Cross-Sectional Association of \u3ci\u3eToxoplasma gondii\u3c/i\u3e Exposure with BMI and Diet in US Adults

Toxoplasmosis gondii exposure has been linked to increased impulsivity and risky behaviors, which has implications for eating behavior. Impulsivity and risk tolerance is known to be related with worse diets and a higher chance of obesity. There is little known, however, about the independent link between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) exposure and diet-related outcomes. Using linear and quantile regression, we estimated the relationship between T. gondii exposure and BMI, total energy intake (kcal), and diet quality as measured by the Health Eating Index-2015 (HEI) among 9,853 adults from the 2009–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Previous studies have shown different behavioral responses to T. gondii infection among males and females, and socioeconomic factors are also likely to be important as both T. gondii and poor diet are more prevalent among U.S. populations in poverty. We therefore measured the associations between T. gondii and diet-related outcomes separately for men and women and for respondents in poverty. Among females \u3c 200% of the federal poverty level Toxoplasmosis gondii exposure was associated with a higher BMI by 2.0 units (95% CI [0.22, 3.83]) at median BMI and a lower HEI by 5.05 units (95% CI [-7.87, -2.24]) at the 25th percentile of HEI. Stronger associations were found at higher levels of BMI and worse diet quality among females. No associations were found among males. Through a detailed investigation of mechanisms, we were able to rule out T. gondii exposure from cat ownership, differing amounts of meat, and drinking water source as potential confounding factors; environmental exposure to T. gondii as well as changes in human behavior due to parasitic infection remain primary mechanisms

Three Essays on Consumer and Producer Decision-making

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. July 2018. Major: Applied Economics. Advisors: Chengyan Yue, Terry Hurley. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 108 pages.This dissertation aims to address a few recent theoretical and methodological developments to better understand individual decision-making. Consumer purchases of community supported agriculture are decision-making under risk. In this case, essay one incorporates prospect theory in behavioral economics to a discrete choice experimental design, and simultaneously estimate consumer preferences for product attributes and risk parameters including loss aversion, diminishing sensitivity, and probability weighting. Not only consumer purchasing decisions involve risk and uncertainty, producers’ production decision-making is also affected by individual risk preferences. Thus, in the second essay, we explore the preference differences between conventional crop producers and specialty crop producers using behavioral economics models, and the results shed lights on risk mitigation and policies related production contract design. Given the recent developments in estimation methods, the third essay assesses US households’ organic produce purchases using the method of machine learning. This study compares the predictive accuracy of organic budget share between econometric models and machine learning methods, which provides some initial insights into the effectiveness of using machine learning methods to estimate household demand

Investigating Consumer Participation Decision in Community-Supported Agriculture: An Application of Cumulative Prospect Theory

Using the framework of cumulative prospect theory (CPT), we investigate consumers’ decision to participate in community-supported agriculture (CSA) under risk and uncertainty. We analyze discrete choice experiment data using a CPT framework that allows for flexible reference points and individual preference heterogeneity. Comparison between model specifications suggests that the CPT model with the control of all risk parameters generates better goodness of fit than the expected utility model. Market sensitivity analysis further indicates that, while CSA operators benefit from transferring production risk partially to consumers, the level of transferred risk has a great impact on market share

How Information Affects Consumer Acceptance of Nano-packaged Food Products

Many food companies are developing nanotechnology modified food packages and it is critical to understand the informational and attitudinal factors that influence public acceptance of nano-packaging. This study uses experimental auction with real nano-packaged products to test and compare consumer acceptance for nano-packaged food products with information from various sources. The results indicate when provided with information from different sources, consumer acceptance for and attitude toward nano-packaged food products are changing: for plain-labeled food products, reliance on government regulation was the only determinant influencing participants’ willingness to pay; after general information about nanotechnology was given, participants were willing to pay more for nano-packaged products, which was affected by their general attitude towards new food technology and concerns about environment/health; when detailed information were provided, concern about the environment/health became the only factor that significantly influenced participant willingness to pay for nano-packaged food products

Heterogeneous Consumer Preferences for Nanotechnology and Genetic-Modification Technology in Food Products

This study investigates heterogeneous consumer preferences for nano-food and genetic-modified (GM) food and the associated benefits using the results of choice experiments with 1117 U.S. consumers. We employ a mixed logit model and a latent class logit model to capture the heterogeneity in consumer preferences by identifying consumer segments. Our results show that nano-food evokes less negative reactions compared with GM food. We identify four consumer groups: “Price Oriented/Technology Adopters,” “Technology Averse,” “Benefit Oriented/Technology Accepters,” and “New Technology Rejecters.” Each consumer group has distinctive demographic backgrounds, which generates deeper insights in the diversified public acceptance for nano-food and GM food. Our results have important policy implications in the adoption of new food technologies

Novel approaches to analyze consumer behavior and policies to promote healthy and sustainable consumption

Technological advancements, such as online grocery shopping, have significantly transformed consumer retail environments and experiences. Effectively studying consumer behavior in these new environments requires the use of novel methodological approaches, which will also aid in the development of interventions to encourage healthy and sustainable consumption. This paper begins by providing an overview of the current literature on novel approaches to analyzing consumer behavior. To contribute to this literature, the paper also examines consumer decision-making pathways within online grocery shopping platforms. Specifically, the paper focuses on exploring the consumers' digital footprints, such as page visits, product additions and removals, and interactions with information labels to identify patterns and interests in consumer responses to healthy and sustainable consumption. The study investigates potential heterogeneities in consumers’ socio-demographics and attitudes, aiming to provide insights for shaping online shopping environments to promote healthy and sustainable food choices. Findings highlight the potential benefits of integrating consumer search tracking data with environment design to facilitate informed and conscious food choices