Food choice motives, attitude towards and intention to adopt personalised nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: The present study explored associations between food choice motives, attitudes towards and intention to adopt personalised nutrition, to inform communication strategies based on consumer priorities and concerns.Design/SettingA survey was administered online which included the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) and items assessing attitudes towards and intention to adopt personalised nutrition. SUBJECTS: Nationally representative samples were recruited in nine EU countries (n 9381). RESULTS: Structural equation modelling indicated that the food choice motives 'weight control', 'mood', 'health' and 'ethical concern' had a positive association and 'price' had a negative association with attitude towards, and intention to adopt, personalised nutrition. 'Health' was positively associated and 'familiarity' negatively associated with attitude towards personalised nutrition. The effects of 'weight control', 'ethical concern', 'mood' and 'price' on intention to adopt personalised nutrition were partially mediated by attitude. The effects of 'health' and 'familiarity' were fully mediated by attitude. 'Sensory appeal' was negatively and directly associated with intention to adopt personalised nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Personalised nutrition providers may benefit from taking into consideration the importance of underlying determinants of food choice in potential users, particularly weight control, mood and price, when promoting services and in tailoring communications that are motivationally relevant.

Attitudes to healthy eating among a representative sampling of Croatian adults: a comparison with Mediterranean countries.

The objectives of this study were to examine the understanding of healthy eating, to assess the perceived need to change eating habits, to identify information sources about healthy eating among Croatian adults and to compare it with other Mediterranean countries. The sample included 1,006 randomly selected Croatian subjects over 15 years of age. The questions were adapted from the Pan-European Survey (1995-1996). A total of 50% of the participants described healthy eating as 'fresh and natural foods', more than one-half believed there is no need to change eating habits (53%) and 'newspapers/magazines' (26%) were identified as the most frequently used sources of information about healthy eating. Older males, either unemployed or retired, of lower educational background and monthly incomes, and the overweight and obese were the subgroups of the Croatian population that pose a real challenge to health nutrition promoters. A comparison with Mediterranean countries showed a higher level of similarity in attitudes with Italians.