADOPTION IN A RURAL MEALS ON WHEELS SAMPLE

Abstract Meals on Wheels clients served through the aging network represent a significant population of high need older adults who could benefit from health management technology. This poster presents the results of a study targeting Meals on Wheels clients in four rural U.S. counties on opportunities and barriers to adoption of technology-based health management interventions. Paper surveys were provided to 690 Meals on Wheels clients and 154 were returned (22.3% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 71.7 years and the sample was composed of 39% men and 61% women. When asked to select the most valuable features of home health management technology, 42% indicated vital signs monitoring, followed by remote access to classes and events at Area Agencies on Aging (21%), and video visits with medical providers (20%). When asked about current technology usage, 48% indicated never having engaged in a telehealth visit over a computer, smartphone or tablet. Top ranking barriers to health management technology utilization were affordability and privacy concerns. A majority (61%) of the sample disagreed or strongly disagreed that they have the money to afford a computer, smart phone, or tablet and 69% agreed or strongly agreed that they are concerned about privacy or scams when using the internet. Approximately four in ten (38%) are interested in using technology to manage their health. Additionally, 45% reported using a smartphone. The poster will also explore demographic differences in older consumer perceived barriers and opportunities and programmatic implications for expanding health management technology adoption.

The Factors Influencing Older Adults' Decisions Surrounding Adoption of Technology: Quantitative Experimental Study.

The rapid diffusion of technology apps may support older adults' independence and improve the quality of their lives. Models for predicting technology acceptance in older adults are sparse, based on broad questions related to general technology acceptance, and largely not grounded in theories of aging. This study aimed to use a mixed methods approach involving 5 technologies to comprehensively assess the causal relationships among factors that influence older adults' willingness to adopt the technologies. In total, 187 men and women aged 65 to 92 years participated in the study. Participants were given presentations on 5 different technologies spanning domains that included transportation, leisure, health, and new learning and provided ratings of each technology on various measures hypothesized to influence adoption. They were also administered other instruments to collect data on their actual and self-assessed cognitive abilities, rates of discounting of the technologies with respect to willingness to invest time to attain higher skills in the technologies, general technology experience, and attitudes toward technology. We used the machine learning technique of k-fold cross-validated regressions to select variables that predicted participants' willingness to adopt the technologies. Willingness to adopt technologies was most impacted by 3 variables: perceived value of the technologies (β=.54), perceived improvement in quality of life attainable from the technologies (β=.24), and confidence in being able to use the technologies (β=.15). These variables, in turn, were mostly facilitated or inhibited by the perceived effort required to learn to use the technologies, a positive attitude toward technology as reflected in the optimism component of the technology readiness scale, the degree to which technologies were discounted, and the perceived help needed to learn to use the technologies. Our findings demonstrate that participants' willingness to adopt technologies is mainly determined by perceptions of 3 aspects of the technologies; these aspects possibly mediate many relationships with willingness to adopt. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design and marketing of technology products for older consumers.

The Relationship between Consumer Characteristics and Social Media Marketing Content Regarding Organic Vegetable Products: Evidence from Facebook Users in Bangkok, Thailand

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of organic vegetable consumers and social media marketing content. By utilizing a survey research method, we collected data from 400 organic product consumers that are clients of the big four retailers in Bangkok, Thailand: Big C, Tesco Lotus, Macro, and Foodland. The chi-squared tests revealed that gender and occupation were not related to the consumers’ opinion of the contents on the companies’ Facebook pages, while the consumers’ favorite shopping places, income, age, and levels of education were. Consumers at Big C paid more attention to five out of the six contents, whilst consumers that had higher income tended to pay more attention to organic certification. Older consumers focused on sources of organic production, while consumers that had a higher educational level paid more attention to infographic animation. The current study contributes to a customer-initiated contact (CIC) communications perspective by providing a deeper understanding of the relationship between consumer characteristics (i.e., income level, favorite shopping places, gender, age, educational level, and occupation) and the perceived marketing contents of a company’s Facebook page. Clearly, these findings are useful for effectively creating marketing content on Facebook in order to appropriately attract organic vegetable consumers.

