scholarly journals Purchasing functional foods to stay fit

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Hasliza Hassan ◽  
Abu Bakar Sade ◽  
Lohan Selva Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Media Influence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Willingness To Purchase

Purpose Health fitness has become a major issue in Malaysia since the population of overweight and obesity is becoming critical. One of the ways to achieve optimum health fitness is by consistently consuming balanced diet meals. Hence, this paper aims to focus on the willingness of society to purchase functional foods as an alternative for their daily meals to stay fit. Design/methodology/approach The research framework was developed based on a combination of findings by other research scholars within a similar field. The willingness to purchase functional foods to stay fit is positioned as the dependent variable, while lifestyle adaptation, social media influence and food consumption awareness are placed as the independent variables. Quantitative research was conducted by collecting primary data from respondents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and regression analyses. Findings The willingness to purchase functional foods to stay fit is dependent on the lifestyle adaptation, social media influence and food consumption awareness. Research limitations/implications Although the current market for functional foods in Malaysia is still at a small scale, the market for this industry seems very promising. Nevertheless, greater awareness on functional food is still needed. Practical implications Functional food producers should make an effort to gain the untapped market by focussing on the lifestyle adaptation, social media influence and food consumption awareness. Originality/value This research is a breakthrough to discover the willingness of Malaysians to purchase functional food to stay fit, which is influenced by lifestyle adaptation, social media and food consumption awareness.

Understanding variations in the consumption of functional foods – evidence from Croatia

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ružica Brečić ◽  
Matthew Gorton ◽  
Dominique Barjolle
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Perceived Health Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face

Purpose – Drawing on a representative survey, this paper aims to identify the determinants of functional food consumption in Croatia. The objective is to introduce and test a conceptual model that four sets of factors (food choice motivations, demographic and socio-economic characteristics, knowledge of functional food and health status) underpin variations in functional food consumption. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via face-to-face interviews conducted in respondents' homes. Consumption of functional foods is modelled as a bootstrapped ordered probit model. Findings – Results confirm the significant influence of all four sets of factors for explaining variations in functional food consumption. Heavier users of functional food are those that place a greater weighting on health and convenience in food choice. In contrast, the salience of familiarity in food choice is negatively related with functional food consumption. Females and those with higher levels of educational attainment are heavier consumers of functional food. While perceived health status appears not to have any significant relationship with functional food consumption, there is a link with body mass index. Functional foods appeal most to those concerned about their health and desire convenient, “quick fixes”. Such “quick fixes” may however be employed at the expense of more fundamental adjustments to diet and fitness, which may provide the basis for superior overall disease prevention/health promotion. Originality/value – The study represents one of the first assessments of functional food consumption in Central and Eastern Europe, introducing and testing a comprehensive conceptual model.

Functional food consumption among older consumers in Malaysia: a Health Belief Model perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flaviana Ivy Febian ◽  
Sharifah Nurafizah Syed Annuar ◽  
Mumtaz Ali Memon
Keyword(s):  
Health Belief Model ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Perceived Susceptibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Older Consumers ◽  
Belief Model

PurposeFunctional foods and their association with health benefits and disease risk reduction open a promising possibility for consumers to pursue a healthier lifestyle and extend their life expectancy. This study aims to investigate the effect of perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers and intention to consume functional food among older consumers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from Malaysian older consumers using a structured questionnaire. A total of 250 usable questionnaires were used for final data analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the collected data.FindingsThe results show that perceived barriers and cue to action significantly affect older consumers' intention to consume functional foods. Nevertheless, perceived susceptibility does not influence older consumers' intention to consume functional food.Originality/valueThis study broadens our understanding of older consumers' intention to consume functional food. Importantly, the present study is one of the first studies that extend the application of the Health Belief Model (HBM) in the context of functional food consumption. The findings of the study provide pragmatic insights for both practitioners and researchers.

Social media: a blessing or a curse? Voice of owners in the beauty and wellness industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kulvinder Kaur ◽  
Pawan Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Marketing Tool ◽  
Use Of Internet

PurposeThe rise in the use of Internet technologies and social media has shifted the marketing practices from offline to online. This study aims to determine the pros and cons of social media marketing in the beauty and wellness industry.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with the owners and marketing executives of beauty and wellness centers to understand the use of popular social media platforms in this industry and their pros and cons.FindingsThe researchers identified eight merits and seven demerits of social media in the beauty and wellness industry. Every respondent is happy and satisfied with social media use, particularly Instagram and Facebook. Irrespective of the demerits, they have shown the intention to increase its usage in the future. The merits override demerits; thus, social media is a blessing for this industry from the owners' perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is exploratory and is confined to just one industry. Research implication is that the visual nature of social media makes it a powerful tool for the promotion of the beauty and wellness industry.Practical implicationsThe study's findings will be beneficial for small-scale businesses as it will push them to take advantage of this low-cost marketing tool.Social implicationsSocial media marketing is helpful for communication and marketing purposes for society.Originality/valueThe beauty and wellness industry remained unfocused by researchers because it is highly unorganized, fragmented and not regulated, yet has huge growth potential. This research will provide a closer look at this industry as well as social media marketing.

