Consumers’ Characteristics, Nutrition Perceptions, BMI, and Health Outcomes: New Insights

Consumers’ Characteristics, Nutrition Perceptions, BMI, and Health Outcomes: New Insights

• 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, health consciousness, and nutrition perceptions, we propose and test a structural equation model (SEM) of hypothesized relationships following a literature review. We estimate the SEM model with data from a survey of 880 United States adult consumers conducted in January 2023 (that was representative of the U.S. census).

We adopt the maximum likelihood approach to estimate our measurement model and use Bayesian SEM approach to reinforce the findings. Our baseline SEM model contained 11 paths and eight constructs (Health Consciousness, Nutrition Self Efficacy, Behavior Control, Body Image, Nutrition Knowledge, Motivation to Process Nutrition Information, Body Mass Index (BMI), and Health Status). Results strongly supported our model-based hypotheses with the exception of the path between Nutrition Self Efficacy and BMI.

Nutrition Self Efficacy and Health Consciousness were positively associated with Behavior Control. Behavior Control positively influenced Body Image that, in turn, positively affected Health Status. Nutrition Knowledge, Behavior Control, and Health Consciousness all positively influenced Motivation to Process Nutrition Information, which further positively influenced 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.

The Friday Research Presentations series showcases ongoing academic research projects conducted by Stuart School of Business faculty and students, as well as guest presentations by Illinois Tech colleagues, business professionals, and faculty from other leading business schools.