PapersFlow Research Brief
Consumer behavior in food and health
Research Guide
What is Consumer behavior in food and health?
Consumer behavior in food and health is the study of how individuals select food products and health-related goods based on personal values, ethics, and well-being attitudes within broader consumer policy and behavioral economics frameworks.
The field encompasses 59,605 works analyzing consumer policy, behavioral economics, sustainable consumption, and ethical consumption. Key texts like "Konsumentenverhalten" by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019) with 772 citations define foundational consumer decision-making processes. "Political Virtue and Shopping" by Micheletti (2003) with 796 citations examines political consumerism where market choices reflect ethics and family well-being.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Sustainable Consumption Behaviors
This sub-topic explores psychological and social drivers of eco-friendly purchasing in food and health products. Researchers model barriers like cost perceptions and habits using surveys and experiments.
Behavioral Economics in Food Choices
This sub-topic applies nudge theory and prospect theory to decisions on nutrition and health products. Studies analyze biases in labeling, pricing, and portioning effects on consumer welfare.
Ethical Consumption Practices
This sub-topic examines moral motivations for choosing fair-trade, organic, or cruelty-free food and health items. Researchers investigate signaling, altruism, and certification impacts via mixed methods.
Digital Transformation of Consumer Markets
This sub-topic studies e-commerce, apps, and AI personalization in food delivery and health shopping. Analyses cover platform algorithms, data privacy, and shifts in buying patterns.
Cultural Influences on Food Consumption
This sub-topic probes how traditions, migration, and globalization affect dietary preferences and health behaviors. Ethnographic and cross-national studies reveal hybrid consumption patterns.
Why It Matters
Consumer behavior in food and health shapes policy and market dynamics through ethical and political choices. Micheletti (2003) in "Political Virtue and Shopping" demonstrates how consumers turn shopping into political action by selecting producers and products aligned with personal and family well-being values, influencing ethical consumption in food sectors. Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019) in "Konsumentenverhalten" provide models applied in health product marketing, with 772 citations underscoring their role in predicting behaviors tied to health decisions. These insights guide sustainable food policies and behavioral interventions in public health campaigns.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Konsumentenverhalten" by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019) as it provides the foundational framework for understanding consumer decision-making processes applicable to food and health choices.
Key Papers Explained
"Political Virtue and Shopping" by Micheletti (2003) introduces political consumerism as market-based ethics, which "Konsumentenverhalten" by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019) builds upon with empirical models of behavior; the 2013 edition of "Konsumentenverhalten" by the same authors refines these for practical applications. "Die Internet-Galaxie" by Castells (2001) connects digital networks to consumption shifts, contextualizing ethical choices in modern food markets. "Questions and Answers in Attitude Surveys" by Albaum, Schuman, and Presser (1982) supplies survey methods underpinning attitude research in these works.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research emphasizes interdisciplinary links to sustainable consumption and behavioral economics, with top papers like Becker's "Der ökonomische Ansatz zur Erklärung menschlichen Verhaltens" (2025) extending economic models to health behaviors. No recent preprints or news reported.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Die Internet-Galaxie | 2001 | VS Verlag für Sozialwi... | 1.6K | ✕ |
| 2 | Political Virtue and Shopping | 2003 | Palgrave Macmillan US ... | 796 | ✕ |
| 3 | Konsumentenverhalten | 2019 | — | 772 | ✕ |
| 4 | Questions and Answers in Attitude Surveys | 1982 | Journal of Marketing R... | 512 | ✕ |
| 5 | Konsumentenverhalten | 2013 | Vahlen eBooks | 385 | ✕ |
| 6 | Körper von Gewicht: die diskursiven Grenzen des Geschlechts | 1997 | — | 347 | ✕ |
| 7 | Zur Anwendung der Diskursethik in Politik, Recht Und Wissenschaft | 1992 | — | 288 | ✕ |
| 8 | Numerische Differenz. Überlegungen zu einer Soziologie des (qu... | 2010 | Zeitschrift für Soziol... | 268 | ✕ |
| 9 | Über die reine Mediaverkalkung der Extremitätenarterien und ih... | 1903 | Archiv für Pathologisc... | 242 | ✓ |
| 10 | Der ökonomische Ansatz zur Erklärung menschlichen Verhaltens | 2025 | Mohr Siebeck eBooks | 235 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is political consumerism in food choices?
Political consumerism involves selecting food producers and products based on attitudes and values of personal and family well-being. Micheletti (2003) in "Political Virtue and Shopping" describes it as turning markets into sites for politics and ethics. This behavior impacts sustainable and ethical food consumption patterns.
How does "Konsumentenverhalten" define consumer decision-making?
"Konsumentenverhalten" by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019) establishes foundational research on consumer behavior through the Institute for Consumer and Behavior Research. It covers processes relevant to food and health product choices. The work has 772 citations reflecting its core status.
What role do values play in health-related consumption?
Consumers choose health products based on ethical values and well-being attitudes. "Political Virtue and Shopping" (2003) shows market choices as expressions of personal ethics. This applies to food selections prioritizing health and sustainability.
Why study consumer behavior for food policy?
Consumer behavior informs policies on sustainable and ethical food consumption. Works like "Konsumentenverhalten" (2013) by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein with 385 citations model decision processes. These models support interventions in health and nutrition policy.
What is the scale of research in this area?
The field includes 59,605 works on consumer policy and behavioral economics. Top papers like "Die Internet-Galaxie" by Castells (2001) have 1631 citations, indicating digital influences on consumption. Growth data over 5 years is not available.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do digital transformations alter ethical food consumption patterns?
- ? What quantitative methods best predict health product choices under economic constraints?
- ? In what ways do cultural values mediate political consumerism in nutrition?
- ? How can behavioral economics models integrate social capital for sustainable food behaviors?
- ? Which survey techniques most accurately capture attitudes toward health-focused ethical consumption?
Recent Trends
The field holds steady at 59,605 works with no specified 5-year growth rate.
Recent citations highlight enduring influence of "Konsumentenverhalten" editions by Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein (2019: 772 citations; 2013: 385 citations) and Becker's "Der ökonomische Ansatz zur Erklärung menschlichen Verhaltens" (2025, 235 citations) applying economics to behavior.
No preprints or news from the last 12 months indicate stable focus on core texts.
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