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Sports Activity vs. Consumption of Dietary Supplements
35-48Views:1081Previous research on consumption of dietary supplements and consumer motivations has shown that there are different motivations behind their widespread consumption in recreational and competitive sports. This research examined the consumption of the main nutritional supplements, the relationship between different forms of sports and dietary supplement consumption, as well as their relationship with age. The questionnaire survey was conducted by telephone among those who mainly exercised recreational sports activities and a total of 236 valid responses were obtained. The sample is gender-balanced and overrepresents younger segments by age groups. The majority of recreational athletes interviewed in the research are among the potentially stable consumers. Only 10% does not consume and does not plan to use supplements. The interview recorded the main types of supplements (vitamins and minerals; amino acids, proteins; essential fats, etc.) as well as the preferred forms of sports (device-free and device-intensive aerobics and cardio; fitness and team sports). As for the purpose of consuming dietary supplements it can be said that the main motivator is the preservation of health, followed by the improvement of physical well-being, cartilage protection, muscle gain, and then performance enhancement. Among other things, the research revealed differences in consumption motivations for dietary supplements by age group, the relationship between sports type and dietary supplement consumption. Health preservation as motivation spans different age categories, however, cartilage protection and improvement of physical well-being are more typical for the 25+ and 35+ age groups, while supplements consumed to increase muscle mass and performance shift to the younger side of the sample. Different patterns appear for each type of sport, only the outstanding rate of consumption of vitamin preparations is the same. Device-free aerobic and cardio 91%, device-intensive aerobic and cardio 88% and fitness sports 85% are the proportions of people who often consume vitamin preparations several times a day, once a day or several times a week. The results suggest that the primary driver of the use of dietary supplements is the preservation of health, but product knowledge is an important consideration, as excessive intake of these supplements can even lead to damage to health.
JEL Codes: I12, M31, Z2 -
The Relationship between Genetics-Based Personalised Nutrition and Dietary Supplement Consumption among the Hungarian Population
61-71Views:292Genetic-based personalised nutrition is a concept that adapts diets, foods and nutrients to a person's individual needs (genetic, lifestyle and environmental), of which the use of supplements can be an integral part. Personalised nutrition, as a new technology and nutritional principle, could be a good way to improve the objective health status of the population in a meaningful way. However, previous research has shown that Hungarian consumers are distrustful and uncertain about this new technology, despite its obvious benefits. My main objective is to identify the attitudes towards nutrigenomics in relation to dietary supplement consumer behaviour. My quantitative analysis was carried out on a nationally representative sample of 1000 people. In the present study, I describe the clusters of the Hungarian population based on their dietary supplement consumption behaviour. Each cluster has different opinions on who they perceive as having an advantage in the applicability of genetic-based tests and to what extent they expect consensus among experts on genetic-based tests. Clusters show characteristic differences in openness to innovation and attitudes towards genetically personalised nutrition. I complemented my results with a qualitative study, which I conducted in the form of a netnographic survey. Through content analysis on social media, I identified the most common themes and consumer reactions to personalised nutrition on social media sites. Overall, it was found that dietary supplement consumption and the adoption of genetic-based tests show synergies in the manifestation of openness to novelty, health promotion behaviours, social norms, and positive attitudes.
JEL Codes: A13, I12, P46 -
Integrating QFD and Kano Model for the Introduction of Dietary Supplement Tablets
3-18Views:249The University of Debrecen (UD) is aiming to enter the dietary supplements market with its own branded and self-manufactured products. The goal of our research is to determine the product characteristics which provide a competitive advantage for a dietary supplement capsule about to be launched and translate them into technological parameters of manufacturing. In this research, we aim to find out (K1) which product characteristics contribute the most and (K2) which technological parameters need to be focused on during production. To answer these questions, we integrated the Kano Model was integrated into the "House of Quality" (QFD) model and cluster analysis was conducted. By applying these methods together, we can get a clearer picture of which product characteristics to focus on in product development to achieve the highest increase in customers’ satisfaction. The responses of 298 individuals were analysed based on their consumption habits. According to our results, natural ingredients, scientific background of the University of Debrecen, and safety were attractive factors for identifiable target groups, moreover, the first two attributes contributing the most to customers’ satisfaction. Therefore, we also recommend indicating these on the packaging. Based on the House of Quality analysis, bioactive ingredients emerged as the most important technical parameter, so we recommend its adaption in production.
JEL codes: I12, L11 L66