Perception of food-related risks: Difference between consumers and experts and changes over time

Understanding the consumers' perception of food-related risks is important in health and risk communication. Therefore, two surveys were conducted among consumers (n = 2005 in 2009 and n = 1014 in 2018) and experts (n = 62 in 2009 and n = 65 in 2018) in the Netherlands to evaluate their familiarity with and perception of food-related risks related to health, food safety and new technologies. In both surveys (2009 and 2018), experts scored unbalanced diet as highest risk followed by food poisoning, and chemicals formed during preparation. The consumers' risk scoring changed over the years and came more in line with the experts' scoring. Like the experts, consumers scored unbalanced diet as highest food risk in 2018, in contrast with 2009 when environmental contaminants were scored as the highest food risk by the consumers. Consumers perceived chemical risks and risks associated with new technologies significantly higher than experts in both years. Socio-demographic characteristics, like age and gender affected the risk scoring, because older consumers perceived risks higher than younger consumers and women higher than men. Consumers familiarity with the various food risks differed largely, with highest familiarity with the risks food poisoning and unbalanced diet. A shift towards higher risk perception and awareness of the risk of unbalanced diet by consumers is an important factor in fighting food-related diseases. This study provides insight into consumers’ perception of food-related risks, which besides technical-scientific information, is essential to design a clear and targeted health- and risk communication strategy. • Consumers became more aware of unbalanced diet as main food risk in the last decade. • Consumers perceived chemical risks and new technologies significantly higher than experts. • Risk perception increased with age and women perceived risks higher than men. • Consumers showed large differences regarding familiarity with the different food risks.

PSII-6 Factors Affecting Consumer Acceptance of Insects as Livestock Feed

Abstract The Food and Agricultural Organization estimated global meat consumption to increase 102% from 2000 to 2050. Thus, there is a need to identify and implement novel, sustainable feed for livestock to meet food demands for animal-source protein without jeopardizing food availability for future generations. Insects have potential to fill this role as they are protein-rich and can grow on low-quality nutrient sources. However, Western societies traditionally feel disgust and fear towards insects. Thus, while previous in-vivo research suggests insects are suitable feed for cattle, pigs, poultry, and fish, it is unknown if U.S. consumers will accept animal-source products from livestock consuming insects as feed. Our objectives were to determine the demographics of likely consumers of products from livestock consuming insects as feed and identify factors that affect U.S. consumer acceptance of insects as livestock feed. This study was approved by Texas State University IRB (#7722). We developed a quantitative, electronic survey-based questionnaire that was distributed through convenience sampling (e.g., Facebook, Reddit) to adult U.S. consumers. We used a 95 ± 5% confidence level to calculate required sample size. Prior to distribution, we established face, content, and construct validity of the survey instrument using an external expert panel and established reliability (Cronbach’s ɑ=0.77) using 12 consumers representative of our target population. The effects of demographics on consumer attitude were analyzed using a multinomial logit model in R statistical software and factors affecting acceptance of products from insects as livestock feed were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Of respondents (n=361), 34% were accepting of insects as livestock feed, 15% were opposed, and 52% were neutral. U.S. consumers more likely to accept insects as livestock feed were younger versus older (18-24 versus 35-44 years; P=0.05), had a higher average household income ($50,000-$100,000 versus $25,000; P=0.01), and achieved higher educational attainment (master’s degree versus high school diploma; P=0.05). Older consumers (65+ versus 35-44 years; P=0.05) and those with a lower average household income (less than $25,000 versus $50,000-$100,000; P=0.01) were more likely to oppose insects as livestock feed. Respondents reported the top factors that would positively affect their acceptance of insects as livestock feed were: “If I knew the insects were healthy for the livestock” (74%); “If I knew it would not affect the balance of our eco-system” (66%); and “If I knew it would lessen the environmental impact of livestock production” (61%). Ultimately, our data indicate that young, educated U.S. consumers with higher-than-average income are the target market for animal-source protein from livestock fed insects. Our data also indicate that marketing and educational efforts should emphasize environmental benefits of insects as livestock feed to increase adoption by consumers with neutral or negative attitudes.

U.S. Wine consumer interest in wine ingredient and nutritional information

In the United States, labelling for wine containing at least 7% alcohol by volume is regulated by the Tax and Trade Bureau, which does not require wine labels to include ingredient or nutrition labelling, except for added sulfites. With the European Union moving toward mandatory disclosure of nutrition and ingredient information for wine, one may expect the level of debate in the U.S. to increase. We conducted an online survey of consumers in the U.S. who are at least 21 years old (legal drinking age in the U.S.) and consume wine at least once every two or three months to determine their interest in wineries disclosing ingredient and nutrition information for wine. We asked about the importance of ingredient information when deciding which wine to purchase and when determining willingness to pay, and we asked about the importance of nutrition information when deciding which wine to purchase. We separately regressed three dependent variables against Wine Consumption (frequency), Price, Physical Activity, Diet, Wine Knowledge, Age, Income, and Education. Overall, respondents indicated that having ingredient and nutrition information was only somewhat important, with mean responses 3.04 on a 5-point scale (1 = Not Important, 5 = Very Important) for ingredient information when choosing a wine, 3.01 for ingredient information when determining willingness to pay, and 2.48 for nutrition information when choosing a wine. The factor with the greatest impact on interest in ingredient information was Price, with consumers who buy a higher-end wine at least monthly having a higher level of interest, followed by Diet, with consumers with a healthy diet having a higher interest in ingredient information, and Age, with older consumers having less interest in ingredient information. Price, Diet, and Age also had the greatest impact regarding interest in nutrition information, following the same direction but with Age being the most significant.

