Influence of Consumers’ Characteristics on Nutrition Perceptions, BMI, and Health Outcomes: New Insights from a 2023 Survey of U.S. Adults

Influence of Consumers’ Characteristics on Nutrition Perceptions, BMI, and Health Outcomes: New Insights from a 2023 Survey of U.S. Adults

• Harold L. Stuart Endowed Chair in Business Siva K. Balasubramanian
• Zheng Zhou (Ph.D. Management Science ’20), Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Lewis University
• Mark Fishbein, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Abstract:

Motivated by research gaps on relationships among consumer characteristics, nutrition perceptions, food consumption, and health outcomes, we propose and test a structural equation model (SEM) of hypothesized relationships following a literature review. We estimated the SEM model with data from a survey of 880 United States adult consumers in January 2023 that was representative of the U.S. census.

Our SEM model contained 11 paths and eight constructs (Health Consciousness, Nutrition Self Efficacy, Behavior Control, Body Image, Nutrition Knowledge, Motivation to Process Nutrition Information, BMI, and Health Status). and 11 paths. Results strongly supported our model-based hypotheses with the exception of the path between Nutrition Self Efficacy and BMI.

Health consciousness was positively associated with Behavior Control and Nutrition Knowledge. Behavior Control positively influenced Body Image. Both Nutrition Knowledge and Behavior Control positively influenced Motivation to Process Nutrition Information. Nutrition Self Efficacy had a positive influence on Body Image that, in turn, positively affected Health Status. As expected, BMI mediated the Body Image-Health Status relationship.

We discuss implications of our results from multiple group analyses for 12 grouping variables (age, gender, education, income, buying impulsiveness, active control of eating, living with kids, knowledge of nutrition-health links, monthly spending on grocery, snacks, and restaurants, and weight perception).

All Illinois Tech faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend.

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