In this paper, we relate the concepts of “You Only Live Once,” delayed gratification, theories of persuasion as used in communication, and economics. We illustrate behavioral changes across generations and seek to explain these changes using a combined framework of communication, psychology, and economics. These concepts are then juxtaposed with the present COVID-19 crisis in terms of both health and economic implications. To provide a human face to the discussion, we describe our experiences as consumers, savers, and investors, thus demonstrating the application of these concepts to our own microeconomies. Philosophically peaking, a decision to do something in the present and a decision to defer something for the future are both acts of faith. We propose the use of theories of persuasion to demonstrate the risk in an overreliance on present orientation. We suggest diversification, not only in investment outlets, but also in temporal orientation, i.e., while people can and should enjoy the present, they should not do so by ignoring the future.
Consumer Behavior

PURPOSE: This study investigated the importance and performance of food/nutrition labeling. The aim was to determine how important students consider food nutritional labeling, utilization of nutrition labels in daily life, and consumer satisfaction of current nutritional labeling. METHODS: This study was conducted using a primary survey of students at one high school in Seoul. A total of 300 of 382 questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: Regarding difference analysis of the importanceperformance of food/nutrition labeling, importance showed higher scores than performance in all 10 attributes. According to the results of Importance and Performance Analysis (IPA), ‘health, weight control and maintenance, proper dietary habits, and personal satisfaction’ displayed both high importance and performance in the first quadrant. Importance of two factors (health and nutritional factor and effects of media and education) of the 10 attributes positively influenced overall satisfaction in the multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: To develop healthier food choices, it is necessary to educate adolescents about food/nutrition labeling and improve the food/nutrition labeling system.
Adolescent* ; Consumer Behavior ; Food Habits ; Food Labeling* ; Humans ; Seoul*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a serious concern worldwide, for which the restaurant industry holds partial responsibility. This study was conducted to estimate restaurant consumers' intention to select healthy menu items and to examine the relationships among behavioral beliefs, past behaviors, attitudes and behavioral intentions, which are known to be major determinants of consumer behaviors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online, self-administered survey was distributed for data collection. The study sample consisted of customers who reported having visited casual dining restaurants in the last three months at the time of the survey. Structural equation modeling was used to verify the fit of the proposed research model. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling revealed that the proposed model supports the sequential, mediated (indirect) relationships among behavioral beliefs, past behaviors, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward healthy menu selection. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the available literature regarding obesity by adding past behaviors, one of the most influential variables involved in prediction of future behaviors of consumers, to the TPB model, enabling a better understanding of restaurant consumers' rational decision process regarding healthy menu choices. The results of this study provide practical implications for restaurant practitioners and government agencies regarding ways to promote healthy menus.
Consumer Behavior ; Data Collection ; Government Agencies ; Intention* ; Obesity ; Restaurants

In 2011, Shanghai Medical Equipment Management Quality Control Center launched the fifth after-sale service satisfaction survey for medical devices in Shanghai area. There are 8 classes medical devices involving in the survey. This paper demonstrates the investigation results of monitoring devices which are from different manufacturers.
Consumer Behavior ; Equipment and Supplies ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVES: This study examined variations in the perceptions of dioxin risk among social groups defined by geographical living location, environmental education, and occupation. Dioxin risk perceptions were analyzed according to values, risk awareness, knowledge, and behavioral preferences. METHODS: A quasi-experimental survey was designed and conducted on individuals from seven experimental groups in Jeonju city, South Korea, including: people living near incineration facilities; people living far from incineration facilities; governmental experts; nongovernmental organization members; office workers in developmental institutes or banks; students who were enrolled in environmental-related classes; and students who were enrolled in business-related classes. RESULTS: The results show variations among groups in values, awareness and behavioral preferences. Particular attention should be given to the result that groups with higher connectedness- to-nature values show higher willingness-to-act (WTA) for risk reduction. Result s can be summarized as follows. First, awareness is associated with one's geographical setting. Second, values and WTA behaviors are related to one's environmental-related education and occupation. Third, values are significantly related to WTA behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Different cultures, in terms of values or worldview, among groups influence their perceptions of dioxin risk and choices of risk reduction behaviors. It is important to consider values in communicating complicated long-term risk management involving public participation. Further research should be continuously conducted on the effects of multiple dimensions of values on one's WTA for risk reduction behaviors.
Academies and Institutes ; Consumer Participation ; Education ; Humans ; Incineration ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Occupations ; Risk Management ; Risk Reduction Behavior