A Multimethod Study on Kitchen Hygiene, Consumer Knowledge and Food Handling Practices at Home

The aim of the study was to identify consumers’ food safety knowledge, practices, and hygiene status in the observed home kitchens. The results provide the starting point for evaluating progress or regression in this area compared to the past statewide study. Food safety knowledge was analyzed among 380 consumers with an online questionnaire. Additionally, 16 consumers were observed during their preparation of specified foods. The hygiene conditions in the kitchens were microbiologically examined using contact agar plates, while the cleaning adequacy was determined by measuring the ATP bioluminescence. A lack of knowledge on certain topics regarding food safety was established; the consumers aged from 36 to 55 in general and women demonstrated the highest level of knowledge. In some cases, the observed consumers did not take proper action when preparing the food. Increased total bacteria, coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli counts were detected in 12.7% of the consumers’ kitchens observed here. Eighty-three (74.1%) out of 112 surfaces examined with either hygiene test sheets or ATP swabs met the standards and were adequately or acceptably cleaned. The kitchen surfaces exceeded the recommended limits for 25% of consumers. Statistical differences in RLU and TCC levels on surfaces between older and younger consumers were not observed, although all (25%) inadequately cleaned kitchens belonged to older consumers. The greatest emphasis has to be put on the cleaning of home kitchens and personal hygiene. Even though consumers have some knowledge on food safety, they often fail to put that knowledge into daily practice.

Food Desires and Hedonic Discrimination in Virtual Reality Varying in Product–Context Appropriateness among Older Consumers

Immersive virtual reality (VR) videos can replicate complex real-life situations in a systematic, repeatable and versatile manner. New product development trajectories should consider the complexities of daily life eating situations. The creation of immersive contexts of a product with varying levels of appropriateness could be a useful tool for product developers in evaluating the extent to which context may influence food acceptance and eating behavior. This study explored virtual reality (VR) as an efficient context-enhancing technology through evaluations of protein-enriched rye breads and compared the effects of a VR-simulated congruent (VR restaurant) and incongruent (VR cinema) contexts on the acceptance in older consumers. A total of 70 participants were immersed in the two VR contexts and a neutral control context in a randomized order. The responses indicating the desire and liking for rye breads were measured, and the extent of immersion during context exposure was assessed by levels of the sense of presence and engagement. Immersive VR induced positive sensations of presence and a heightened level of engagement. The VR restaurant and neutral contexts were perceived as more appropriate for consuming rye breads and induced higher desire and liking for rye breads, which supported the notion of the alignment of congruent contexts with food desire and liking. The study provides new perspectives, practical methodologies, and discoveries in regard to the creation and application of VR-immersed contexts in food product evaluation. Moreover, it focused on a consumer segment (older consumers) that has seldom been investigated in previous relevant studies. The findings suggest that immersive VR technology, as a tool for evaluating contextual factors, is important for new product development. The good user experience among older consumers further indicated the potential value of VR as a context-enhancing tool for product development.

Continuance intention to use self-delivery boxes: An empirical study in Tianjin, China

Self-delivery boxes reduce delivery and pick-up costs significantly, and are helpful for alleviating the “last mile delivery” problem. The goal of the current research is to examine continuance intention to use self-delivery boxes from three aspects (e.g. consumer, courier, and self-delivery box). Based on survey data from 279 Tianjin residents, in this study, we found that time pressure, perceived behavioral control, and self-delivery box reliability significantly affected continuance intention regarding self-delivery boxes. Also, we explored the effect of consumer group on continuance intention to use self-delivery boxes and found that younger consumers had a higher continuance intention to use them than older consumers. This study provides practical implications for self-delivery box operators.

