Segmenting adults by food choice motives across 27 European countries: Associations with dietary quality and implications for health promotion
1
Department of Communication Science, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
2
Interdisciplinary Research Center for Health Science, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
3
University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1488
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Food choices contribute to overall dietary quality and, consequently, obesity risk.1 While previous research identified cost, convenience, taste and health as the most important food choice motives,2,3 there is large individual variability.4 As individuals differ in how they prioritize (conflicting) motives, understanding the relative importance of food choice motives and identifying consumer groups with similar priorities is essential for health promotion.5 The present study aims to identify segments within European adults based on the relative importance of food choice motives, and to examine associations between profile membership, sociodemographics, dietary quality and use of information sources.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted across 27 European countries (n=25803). Latent profile analysis identified motivational profiles based on 17 food choice factors, and multinomial logistic regressions examined characteristics associated with profile membership.
RESULTS:
Four profiles were identified. Budget-focused consumers (41.6%) gave highest importance to price-quality, overall liking and availability. Sustainability-focused consumers (23.6%) showed consistently high ratings for all motives, but particularly for environmental impact and nutrition. Convenience-focused consumers (22.2%) assigned relatively low importance to all factors, indicating low involvement, but prioritized habits, price-quality and availability. Ethical consumers (12.7%) assigned high importance to religion and ethical production. Profile membership was predicted by age, gender, income, education and region. Dietary quality differed across profiles (χ² = 1307.4, p<.001): sustainability-focused and ethical consumers had greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, whereas convenience-focused consumers reported higher intake of red meat and added sugars. Use of food information sources also differed, with convenience-focused consumers relying more on informal sources.
CONCLUSIONS:
European adults can be clustered into four motive-based profiles that differ in sociodemographic characteristics, dietary quality and use of information sources. The motivations of these cohorts can inform interventions and policies targeting facilitators or barriers of healthier food choices across different consumer segments.
Food choices contribute to overall dietary quality and, consequently, obesity risk.1 While previous research identified cost, convenience, taste and health as the most important food choice motives,2,3 there is large individual variability.4 As individuals differ in how they prioritize (conflicting) motives, understanding the relative importance of food choice motives and identifying consumer groups with similar priorities is essential for health promotion.5 The present study aims to identify segments within European adults based on the relative importance of food choice motives, and to examine associations between profile membership, sociodemographics, dietary quality and use of information sources.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted across 27 European countries (n=25803). Latent profile analysis identified motivational profiles based on 17 food choice factors, and multinomial logistic regressions examined characteristics associated with profile membership.
RESULTS:
Four profiles were identified. Budget-focused consumers (41.6%) gave highest importance to price-quality, overall liking and availability. Sustainability-focused consumers (23.6%) showed consistently high ratings for all motives, but particularly for environmental impact and nutrition. Convenience-focused consumers (22.2%) assigned relatively low importance to all factors, indicating low involvement, but prioritized habits, price-quality and availability. Ethical consumers (12.7%) assigned high importance to religion and ethical production. Profile membership was predicted by age, gender, income, education and region. Dietary quality differed across profiles (χ² = 1307.4, p<.001): sustainability-focused and ethical consumers had greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, whereas convenience-focused consumers reported higher intake of red meat and added sugars. Use of food information sources also differed, with convenience-focused consumers relying more on informal sources.
CONCLUSIONS:
European adults can be clustered into four motive-based profiles that differ in sociodemographic characteristics, dietary quality and use of information sources. The motivations of these cohorts can inform interventions and policies targeting facilitators or barriers of healthier food choices across different consumer segments.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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