Evaluation of the Effect of Hedonic Hunger on Purchasing Behavior in Adult Individuals

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of individuals’ hedonic hunger status on their purchasing behaviors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 218 individuals, 147 females and 71 males, aged 18-65 years. Questions about demographic characteristics and eating habits, Power of the Food Scale (PFS), Hedonic and Utilitarian Purchasing Behavior Scale were applied via an online questionnaire. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Acıbadem Mehmet Aydınlar University with the number of 2021-17/10. Results: PFS total score was determined as 3.03±0.82 in females and 2.51±0.90 in males (p<0.05). According to PFS, the frequency of hedonic hunger in females (70.7%) was higher than in males (49.3%) (p<0.05). Hedonic Consumption Behavior Scale (HCBS) total and subscale scores were higher in females than males (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between PFS and HCBS scores in females and in males between PFS and HCBS and between PFS and Utilitarian Consumption Behaviors Scale scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: Hedonic hunger and hedonic consumption behavior frequency were found to be higher and related to each other in females. It is believed that practices aimed at raising awareness in the consumption of food and non-food products and developing utilitarian purchasing behavior will contribute to weight control and sustainability.