Enacting social media success in local public administrations

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ignacio Criado ◽  
Francisco Rojas-Martín ◽  
J. Ramon Gil-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preliminary Validation ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Institutional Model

Purpose The diffusion of social media among public administrations has significantly grown in the last years. This phenomenon has created a field of research that seeks to understand the adoption and impact of social media in the public sector. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that make social media successful in Spanish local governments. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an adapted version of a neo-institutional model: Enacting Electronic Government Success (EEGS). The data have been collected through three main sources: primary data from a questionnaire designed and conducted by the authors, secondary data of statistical sources, and tertiary data collected through Klout Score. Findings The results from a survey and statistical analysis provide preliminary validation of the model and show a direct relationship between organizational, institutional, and environmental factors with the successful use of social media in local public administrations. The data analysis shows that ten variables jointly explain 54.6 percent (adjusted R2=0.546) of the variability observed in the dependent variable. Research limitations/implications First, the analysis model used represents a limited sample size to carry out a complex quantitative analysis. Second, the use of Klout Scores can offer some bias. Finally, certain variables complicate the comparative potential of the study. Originality/value This study provides original primary data and contributes to the growing field of study related to social technologies in public administrations. This research also confirms in an exploratory way the validity of the EEGS model.

COVID-19 and library social media use

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Koulouris ◽  
Eftichia Vraimaki ◽  
Maria Koloniari
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Media Presence

Purpose The study aims to explore Greek libraries’ social media presence and library operation and social media use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected via an online questionnaire that was distributed to the Greek libraries. The final sample comprised 189 libraries of all types with the exception of school libraries. Findings Results indicated that Facebook is the most widely used platform, while social media are mainly used for sharing announcements about library operations and for the promotion of events. During the COVID-19 lockdown, libraries responded quickly to the new circumstances by taking many of their services online. However, they did not fully use social media for service provision but rather used social media as a static communication channel. Only a few of the libraries grasped the opportunity to highlight their role in the promotion of public health by providing timely and reliable information. Practical implications Library leaders who are looking to harness the power of social media for service promotion and outreach should build a strategy that takes platform popularity, current social media trends, patron preferences and the specific promotional objectives of their library into consideration. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current research is the first which attempts to explore the social media presence of Greek libraries of all types and changes made to library operations and social media use in response to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Consumer awareness and willingness to purchase probiotic food and beverage products: a study of Sonipat district, Haryana

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sapna Arora ◽  
Krishna Prabha ◽  
Vijay Singh Sharanagat ◽  
Vijendra Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Functional Food ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Base Matrix ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Probiotic Food ◽  
Willingness To Purchase

PurposeIn a developing country like India, consumers are shifting from high-energy diet to balanced nutritional diet, which enhances the metabolic, physiological, functional and health benefits of consumers. The growing self-care and health-embracing population made the probiotic sector as lucrative market for functional food manufacturers and suppliers. Therefore, an analysis is required to understand consumers’ knowledge and buying behavior regarding probiotic products for product innovation and development.Design/methodology/approachAwareness, knowledge and consumption patterns of probiotic products were investigated among randomly selected 306 consumers in the Sonipat city of Haryana, which comes in the proximity of national capital, i.e. Delhi, India. A structured questionnaire with exploratory characteristics was developed and face-to-face interviews were conducted as a part of data collection.FindingsThe inference is that there is immense potential for the probiotic fruit beverage market as a higher proportion of the population was interested in probiotic products delivered with fruits as a base matrix followed by dairy products. Further, government’s initiation and support are required not only for manufacturing such health-beneficial products having therapeutic value but also to spread awareness regarding the necessity of including such products in the meals of the growing children.Originality/valueThe study shows changing customer attitudes toward probiotic products and sheds light on consumers’ preference on the medium (food matrix) of probiotic delivery, thereby exploring market opportunities in the area of the functional food sector.

Potentiality of probiotic yoghurt as a functional food – a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Life ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Of Disease

PurposeYoghurt is most popular and more acceptable throughout the world because of its general positive image among consumers because of its diverse nutritional and therapeutic properties and can be the most suitable probiotic carrier. Key factors for consumer’s inclination towards functional foods are increased awareness for healthy foods because of health deterioration resulting from busy lifestyles, growing healthcare cost and the aspiration for an improved quality life in later years. Yoghurt is still not consumed in certain parts of the world because of a lack of a cultural tradition of consuming yogurt and further people are not aware of the health benefits associated with yogurt consumption. In this study an attempt has been to project probiotic yoghurt as a functional food in the current era of self-care and complementary medicine.Design/methodology/approachAttempt has been made to review the literature on the biochemical activities of yoghurt cultures and their behavior in association with diverse probiotic cultures. Both review and research papers related to biochemical activities and functional properties of yoghurt cultures in association with probiotics and their health benefits published in diverse journals under Pub Med and Science Direct have been considered. Keywords used for data search included functional foods, yoghurt, probiotic, health benefits, etc.FindingsFunctional properties of yoghurt can be further enhanced with fortification of minerals and vitamins or inclusion of probiotic cultures. Diversity in biochemical behavior yoghurt cultures in association with different probiotic cultures has been reported. Conjugated application of probiotics with yoghurt cultures would result in a product with enhanced functional properties to extend health benefits.Originality/valueInclusion of probiotic cultures in yoghurt is suggested to extend the functional properties of normal yoghurt, thus providing necessary nutrients, improving health and preventing or reducing nutrition-related diseases. Regular intake of probiotic yoghurt is suggested for healthy lifestyles, as it will help in retaining their health and reduce the potentially long-term risk of disease. Food industries can have profit-driven business by projecting the probiotic yoghurt as a functional food.

