J Nutr Health.  2023 Oct;56(5):573-588. 10.4163/jnh.2023.56.5.573.

Effect of food-related lifestyle, and SNS use and recommended information utilization on dining out

• Jang JA

• KMID: 2547720
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2023.56.5.573

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to examine social networking service (SNS) use and recommended information utilization (SURU) according to the food-related lifestyles (FRLs) of consumers and analyze how the interaction between the FRL and SURU affects the practice of eating alone and visiting restaurants.
Methods
Data on 4,624 adults in their 20s to 50s were collected from the 2021 Consumer Behavior Survey for Food. Statistical methods included factor analysis, K-means cluster analysis, the complex samples general linear model, the complex samples Rao-Scott χ² test, and the general linear model.
Results
The following three factors were extracted from the FRL data: Convenience pursuit, rational consumption pursuit, and gastronomy pursuit, and the subjects were classified into three groups, namely the rational consumption, convenient gastronomy, and smart gourmet groups. An examination of the difference in SURU according to the FRL showed that the smart gourmet group had the highest score. The result of analyzing the effects of the FRL and SURU on eating alone revealed that both the main effect and the interaction effect were significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). The higher the SURU, the higher the frequency of eating alone in the convenience pursuit, and gastronomy pursuit groups. The main and interaction effects of the FRL and SURU on the frequency of eating out were also significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). In all the FRL groups, the higher the SURU level, the higher the frequency of visiting restaurants. Specifically, the two groups with convenience and gastronomic tendencies showed a steeper increase.
Conclusion
This study provides important basic data for research on consumer behavior related to food SNS, market segmentation of restaurant consumers, and development of marketing strategies using SNS in the future.

Keyword

food-related lifestyle; social network service; eating alone; consumer behavior survey