Zeng Tian
Department of Management Sciences, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada.
Discov Food. 2024;4(1):185. doi: 10.1007/s44187-024-00257-7. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
Food well-being (FWB) is fundamental for consumers' overall well-being. Previous studies have explored FWB through five domains (food socialization, literacy, marketing, availability, and policy) or food-related concepts (e.g., food pleasure, healthiness, and satisfaction). However, the understanding of FWB is limited due to two main issues: (1) the absence of a clear definition and reliable measurement tools for this multifaceted and multidisciplinary phenomenon, and (2) the tendency of studies to focus on individual dimensions rather than examining it as an integrated whole, making it difficult to understand how these dimensions are interconnected. To address these gaps, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted with young Canadian consumers using a focus group and 15 individual interviews. A directed content analysis revealed a disconnect between consumer perceptions and the existing definition of FWB. This study makes three key contributions to understanding FWB: first, it provides a deeper insight into FWB conceptualization by identifying new themes within its domains. These include: (1) food socialization, shaped by family, peers, and meal traditions; (2) food literacy, encompassing both conceptual and procedural knowledge, as well as individual goals; and (3) food marketing, shaped by the impact of marketing activities (the 4Ps) on food experiences. Second, this study presents a comprehensive framework that illustrates the interconnections among FWB domains. It highlights, for example, how food socialization influences food literacy, the interactions between food literacy and food marketing, and the role of policy in shaping FWB. Third, it offers practical implications for enhancing FWB in contemporary consumer society.
食物福祉（FWB）对消费者的整体福祉至关重要。以往的研究通过五个领域（食物社会化、素养、营销、可及性和政策）或与食物相关的概念（如食物愉悦感、健康程度和满意度）来探讨食物福祉。然而，由于两个主要问题，对食物福祉的理解受到限制：（1）对于这一多面且多学科的现象，缺乏清晰的定义和可靠的测量工具；（2）研究倾向于关注各个维度，而非将其作为一个整体来审视，这使得难以理解这些维度是如何相互关联的。为了填补这些空白，对加拿大年轻消费者进行了一项定性探索性研究，采用了焦点小组和15次个人访谈。定向内容分析揭示了消费者认知与食物福祉现有定义之间的脱节。本研究对理解食物福祉有三项关键贡献：第一，通过识别其领域内的新主题，对食物福祉概念化提供了更深入的见解。这些主题包括：（1）由家庭、同龄人及用餐传统塑造的食物社会化；（2）涵盖概念性和程序性知识以及个人目标的食物素养；（3）由营销活动（4P）对食物体验的影响所塑造的食物营销。第二，本研究提出了一个全面的框架，阐明了食物福祉各领域之间的相互联系。例如，它强调了食物社会化如何影响食物素养、食物素养与食物营销之间的相互作用，以及政策在塑造食物福祉方面的作用。第三，它为在当代消费社会中提升食物福祉提供了实际意义。