The Cross-Zone Navigation and Signage Systems for Combatting Cybersickness and Disorientation in Middle-Aged and Older People within a 3D Virtual Store

With the maturation and popularization of 3D virtual reality (3D VR) technology, various corporations have employed 3D VR animations to enrich the experience of visiting a store and change how products are presented. Because middle-aged and older adults have weaker mobility and perception abilities, their behaviors in 3D virtual stores may differ entirely from those of younger age groups. This study aimed to develop a cross-zone navigation system and a signage system for 3D virtual retail stores to provide middle-aged and older consumers with high-efficiency navigation for finding products quickly. Additionally, the effect of the systems on combating perceptual conflict was assessed to confirm the practicability of 3D virtual retail shopping. The results revealed that the cross-zone navigation system effectively assisted participants in searching for their desired products. Additionally, the cybersickness score (SSQ) of the cross-zone navigation system group was significantly lower than that of the map-based navigation system group. The participants who used both the cross-zone navigation system and the signage system exhibited the lowest perceptual conflict scores. Therefore, this study provides references for developing a novel navigation system for 3D virtual retail stores (i.e., a cross-zone navigation system with signage).

The impact of age stereotype threats on older consumers' intention to buy masstige brand products

AbstractThis study explores the relationship between old‐age stereotyping and older consumers' masstige product consumption, specifically, their intention to purchase masstige brand products, with a focus on their motivational drives from an identity‐signaling perspective. We surveyed 533 people aged 54 to 64 years in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to analyse the mediating effect, and hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test the moderating effect. Our results indicated that among older consumers in South Korea who felt threatened by old‐age stereotypes, intention to purchase masstige brands was high. Their dissociative motivation, that is, their motivation to dissociate from their age group, and the symbolic value of masstige brands as signifiers of a youthful, desirable identity were found to mediate both the threat of old‐age stereotyping and intention to purchase masstige brands. Furthermore, we found that interdependent older consumers were more sensitive to old‐age stereotyping and had a stronger motivation to dissociate from the “old‐age” group. The findings offer insights into masstige brand consumption by older South Korean consumers that may be useful for both academics and marketers.

Research areas in consumer vulnerability a systematic literature review

Consumer Vulnerability is a phenomenon used to explain the powerlessness of consumers in marketplace interactions. Comprehension of different areas of vulnerabilities that consumers face in the modern marketplace is a central and broadly discussed topic in current literature. Further, the majority of current studies on Consumer Vulnerability focus on consumer demographics, such as income, age, education, minority status, and area of living. However, the field lacks studies on possible causes, victims, and effects of consumer vulnerability in consumption contexts. Thus, this systematic literature review was conducted to fill the extant knowledge gaps and identify research areas related to vulnerability with specific consumer groups and reasons. Based on a comprehensive review protocol, 60 papers selected from 750 articles, were reviewed using the mixed-method approach. Further, primary study selection was done on the grounds that the articles; were published within the 2005-2020 period, relevant to the field of Consumer Vulnerability, published in English, have more than 3 pages in the paper. The findings of the study revealed five areas of consumer vulnerability; namely, Online Consumer Vulnerability, TV Advertising and Child Consumer Vulnerability, Low literacy and Consumer Vulnerability, Older Consumer Vulnerability, and Consumer Vulnerability in the Multi-cultural marketplace. The results indicated that the impact of the internet, social media, and TV advertising on young consumer vulnerability should be studied in greater depth in future research.

An Analysis of Finnish Debtors Who Defaulted in 2014–2016 Because of Unsecured Credit Products

Consumer credit has become an important element of the economy despite the negative effects: Over-indebtedness has wide-ranging repercussions affecting consumers and society as a whole. We analysed the debt judgements (N = 4,095) of Finnish district courts from 2014 to 2016, as well as administrative data on debtors. Our focus was on the position of consumers on the credit market and their consumption-related problem debts, namely instant loans, extensive consumer credit, and credit-card as well as distance-selling indebtedness. Regarding the four credit products, first we considered the average amount of outstanding debt and then we looked at the sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the debtors. The results revealed that the average outstanding debt (€) varied according to the credit product and that the highest average amount originated from extensive consumer credit. Instant loans and distance-selling indebtedness caused debt problems especially among low-income young adults, adverse selection seemingly being one factor behind instant-loan-related debts. Extensive consumer credit and credit-card indebtedness were behind debt judgements against older consumers with a good socioeconomic position and numerous previous loans. This is a moral-hazard situation whereby borrowers may have more information about their total amounts of debt than the lenders. We suggest that, in many cases, debt problems reflect an abundant supply of consumer credit, which seems to foster asymmetric information, the consumer’s position and competence to act in the credit market, as well as various overall risk factors. The findings highlight the need to strengthen consumers’ financial skills and for loan products that meet the needs of low-credit-rated consumers. Moreover, lenders should act responsibly in the current credit market.