Research on Food Behavior in Romania from the Perspective of Supporting Healthy Eating Habits

Lelia Voinea, Diana Maria Vrânceanu, Alina Filip, Dorin Vicențiu Popescu, Teodor Mihai Negrea and Răzvan Dina
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Lelia Voinea: The Faculty of Business and Tourism, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania
Diana Maria Vrânceanu: The Faculty of Marketing, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania
Alina Filip: The Faculty of Marketing, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania
Dorin Vicențiu Popescu: The Faculty of Business and Tourism, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania
Teodor Mihai Negrea: The Faculty of Business and Tourism, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania
Răzvan Dina: The Faculty of Business and Tourism, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 41 Dacia Blvd., Sector 1, Bucharest 010404, Romania

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 19, 1-26

Abstract: Today’s human society provides to food consumers many options that involve difficult decisions. Disoriented and stressed by contradictory messages of mass media and by the warnings of being as slim as possible, a modern consumer gets confused and shows a tendency towards losing his traditional habits. Still, most experts suggest that the adoption of a healthy food behavior, based on minimally processed natural products, may contribute to the development of a sustainable food system. The study aims to design the food profile of Romanian consumers by presenting the underlying factors of a balanced diet. The conducted marketing study was of quantitative nature, in which, a face-to-face survey was used. The questionnaire was applied to individuals aged over 18 years old, and the tool used for collecting data was the structured questionnaire applied to a sample of 1185 Romanian respondents. In this study, the following methods of analysis were used: factor analysis, cluster analysis, and structural equation modeling. The research results present the main aspects underlying the food products classification, the clustering of Romanian consumers by their interest in healthy diet, and the relationships between specific variables influencing the healthy food habits. These results have shown the need for supporting educational campaigns targeted at Romanian consumers aimed to develop healthy food habits that could create conditions needed to reshape food supply, and implicitly, to contribute to the development of environmental sustainability.

Keywords: food behavior; eating habits; Romania; marketing research; sustainable food choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:19:p:5255-:d:270477

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