Consumers' readiness to eat a plant-based diet

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2006-03, Vol.60 (3), p.342-351
• Main Authors: Lea, E.J, Crawford, D, Worsley, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: action/maintenance stage; Adult; age; Age Distribution; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cereals; Clinical Nutrition; Consumer attitudes; consumer behavior; consumer readiness; Consumers; contemplation/preparation stage; Demographic variables; Diet; Diet - psychology; Diet Surveys; Diet, Vegetarian - psychology; Eating behavior; Education; emotional barriers; Epidemiology; Feeding Behavior - psychology; Female; Flowers & plants; food intake; Food Preferences - psychology; Fruit; Fruits; Health Behavior; health beliefs; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; human nutrition; Humans; Internal Medicine; Maintenance; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Nutritional Sciences - education; Nuts; original-article; perceptions (cognitive); plant-based foods; precontemplation stage; Public Health; Seeds; social barriers; sociodemographic characteristics; Statistical analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables; vegetarian diet; Vegetarianism; Victoria; Well being
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602320

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine consumers' readiness to change to a plant-based diet. Design: Mail survey that included questions on readiness to change, eating habits and perceived benefits and barriers to the consumption of a plant-based diet. Setting: Victoria, Australia. Subjects: A total of 415 randomly selected adults. Results: In terms of their readiness to eat a plant-based diet, the majority (58%) of participants were in the precontemplation stage of change, while 14% were in contemplation/preparation, and 28% in action/maintenance. Those in the action/maintenance stage ate more fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole-meal bread, and cooked cereals than those in earlier stages. There were statistically significant differences in age and vegetarian status between the stages of change, but not for other demographic variables. There were strong differences across the stages of change with regard to perceived benefits and barriers to plant-based diets. For example, those in action/maintenance scored highest for benefit factors associated with well-being, weight, health, convenience and finances, whereas those in the precontemplation stage did not recognise such benefits. Conclusions: These findings can be utilised to help provide appropriate nutrition education and advertising, targeted at specific stages of change. For example, education about how it is possible to obtain iron and protein from a plant-based diet and on the benefits of change, in addition to tips on how to make a gradual, easy transition to a plant-based diet, could help progress precontemplators to later stages. Sponsorship: Australian Research Council.