To examine the self-reported importance of taste, nutrition, cost, convenience, and
weight control on personal dietary choices and whether these factors vary across demographic
groups, are associated with lifestyle choices related to health (termed health lifestyle),
and actually predict eating behavior.
Data are based on responses to 2 self-administered cross-sectional surveys. The main
outcomes measured were consumption of fruits and vegetables, fast foods, cheese, and
breakfast cereals, which were determined on the basis of responses to questions about
usual and recent consumption and a food diary.
Respondents were a national sample of 2,967 adults. Response rates were 71% to the
first survey and 77% to the second survey (which was sent to people who completed
the first survey).
Univariate analyses were used to describe importance ratings, bivariate analyses (correlations
and t tests) were used to examine demographic and lifestyle differences on importance
measures, and multivariate analyses (general linear models) were used to predict lifestyle
cluster membership and food consumption.
Respondents reported that taste is the most important influence on their food choices,
followed by cost. Demographic and health lifestyle differences were evident across
all 5 importance measures. The importance of nutrition and the importance of weight
control were predicted best by subject's membership in a particular health lifestyle
cluster. When eating behaviors were examined, demographic measures and membership
in a health lifestyle cluster predicted consumption of fruits and vegetables, fast
foods, cheese, and breakfast cereal. The importance placed on taste, nutrition, cost,
convenience, and weight control also predicted types of foods consumed.
Our results suggest that nutritional concerns, per sc, are of less relevance to most
people than taste and cost. One implication is that nutrition education programs should
attempt to design and promote nutritious diets as being tasty and inexpensive.