Determinants of the attitudes of proinnovative dairy consumers and a model simulating consumer behavior regarding increasing calcium intake.

OBJECTIVE: A study was carried out to identify characteristics of consumers of dairy products.

METHODS: Based on a questionnaire with 127 participants, aged 22 to 52, a simulation model was developed, taking into account factors influencing the development of health-seeking behavior.

RESULTS: A relationship was found between consumer proinnovative attitude, actual prohealth behavior, and characteristics of the consumer influencing the consumption of calcium. Prohealth behavior (knowledge and application of the principles of healthy eating) is mainly influenced by material situation, age, and gender of the consumer. It has been reported that only 25% of parents talk to their children about the principles of healthy eating. No relationship was found between prohealth and proinnovation behaviors and level of education, sports activity, or number of children in the family.

CONCLUSIONS: Among young people, as many as 39% do not follow the principles of healthy eating, and these are mainly women. Respondents' proinnovative attitudes and social status were conducive to increasing calcium intake and correlate with greater diversity in the consumption of dairy products. The Pearson correlation coefficient between body mass index and calcium intake was not significant (r = -0.03; P = 0.76).