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Predicting the consumption of young adults concerning sugared and sugar-free beverages

Dinkhoff, K. (2009) Predicting the consumption of young adults concerning sugared and sugar-free beverages.

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Abstract:In the course of an internship at the agency fischerAppelt Kommunikation GmbH a quantitative study was developed and accomplished with the aim to obtain information about the choice of non-alcoholic beverages made by young adults. On the basis of these findings, recommendations for an educational initiative were formulated, in order to reduce the uncertainty of the consumer and to provide a supportive help for making a responsible choice. A written questionnaire, based on an adjusted form of the Theory of Planned Behaviour from Ajzen (1991), was carried out by sixth formers and students. To measure the behaviour of young adults a Food Frequency Questionnaire concerning sugared and sugar-free beverages was developed. 342 sixth former and students, comprising both males and females, with the mean age of 20 years, completed the questionnaire during their lessons. On the basis of their results it was determined, which factors of the TBP have the most important impact on the choice of beverages and the intention to drink less sugared beverages. The main conclusion of the study consists in the finding that the availability of sugared beverages at home proved to be the most important factor to predict the consumption of sugared beverages. The descriptive subjective norm of friends was the only variable out of the TBP which had some predicting power on the consumption of sugared beverages. The other constructs of the TBP turned out to be less influential. In particular, the correlation of the intention towards the consumption and the behaviour is unexpected low. Attitude, the injunctive subjective norm, the descriptive subjective norm of the parents, the self-identity concerning the health awareness and the perceived behavioural control were the components of the theory which account for the most variance of the intention. Moreover, female respondents and students showed a more positive attitude towards sugar-free beverages and consumed less sugared beverages than male respondents and sixth former. These findings lead to some recommendations for the initiative in order to offer the consumer a supportive help to choose the right beverage. The initiative should focus primarily on the attitude. People’s attitudes can be changed due to comprehensible, individually relevant and credible messages, which include new arguments, but conform to the person’s existing perceptions and experiences. The initiative should include implementation intentions, which can be realized in everyday life. A successful approach to change old habits consists in presenting new habits which replace the old existing ones. In order to exert influence on the availability of beverages, it is necessary to present possibilities to the respondents how they are able to exercise control on the beverage purchase of the family.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Clients:
fischerAppelt Kommunikation GmbH
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/59530
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