Connection between meat consumption habits and eating attitudes of the young adult age group

Abstract

THE PURPOSE OFTHE STUDY
In the last decades consumer culture and shopping behaviour have significantly transformed in the whole world, including Hungary. Consumers are increasingly careful about having healthier diets to avoid chronic diseases connected to improper way of life. Our aim was to prepare a comparative study to explore the young adults’ shopping- and consumption habits, as well as eating attitudes with respect to meat consumption. In our research a survey that was carried out five years ago was repeated among university students.

APPLIED METHODOLOGY
In the research the personal variety of questioning by questionnaire was applied. Altogether 961 students were involved in the survey, 461 students in 2011 and 500 students in 2016. Besides the individually compiled questions, the Rosenberg's self-assessment scale and the short version of the EAT test were applied. Main components were formed for the individually compiled questions and the EAT test which were examined in the context of other factors on the whole sample, as well as on the subsamples according to genders.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
Considering the total size of the sample, it can be stated that for the consumers it is the freshness of the different types of meat that is the most important aspect in their choice. In the sample of 2016, the most important factor influencing the purchase of women is healthiness. According to the results of the survey in 2011, price and animal welfare (the conditions in which animals are kept) came before the importance of healthy nutrition. But in 2016, healthy nutrition became the first influencing factor among women and the second one among men. This result clearly shows that today's health-trend has a significant influence on the behaviour of the young adults.

PRACTICAL PROPOSALS
The survey of 2016 justifies the social presence of the health-paradox. Although young adults claim that health-conscious diet is important to them, the number of overweight and fat adults has increased compared to 2011. Young people are susceptible to having a health-conscious diet, but consumer misconceptions result in paradoxical-behaviour with them. If we find the appropriate information channel and give them trustworthy information, then this contradictory attitude could be decreased significantly.