PURPOSE: This study aims at comparing levels of service satisfaction with and needs for visiting nurse(VN) services among their beneficiaries in order to make a plan for extending VN services. METHODS: The number of the subjects of this study is 270 in total. They were selected in random sampling in which 30 VN service recipients were randomly selected from each of 7 regions based on their grades and region types. RESULTS: The highest total score for satisfaction with the VN services was 46.30, which the rural residents gave to their received VN services, then the metropolitan residents gave 44.57, and the small and middle size cities' residents 43.64. On the other hand, the highest total score for needs for VN services was 33.03, which the small and middle size cities' residents gave to their received VN services, then the rural residents gave 31.68, and the metropolitan residents 30.88. CONCLUSION: As the small and middle size cities' residents showed low satisfaction with and high needs for local VN services, policies need to be made to promote service providers' expertise and accessibility.
Consumer Behavior ; Hand ; Health Policy ; House Calls* ; Insurance, Long-Term Care* ; Long-Term Care* ; Nursing Services

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences of capacity of local health organization to regional characteristics and the influence of organizational capacity on organizational performance. METHODS: The study used the secondary data for 160 local public health organizations from 5th Community Health Plans and 2009 Community Health Survey. The collected data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Work force and budget showed differences in regional size and elderly population rate. And consumer satisfaction and health care utilization showed differenced in work force and budget. The regression model with total number of employee, number of registered nurses, number of doctors and budget against consumer satisfaction was statistically significant (F=14.70, p=<.001), and number of registered nurses was identified as a factor influencing consumer satisfaction. This model also explained 20.5% of service satisfaction. The regression model for consumer satisfaction was statistically significant (F=45.98, p=<.001), and total number of employee nurses was identified as a factor influencing health care utilization. This model also explained 53.1% of utilization. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study imply that organizational capacity as work force and budget should be increased to improve the organizational performance as consumer satisfaction and health care utilization.
Aged ; Budgets ; Consumer Behavior ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea* ; Nurses ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Public Health*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of social support with health status and health behavior. METHODS: This study was conducted with 79 elderly people in Gunja-ri, Dongsan-myun, Chuncheon. We performed face to face interview which was composed of socio-demographic characteristics, social support, health status and health behavior. The association between social support and result variables was analysed by Chi-square test and logistic regression. We used SAS ver9.1 for statistic analysis. RESULTS: Mean age of the study population was 72.0+/-7.0, social support score was 14.3+/-4.7 with full marks of 20 and 36.25% of the total population were shown to have depression. When the social support score was changed, depression (p=0.0007) and physical exercise (p=0.0312) showed significant difference. The self-rated health status was significantly related to the relationship with family members (OR=0.25, 95% CI=0.07-0.95) and the quality of sleep was also significantly associated to the relationship with family members (OR=0.21, 95% CI=0.06-0.73). The physical exercise was done significantly less in the group 'without' close friends than in the group with 'many' close friends (OR=0.21, 95% CI=0.05-0.94) and the depression was significantly more in the group without community participation than in the group with community participation (OR=4.79, 95% CI=1.62-14.15). CONCLUSIONS: Through this study, we could conclude that the social support factors are associated with health status and health behavior. Therefore, to improve the health status of rural elderly, we need to approach to develop social support.
Aged ; Consumer Participation ; Depression ; Exercise ; Friends ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Phenothiazines ; Rural Health ; Sociology

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to measure the Korean health literacy level and to analyse its gaps according to the factors of socioeconomic and health status and health behaviors. Based on this, policy implications were reviewed to improve the understandability on health information and to reduce the gap among socioeconomic groups. METHODS: HLS-EU-Q47, a tool developed by the European Health Literacy Project, was used to conduct a face-to-face interview survey on the health literacy for the samples from general population. RESULTS: The public general health literacy (HL) index was 34.5 out of 50. HL is consisted of three sub-dimensions: healthcare (HC-HL), disease prevention (DP-HL), and health promotion (HP-HL). And a HL analysis found scores of 34.7 points for HC-HL, 35.4 points for DP-HL, and 33.3 points for HP-HL. The level of all HL was different according to socioeconomic characteristics and health behavior. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, more research activities on health-related literacy need to be conducted, and monitoring system on the HL level needs to be developed and implemented. In addition, a program to improve HL levels needs to be developed in order to strengthen the basis for a more sustainable healthcare system as an agenda with national health policy priority.
Consumer Health Information ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Behavior ; Health Literacy ; Health Policy ; Health Promotion ; Literacy

To improve the after-sales service, a survey aimed at the after-serveis of 3 kinds of medical equipment is applied among 68 hospitals in Shanghai Area in 2008.The Stat. and analysis results are showed in the paper, which will certainly channel off suppliers to set up a harmonious market together.
China ; Consumer Behavior ; statistics & numerical data ; Data Collection ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing