The Social Determinants of Food Purchasing Practices: Who Chooses Price-before-Health, Taste-before-Price or Organic Foods in Australia?

Paul R. Ward, Loreen Mamerow, Julie Henderson, Anne W. Taylor, Samantha B. Meyer, John Coveney

Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Population Research and Outcome Studies, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.

DOI: 10.4236/fns.2012.34066                

Abstract

A survey of the extent to which cost, taste and health considerations impact food purchasing practices in Australia was conducted. Data were gathered from a national computer assisted telephone survey of 1109 randomly sampled house- holders and analysed using multiple logistic regression analysis. 88% of respondents considered the taste of food before its price, with females and people on higher incomes more likely to do so. 52% of respondents said that they considered the price of food before its health and nutritional benefits, with males, younger people and people with lower educa- tional qualifications more likely to do so. 49% said that they purchase organic food, with people with 1 child, full-time employed and people never married more likely to do so. Overall, gender, income, education, work status, age and family size are all important predictors of food purchasing practices in Australia.

Keywords

Food; Taste; Price; Organic; Socio-Demographics; Survey; Logistic Regression; Australia

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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