Consumer attitudes and concerns with bioplastics use: An international study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Filho WL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9045599 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Interest in heritage cereals is increasing among consumers, bakeries and farmers, and the trends point towards the local production of crops and connect to sustainability. The most known variety is spelt, which has opened up for old landraces such as Oland wheat. Heritage cereals have shown a higher resilience than modern varieties and have the potential to supply the market with alternative products that have an attractive cultural background. Delicious and nutritious products based on heritages cereals have a growing market potential. Consumers' attitudes and preferences to different products are affected by factors such as age, gender and education. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyse different consumer groups' awareness, attitudes and preferences toward heritage cereals. The number of respondents who participated in this study and answered the web-based questionnaire was 434. It can be concluded that most consumers are aware of heritage cereals. Geographic background had an influence, while academic background did not. Bread and pasta are the most consumed products and are regarded as the most popular future products to be based on heritage cereals. The most essential factors in bread are taste and flavour, followed by freshness and texture. The origin of the cereal and its health aspects are important; women are more concerned about the origin than men, while older consumers are more concerned about health. Older consumers are also more willing to pay extra for heritage cereal than younger consumers.
| S-EPMC7353474 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Many members of the public and important stakeholders operating at the upper end of the food chain, may be unfamiliar with how food is produced, including within modern animal production systems. The intensification of production is becoming increasingly common in modern farming. However, intensive systems are particularly susceptible to production diseases, with potentially negative consequences for farm animal welfare (FAW). Previous research has demonstrated that the public are concerned about FAW, yet there has been little research into attitudes towards production diseases, and their approval of interventions to reduce these. This research explores the public's attitudes towards, and preferences for, FAW interventions in five European countries (Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK). An online survey was conducted for broilers (n = 789), layers (n = 790) and pigs (n = 751). Data were analysed by means of Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results suggest that the public have concerns regarding intensive production systems, in relation to FAW, naturalness and the use of antibiotics. The most preferred interventions were the most "proactive" interventions, namely improved housing and hygiene measures. The least preferred interventions were medicine-based, which raised humane animal care and food safety concerns amongst respondents. The results highlighted the influence of the identified concerns, perceived risks and benefits on attitudes and subsequent behavioural intention, and the importance of supply chain stakeholders addressing these concerns in the subsequent communications with the public.
| S-EPMC6328233 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ethical dimensions of pharmacological cognitive enhancement have been widely discussed in academic circles and the popular media, but missing from the conversation have been the perspectives of physicians - key decision makers in the adoption of new technologies into medical practice. We queried primary care physicians in major urban centers in Canada and the United States with the aim of understanding their attitudes towards cognitive enhancement. Our primary hypothesis was that physicians would be more comfortable prescribing cognitive enhancers to older patients than to young adults. Physicians were presented with a hypothetical pharmaceutical cognitive enhancer that had been approved by the regulatory authorities for use in healthy adults, and was characterized as being safe, effective, and without significant adverse side effects. Respondents overwhelmingly reported increasing comfort with prescribing cognitive enhancers as the patient age increased from 25 to 65. When asked about their comfort with prescribing extant drugs that might be considered enhancements (sildenafil, modafinil, and methylphenidate) or our hypothetical cognitive enhancer to a normal, healthy 40 year old, physicians were more comfortable prescribing sildenafil than any of the other three agents. When queried as to the reasons they answered as they did, the most prominent concerns physicians expressed were issues of safety that were not offset by the benefit afforded the individual, even in the face of explicit safety claims. Moreover, many physicians indicated that they viewed safety claims with considerable skepticism. It has become routine for safety to be raised and summarily dismissed as an issue in the debate over pharmacological cognitive enhancement; the observation that physicians were so skeptical in the face of explicit safety claims suggests that such a conclusion may be premature. Thus, physician attitudes suggest that greater weight be placed upon the balance between safety and benefit in consideration of pharmacological cognitive enhancement.
