Determinants of Unequal Distribution of Fresh Vegetable and Cut-Vegetable Consumption across Age in Japan

This paper examined two issues. First, the hypothesis that the elderly tend to consume more fresh vegetables than other consumers because of their different food orientations, and second, a comparison of the impact of food orientations towards cut and fresh vegetables on purchasing behavior. Based on these issues, we showed the implications of promotional activities for vegetable purchases. This paper used the structural equation modeling analysis method, which can identify causal connections. The results were as follows: First, we were able to confirm the following causal connection: the elderly purchase fresh vegetables frequently because they are strongly health- and weakly convenience-oriented. Second, in the case of cut vegetables, both health-orientation, as in the case of fresh vegetables, and convenience-orientation were found to have a positive effect on purchase frequency. This study further confirmed that cut vegetables are positioned as a product matching the recent convenience-oriented trend. Based on this knowledge, encouraging young people to be more conscious about their health and to avoid being convenience-orientated, by cooking for themselves, may be useful in promoting the consumption of fresh vegetables. Acknowledgement : This work was supported by JSJP KAKENHI Grant Number 16K18764 and Number 16H04989.