The Role of Children in the Family Purchase Decision-Making Process About Healthy Versus Unhealthy Food

Abstract

This study explores how children are involved in the family decision-making process when buying healthy vs unhealthy food, and whether this involvement is influenced by family emotional climate. Participants are 239 parents of 7 to 13 years old children. They completed a set of self-report questionnaire related to healthy and unhealthy foods perception; consumer purchase decision making process; children's influences strategies in food purchase; influence exerted by children in the food purchasing process; family cohesion, flexibility, and communication. The results highlight how the children used influence strategies and became more involved in consumer purchasing decisions when they come to unhealthy food than healthy food. The emotional family climate also modifies both the frequency of use and the level of participation in the consumer purchase decision making process. This study provides insight into the key predictors of the development of certain consumption skills in children and how they use them to influence the family purchase of healthy and unhealthy foods.