| S-EPMC3001858 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe Botswana government recently implemented a policy of routine or "opt-out" HIV testing in response to the high prevalence of HIV infection, estimated at 37% of adults.Methods and findingsWe conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,268 adults from five districts in Botswana to assess knowledge of and attitudes toward routine testing, correlates of HIV testing, and barriers and facilitators to testing, 11 months after the introduction of this policy. Most participants (81%) reported being extremely or very much in favor of routine testing. The majority believed that this policy would decrease barriers to testing (89%), HIV-related stigma (60%), and violence toward women (55%), and would increase access to antiretroviral treatment (93%). At the same time, 43% of participants believed that routine testing would lead people to avoid going to the doctor for fear of testing, and 14% believed that this policy could increase gender-based violence related to testing. The prevalence of self-reported HIV testing was 48%. Adjusted correlates of testing included female gender (AOR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1-1.9), higher education (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.5-2.7), more frequent healthcare visits (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3-2.7), perceived access to HIV testing (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.5), and inconsistent condom use (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2-2.1). Individuals with stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS were less likely to have been tested for HIV/AIDS (AOR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.5-0.9) or to have heard of routine testing (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.45-0.76). While experiences with voluntary and routine testing overall were positive, 68% felt that they could not refuse the HIV test. Key barriers to testing included fear of learning one's status (49%), lack of perceived HIV risk (43%), and fear of having to change sexual practices with a positive HIV test (33%).ConclusionsRoutine testing appears to be widely supported and may reduce barriers to testing in Botswana. As routine testing is adopted elsewhere, measures should be implemented to assure true informed consent and human rights safeguards, including protection from HIV-related discrimination and protection of women against partner violence related to testing.
| S-EPMC1502152 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Dietary data from a nationally representative survey indicate about 80% of US toddlers aged 1-3 years consume too much dietary sodium, which can influence their preference for salty foods in later life. Information on consumer attitudes can inform strategies to reduce sodium in baby and toddler foods. Data were obtained from a 2012 online survey sent to a sample of 11636 US adults aged ?18 years enrolled in a national probability-based consumer panel; 6378 completed the survey and had non-missing responses to the question of interest, "It is important for baby and toddler foods to be low in sodium." Prevalence of agreement was estimated. Logistic regression was used to describe associations of respondent characteristics with agreement. The majority of respondents were non-Hispanic white and had a household income ?$60,000. About 7 in 10 (68%, 95% CI: 66%-70%) respondents agreed it is important for baby or toddler foods to be low in sodium. More than 6 of 10 respondents in most subgroups agreed. Among parents with a child currently aged <2 years (N = 390), 82% agreed (95% CI: 77%-87%); the highest agreement included parents who thought sodium was very harmful to their own health (92%, 95% CI: 85%-99%) or who were watching/reducing their own sodium intake (95%, 95% CI: 90%-100%). After adjusting for sex, age, race-ethnicity, agreement was most strongly associated with being a parent of a child <2 years, thinking sodium was harmful, and watching/reducing sodium intake (adjusted odds ratios ? 2.5, 95% CI's ?1.0). The majority of respondents including most parents agreed it is important for baby and toddler foods to be low in sodium, suggesting wide consumer support for strategies to lower sodium in these foods.
| S-EPMC5583630 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of our study was to analyze the attitudes of employees toward food offered in staff canteens, to analyze their eating behavior and the factors determining the choice of meals in staff canteens. The survey was conducted on a sample of 600 adult respondents, who patronize staff canteens in Warsaw, Poland. The research enabled a detailed and comprehensive assessment of consumer behavior toward the use of staff canteens, as well as their opinions on the functioning of the canteens and meals offered. Factors determining the frequency of use of canteens, type of meals, and factors influencing the use of such establishments were identified. Respondents assessed the quality and variety of meals, with the size of portion being the most valued. They were satisfied with the functioning of the canteens and had very few comments. However, they pointed out the need for an increase in the variety of meals, including the availability of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Our research enabled us to establish consumer profiles based on the reasons for not using staff canteens and comments about staff canteens. Patrons of staff canteens were referred to as "canteen enthusiasts" or "canteen medium-enthusiasts", who are "snack lovers", as well as "food choice-oriented" or "quality-oriented". The results provide the basis for practical implications for owners or managers of staff canteens, part of whose work it is to analyze the needs and expectations of their potential customers.
| S-EPMC7504587 | biostudies-literature
Project description:As robot numbers in the home increase, creating a market for second-hand robotic systems is essential to reduce the waste impact of the industry. Via a survey, consumer attitudes of United Kingdom participants towards second-hand robots were investigated; finding that second-hand robots with guarantees have an equal purchasing interest compared to new systems, highlighting the opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to develop certification standards for second-hand robots to move towards a circular economy. Consumer demographics also demonstrated that those most open to the purchase of both new and second-hand systems were women, those aged 18-25 years old, and those who have previously owned a robot for the home. Participants' prior ownership of second-hand electronic devices (such as phones and laptops) did not affect rates of interest for second-hand robotic systems suggesting that the technology is still too new for people to be able to project their experience of current second-hand electronics to that of a robot. Additionally, this research found the robotics industry can consider the potential market for second-hand robots to be more similar to the second-hand smartphone market than to the household electronics market, and lessons learnt from the concerns raised by consumers for other internet-enabled electronic devices are similar to those concerns for second-hand robots. This provides an opportunity for the industry to break down the barriers for a circular economy earlier in the technology maturity process than has been seen for other electronics.