scholarly journals Consumers’ Requirements for Functional Foods

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Corina MAXIM ◽  
Anca FĂRCAȘ ◽  
Dan Cristian VODNAR ◽  
Maria TOFANĂ ◽  
Sonia SOCACI
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Rural And Urban Area ◽  
Different Levels

Although there is still no legal definition, functional foods are considered by the scientific community as providing additional benefits beyond the general benefits of nutrient intake and satisfaction of hunger. The bioactive compounds present in these products should provide a scientifically proven health benefit for the prevention, management or treatment of chronic disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the consumers’ awareness, knowledge and interest for functional food consumption. The study was conducted on 120 respondents that answered a 16-questionaire distributed online. The participants were adults from rural and urban area, with different levels of education. The data collected from the respondents showed that women are more aware and interested in functional foods than the male respondents. Only 15% of the participants said that they do not know the meaning of the term “functional foods”. This study has shown that the knowledge and interest of consumers’ for the functional foods is influenced by factors such as gender, age, education or income level. The prices together with the sensorial and health benefits were among the decisive factors.

Disaster communication

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-259
Author(s):  
Alicia Mason ◽  
Lynzee Flores ◽  
Pan Liu ◽  
Kenzie Tims ◽  
Elizabeth Spencer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disaster Communication ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Post Disaster

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the crisis communication strategies used by the Caribbean medical tourism industry in the 2017 hurricane season, and also evaluate the quality of the disaster communication messages delivered via digital mediums. Design/methodology/approach This study includes a comprehensive, qualitative content analysis of 149 risk and crisis messages from 51 healthcare organizations distributed through digital media. The medical tourism providers (MTPs) include hospitals, medical tourism facilitators, practitioners/private physicians, specialty clinics, and dental and cosmetic providers. Findings Nearly half of the MTPs included in the data set delivered no post-disaster information to external audiences. The most prominent post-disaster message strategy utilized was conveying operational messages. Furthermore, an unexpected finding was the sheer magnitude of unrelated health-oriented and promotional destination marketing content disseminated before, during and after these events. Research limitations/implications This analysis excludes internal organizational channels of communication which may have been used to communicate risk and crisis messages during these events (i.e. employee e-mails, announcements made through intercom systems, etc.). Our analysis does not include content disseminated through medical tourism forums (i.e. Realself.com, Health Traveler’s Forum, FlyerTalk Forum). Practical implications Small-scale MTPs can improve on any weaknesses through proactive planning and preparation by creating organizational goals to complete basic crisis communication training courses and in doing so support the applied professional development of disaster and crisis responders in the Caribbean region. Second, MTPs exposed to similar risks of natural disasters may use these findings for comparative analysis purposes to support their own organizational planning. Finally, this study supports the continued utility of the National Center for Food Protection & Defense guidelines for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance. Originality/value Currently much of the academic scholarship of applied disaster communication narrowly focuses on the response strategies of one organization, or analyzes one social media platform at a time (i.e. Twitter). A strength of this analysis is the inclusion of an organizational sector (i.e. Caribbean medical tourism providers) and the range of platforms from which the content was captured (e.g. websites, org. blogs and social media networks).

scholarly journals Unpacking the impact of social media analytics on customer satisfaction: do external stakeholder characteristics matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yichuan Wang ◽  
Minhao Zhang ◽  
Ying Kei Tse ◽  
Hing Kai Chan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Stakeholder ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeUnderpinned by the lens of Contingency Theory (CT), the purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate whether the impact of social media analytics (SMA) on customer satisfaction (CS) is contingent on the characteristics of different external stakeholders, including business partners (i.e. partner diversity), competitors (i.e. localised competition) and customers (i.e. customer engagement).Design/methodology/approachUsing both subjective and objective measures from multiple sources, we collected primary data from 141 hotels operating in Greece and their archival data from TripAdvisor and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) database to test the hypothesised relationships. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling.FindingsThis study confirms the positive association between SMA and CS, but it remains subject to the varied characteristics of external stakeholders. We find that an increase in CS due to the implementation of SMA is more pronounced for firms that (1) adopt a selective distribution strategy where a limited number of business partners are chosen for collaboration or (2) operate in a highly competitive local environment. The results further indicate that high level of customer engagement amplifies the moderating effect of partner diversity (when it is low) and localised competition (when it is high) on the SMA–CS relationship.Originality/valueThe study provides novel insights for managers on the need to consider external stakeholder characteristics when implementing SMA to enhance firms' CS, and for researchers on the value of studying SMA implementation from the CT perspective.

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