Quantitative surveys of food consumption and motives: The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ)

Abstract

Data about the motives of consumers for buying and consuming specific food products are needed in order to tailor media messages and public health policies to the current nutritional challenges. Research in this field is especially important in the Western Balkan countries, where the population suffers from several diseases linked to unhealthy nutrition and the data on the actual eating habits are scarce. Addressing the motives behind different nutritional choices could help improve diets in the region. To this end, a Food Choice Questionnaire was applied to six Western Balkan countries. This method provided a systematic cross-national comparison of food choice motivations in the region as well as comparison to countries of the European Union. Although the factor analysis resulted with eight, instead of nine, factors reported in the normative sample, the overall structure of Western Balkan food choice motives did not differ substantially from the initial study. The ranking of motives was proven to be fairly consistent across all Western Balkan states with 'sensory appeal' and 'purchase convenience' rated as the most important factors. Furthermore, this ranking is similar to the ranking obtained in other European countries with different traditions, cuisines and market conditions.