Yalvac Omer, Keskin Nurhan, Terin Mustafa, Hajizadeh Hanifeh Seyed, Kaya Ozkan
Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Türkiye.
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Türkiye.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Jun 15;44(1):202. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-00955-7.
This study examines the relationship between households' fruit and vegetable purchasing frequency and their socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes, with a focus on Eastern Türkiye's Van province, a region underrepresented in existing literature.
To explore how socio-demographic and attitudinal factors influence the frequency of household fruit and vegetable purchases.
Methodologically, the research employs a Chi-square test of independence to compare households' fruit and vegetable purchasing frequencies across four categories: never, twice a month, once a week, and more than once a week. To further analyze the determinants of purchasing frequency, an ordered probit model was utilized. This econometric approach was applied to obtain coefficients used in calculating marginal effects and probabilities.
The empirical results reveal significant influences of various household characteristics on fruit and vegetable purchasing frequency. Household income, fruit and vegetable expenditure, employment and insurance status of the household head, perception of sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption within the household, and fruit and vegetable consumption by children in the household were found to positively affect the frequency of household fruit and vegetable purchases. Conversely, the age of the household head was found to negatively impact the frequency of fruit and vegetable purchases. Given the behavioral elements involved in food purchasing, this study also incorporates attitudinal and perceptual factors that may reflect bounded rationality beyond classical utility theory.
This research contributes to both public health and behavioral economics literature by integrating socio-demographic and psychological variables into the analysis of purchasing behavior. The findings suggest that multifaceted approaches may be necessary to effectively increase fruit and vegetable consumption, including economic interventions, educational programs, and targeted interventions for specific demographic groups such as older adults. The results also offer empirical support for developing regionally tailored strategies in under-studied areas like Van.
本研究考察家庭水果和蔬菜购买频率与其社会人口特征及态度之间的关系，重点关注土耳其东部的凡省，该地区在现有文献中较少被提及。
探讨社会人口因素和态度因素如何影响家庭水果和蔬菜的购买频率。
在方法上，本研究采用独立性卡方检验，以比较家庭水果和蔬菜购买频率的四个类别：从不购买、每月两次、每周一次以及每周多次。为进一步分析购买频率的决定因素，采用了有序概率模型。这种计量经济学方法用于获取计算边际效应和概率时所用的系数。
实证结果表明，各种家庭特征对水果和蔬菜购买频率有显著影响。家庭收入、水果和蔬菜支出、户主的就业和保险状况、家庭对水果和蔬菜消费充足性的认知以及家庭中儿童的水果和蔬菜消费被发现对家庭水果和蔬菜购买频率有积极影响。相反，户主年龄被发现对水果和蔬菜购买频率有负面影响。鉴于食品购买涉及行为因素，本研究还纳入了可能反映超越经典效用理论的有限理性的态度和认知因素。
本研究通过将社会人口和心理变量纳入购买行为分析，为公共卫生和行为经济学文献做出了贡献。研究结果表明，可能需要采取多方面的方法来有效增加水果和蔬菜的消费，包括经济干预、教育项目以及针对特定人口群体（如老年人）的有针对性干预。研究结果还为在凡省等研究较少的地区制定因地制宜的策略提供了实证支持。
