Moon S, et al. Nutr Res Pract. 2024 Aug;18(4):567-585. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2024.18.4.567

Background/Objectives: Excessive sugar intake through sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has raised global concerns due to its association with various health risks. This study evaluates the effectiveness of nudges—in the form of order placement, variety expansion, and a combination of both—in promoting non-SSB purchases at self-service kiosks, a key environment for SSB consumption. Methods: This study was conducted using a real-world kiosk at food and beverage outlets in South Korea from 28 May to 12 July, 2024. A total of 183 consumers aged 19 to 29 participated in this study. A single kiosk device was used with four screen layouts, each reflecting a different nudge strategy. Participants were unaware of these manipulations when making their purchases. After their purchases, participants completed a survey. All data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0. Results: Females reported significantly higher positive attitudes, preferences, and perceived necessity regarding nudges compared to males. In particular, both the single (variety) and combination (order and variety) nudges received positive responses from females (p < 0.001). The combination nudge significantly increased non-SSB purchases compared to the control (p < 0.05) and single (order) nudge groups (p < 0.01), which suggests that combination nudge is effective in promoting healthier beverage choices. Females were also more likely to purchase non-SSBs than males (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings suggest that the combination nudge strategy effectively promotes healthier beverage choices in real kiosk settings. Notably, females demonstrate significantly higher positive attitudes, preferences, and perceived necessity regarding nudges compared to males, and are also more likely to purchase non-SSBs. These findings offer valuable insights for real-world applications aimed at encouraging healthier consumption behaviors.

Background/Objectives: Healthy Food Corners (HFCs) are zones in Korean convenience stores meant to promote healthier choices, yet how consumers respond to them remains unclear. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, this study examined consumer awareness and the perceived necessity of HFCs, identified preferences for their spatial and visual design, and exploratorily tested whether perceived necessity links awareness to healthy-food purchase intention. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of 409 convenience store users aged 14–59 years in the Seoul metropolitan area was analyzed using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping mediation. Results: A descriptive contrast was observed between awareness and perceived necessity: awareness of the HFC was low (three-item composite M = 2.90 ± 1.66), whereas perceived necessity was substantially higher (M = 4.86 ± 1.25), indicating that consumers valued the concept even with limited prior exposure. Consumers preferred HFCs in ready-to-eat refrigerator sections, with clear zoning labels, horizontal grouping, green color schemes, and eye-level placement, and these preferences differed by age. In an exploratory mediation analysis, awareness predicted perceived necessity, which in turn strongly predicted purchase intention; the indirect effect was significant (0.188, 95% CI [0.128, 0.251]) while the direct effect was non-significant, a pattern consistent with full mediation. Because perceived necessity was assessed with a single item, this pathway is interpreted cautiously. Purchase intention was self-reported rather than behaviorally assessed. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that HFCs may function as distinct, strategically positioned spatial nudges; however, design recommendations are based on consumer-stated preferences and require confirmation through behavioral research. The results have implications for food environment policy in Korea, with the caveat that generalizability to other countries and retail systems warrants caution.

The present study aimed to analyze the effect of food literacy on the short-term and long-term healthy eating intentions of convenience store consumers using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB) framework. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in South Korea in September 2023. A total of 397 Korean participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The independent variables included food literacy, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The χ² tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression were performed, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Adolescents showed significantly higher food literacy than adults (P < 0.01). In contrast, adults demonstrated higher scores in attitude (P < 0.01), subjective norm (P < 0.05), perceived behavioral control (P < 0.01), and short-term (P < 0.001) and long-term healthy eating intentions (P < 0.001). When food literacy was included as a variable in the hierarchical regression analysis, the explanatory power for short-term and long-term healthy eating intentions increased by 1.7% and 5.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). The study highlights the need for customized nutrition education and continuous, systematic education on eating habits to enhance food literacy.