engleski

Research into the influence of parents’ incomes on the purchasing of healthy foods for children in Croatia

The topic of this research is how an impact on family income influences the purchase of healthy foods for children in the family. In addition to income, other factors which influence parents’ purchase and consumption of healthy foods for their family were taken into consideration. These factors are: school meals and the attitude of educational institutions towards healthy foods, television, physical activity of a child, a child’s inclusion in the purchase process as a form of education, the parents’ habits, how often food is cooked at home and whether parents are appropriate role models for their children regarding healthy foods. These are just some of the factors which have an impact on children’s eating habits if income is put aside. Two methods were used in this research: the quantitative method (questionnaire), with data obtained from 87 mothers, and the qualitative method (in-depth interview), where the examinees responded to the factors which influence the healthy foods consumption. The target group were mothers whose children attend primary school. The questionnaire was published on the most popular social network, where the mothers are most active. The in-depth interview included the mothers who live in Croatia’s two largest cities, Zagreb and Split. In the Zagreb group the selected mothers had different incomes, whereas in Split a group with different incomes was observed. The results were compared and they showed that income does play an important role in the purchase of healthy foods for children, but that it is not the crucial factor. Healthy foods are in fact affordable if they don’t include organic products, such as organic olive oil, free-range fish, etc., because most mothers can’t afford them. Furthermore, the questionnaire highlighted that Croatian mothers feel dissatisfied with the healthy foods offer in Croatia, as well the attitude of the education system regarding healthy foods. The example of the measures which should be implemented can be found in the research conducted in Sweden by Johansson et al. 2013.

Healthy foods, food for children, income, school meals, children-directed marketing, ethics in marketing to children, television, parents as role models for healthy eating habits.

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