| S-EPMC11266729 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHarmful and/or unnecessary medication use in older adults is common. This indicates deprescribing (supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medicines) is not happening as often as it should. This study aimed to synthesize the results of the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (PATD) questionnaire (and revised versions).MethodsDatabases were searched from January 2013 to March 2020. Google Scholar was used for citation searching of the development and validation manuscripts to identify original research using the validated PATD, revised PATD (older adult and caregiver versions), and the version for people with cognitive impairment (rPATDcog). Two authors extracted data independently. A meta-analysis of proportions (random-effects model) was conducted with subgroup meta-analyses for setting and population. The primary outcome was the question: "If my doctor said it was possible, I would be willing to stop one or more of my medicines." Secondary outcomes were associations between participant characteristics and primary outcome and other (r)PATD results.ResultsWe included 46 articles describing 40 studies (n = 10,816 participants). The meta-analysis found the proportion of participants who agreed or strongly agreed with this statement was 84% (95% CI 81%-88%) and 80% (95% CI 74%-86%) in patients and caregivers, respectively, with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 95% and 77%).ConclusionConsumers reported willingness to have a medication deprescribed although results should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity. The findings from this study moves toward understanding attitudes toward deprescribing, which could increase the discussion and uptake of deprescribing recommendations in clinical practice.
| S-EPMC9071395 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on consumer attitudes toward their skin has not been well characterized.ObjectiveThis study investigated how consumers' attitudes toward their skin changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted using REDCap. A total of 1,434 participants were recruited and consented to participate online through ResearchMatch. The survey gathered demographic information and assessed participants' attitudes toward their skin using a Likert scale. An ordered logistic regression analysis was performed.ResultsNearly one-third of participants felt unhappy with their skin. Forty four percent feel less happy about their skin compared with 5 years earlier. The top skin concerns were eye puffiness (86.5%), loose skin (85.1%), uneven tone (84.9%), uneven texture (83.5%), and dry skin (81.4%). Video conferencing (31%), wearing masks (23%), and increased stress (21%) during the COVID-19 pandemic affected how participants felt about their skin. Compared with men, women were 1.6 to 1.8 times (P < .01) more likely to "strongly agree" that all 3 pandemic-related factors-video conferencing, wearing masks, and increased stress-affected how they felt about their skin. Younger age groups were 1.5 to 2.8 times (P < .01) more likely to answer in the top category for all 3 pandemic-related factors compared with the oldest age group.LimitationsRecruitment of participants was limited to English-speaking adults aged 18 years or older who were registered on ResearchMatch, which underrepresents minority populations. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate how the pandemic affected perceptions of skin.ConclusionSkin aging is a significant concern among adults of all ages. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated skin concerns. Women and young adults are more likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in their attitudes toward their skin.
| S-EPMC10348726 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The purpose of this study was to examine food choice motives associated with various organic and conventional dietary patterns among 22,366 participants of the NutriNet-Santé study. Dietary intakes were estimated using a food frequency questionnaire. Food choice motives were assessed using a validated 63-item-questionnaire gathered into nine food choice motive dimension scores: "absence of contaminants", "avoidance for environmental reasons", "ethics and environment", "taste", "innovation", "local and traditional production", "price", "health" and "convenience". Five consumers' clusters were identified: "standard conventional food small eaters", "unhealthy conventional food big eaters", "standard organic food small eaters", "green organic food eaters" and "hedonist moderate organic food eaters". Relationships between food choice motive dimension scores and consumers' clusters were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models adjusted for sociodemographic factors. "Green organic food eaters" had the highest mean score for the "health" dimension, while "unhealthy conventional food big eaters" obtained the lowest mean score for the "absence of contaminants" dimension. "Standard organic food small eaters", "green organic food eaters" and "hedonist moderate organic food eaters" had comparable scores for the "taste" dimension. "Unhealthy conventional food big eaters" had the highest mean score for the "price" dimension while "green organic food eaters" had the lowest mean scores for the "innovation" and "convenience" dimensions. These results provide new insights into the food choice motives of diverse consumers' profiles including "green" and "hedonist" eaters.
| S-EPMC5331519 | biostudies-literature