• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.80-94
• /
• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have reported chocolate consumption has beneficial effects on blood pressure, obesity, and dyslipidemia, which are components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, evidence regarding these relationships in Asia is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate relations between chocolate consumption and MetS in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Study subjects were 6,982 adults aged 19-64 years free of major chronic diseases that participated in the 2014-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Information on chocolate consumption was obtained using food frequency questionnaires. For primary analysis, subjects were divided into two groups: non-consumer (n = 3,741, 53.6%); consumer (n = 3,241, 46.4%). In order to investigate dose-response effects on MetS, chocolate consumers were divided into quartiles based on amounts consumed: Q1 (n = 789, 24.3%); Q2 (n = 837, 25.8%); Q3 (n = 863, 26.6%); Q4 (n = 752, 23.2%) in second analysis. RESULTS: Chocolate consumers; 1) were more physically active(P < 0.0001); 2) less likely to smoke(P < 0.0001); 3) paid more attention to food nutrition labels (P < 0.0001), and 4) had healthier dietary patterns, that is, they consumed vegetables, fruits, and dairy products more frequently(P < 0.0001) than non-consumers. Furthermore, chocolate consumers had a 30% lower risk of MetS (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-0.86; P = 0.0005). However, dose-response effects between chocolate intake and MetS was not found by secondary analysis after excluding non-consumers. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, chocolate consumers had healthier lifestyles and dietary patterns and a lower prevalence of MetS than non-consumers, as determined by our primary analysis. Although dose-response effects were not found to be significant among chocolate consumers during secondary analysis, the patterns were partially similar. This cross-sectional finding shows chocolate consumption does not increase the risk of MetS. The prospective studies and intervention trials in Korea are needed to confirm this cross-sectional finding.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.117-129
• /
• 1988

The purposes of this study are 1) to explore the evaluating attribute of family life- insurance 2) to examine the relationship between evaluation attribute variables and level of consumer satisfaction/ dissatisfaction (CS/D), and 3) to investigate the sociodemographic variables and psychological variables which influence the purchase of life-insurance. The data used in this study include 432 households of 208 life-insurance purchasers and 224 non-purchasers Statistics used for the data analysis are x2, factor analysis, multiple regression and a discriminant analysis. The resulting major findings are as follows; 1) The evaluating attributes are saving function, convenience. economic payoff, safety for future accident, agreement of insurance, and reputation of brand. 2) Among these factors. the most important factors. in CS/D of life-insurance are saving function, and reputation of brand. 3) the purchase of life-insurance has been influenced by such sociodemographic variables as husband's age , family income, and family life-cycle. Psychological variables such as attitude of life, perceived risk, consumer attitude about insurance business did not influence the purchase of life -insurance significantly. As mentioned above, we can conclude that Korean purchasers of life-insurance are using irrational evaluating attributes. Therefore more education of the consumers and more information about life-insurance purchases are necessary. Especially low-income households and first step of family life-cycle families are turned out to need more education as well as more information.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.119-143
• /
• 2003

Trust has been identified as a key component in many e-Commerce studies. The purpose of this study is to find out which factors play a major role in building trust and how the built-up trust affect consumer's purchase intention in Internet used-car transactions. Based on the information asymmetry, TAM(Technology Acceptance Model), and the trust theory, our research model includes factors such as a buyer's propensity-to-trust, institutional characteristics(inspection and warranty policy), word-of-mouth referral, perceived size, and perceived benefits as independent variables. The model also includes trust as a mediate variable, intention to purchase as a dependent variable and perceived quality risk as a moderate variable. The research model is tested by analyzing 787 sample data gathered from Internet used-car transaction sites. The result shows that the trust has significant effects on the online purchase intention, and institutional characteristics has been identified as the most significant factor for the trust of Internet used-car sites. The independent factors influencing trust vary depending on the level of perceived quality risk. For users who perceive the quality risk low, the perceived benefits explain a little portion of the purchase intention. However, those who perceive quality risk high would purchase used-cars only when they have trust on the Internet sites, indicating that trust play an important role as a mediate variable. This study suggests that enhancing the trust in Internet used-car sites is important to increase online transactions.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.351-362
• /
• 2003

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of perceived risks toward GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) food on the decision-making to purchase it and demands to reveal its Identity. The major results were as follows. First, consumers strongly perceived the risk toward GMO food, and demanded labeling to identify it. But, many consumers had indecisive in the purchase of GMO food. Second, consumers with high level of perceived risks toward GMO food were more likely not to buy GMO food. In addition, the level of perceived risk was high among consumers who had many children. Finally, consumers with high level of perceived risks toward GMO food were more likely to demand the labelling for identifying GMO food. Consumers who had many children and high level of reliability for labelling food safety strongly demanded to label for revealing GMO food.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.8 no.11
• /
• pp.157-167
• /
• 2021

The study analyzes the factors affecting the intention and recommendation to use the mobile banking applications of 314 customers from Vietnam. The study analyzes 7 factors affecting the intention and recommendation to use the mobile banking applications of customers from Vietnam, including (i) Perceived risk; (ii) Perceived ease of use; (iii) Perceived usefulness; (iv) Attitude; (v) Perceived trust; (vi) Social image; and (vii) Innovativeness. Besides, the study also analyzes 4 variables that reflect the customer's demographics, including gender, age, education, and occupation, and 6 variables describing the behavior of customers using mobile banking applications. The study findings indicate that the following factors (i) Innovativeness; (ii) Attitude; (iii) Perceived risk; (iv) Perceived ease of use, and (v) Perceived trust have the most significant impact on customers' behavior of using mobile banking applications in emerging markets such as Vietnam in the context of prolonged pandemic and continuous lockdown in many provinces and cities. The study is also of great value to studies on behavior changes among customers using mobile banking applications after the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. The study will provide additional empirical evidence useful to bank administrators in motivating customers to use mobile banking applications, helping develop a digital economy in Vietnam.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.320-349
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The application of IoT is finding continuous acceptance in our daily lives, particularly, smart speakers are making life easier and convenient for consumers. This research aims to develop and test an integrated model of factors influencing consumer's adoption of voice-enabled IoT devices. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the VAM, an integrated voice-enabled IoT device adoption model is proposed. Gender differences on five constructs relating with perceived value (perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived security risk, perceived technicality and perceived cost) was also examined through PLS-MGA technique. The usage experience of consumers was also controlled in the integrated VAM. Findings: Result shows that Perceived-Usefulness, Perceived-Enjoyment and Perceived-Cost have a strong effect on Perceived-Value. However, Perceived-Technicality and Perceived-Security-Risk are non-influential and have no significant effect on PV. Additionally, Perceived-Value and Social-Influence plays a significant role in predicting adoption intention. Gender differences also exist in consumers perception of usefulness, enjoyment and cost. In comparison to the basic value-based adoption model, the integrated model provides more insight on consumers adoption of voice-enabled IoT devices. Originality/value: Using an integrated model, this study is one of the first scholarly attempt at modelling the influential factors for adopting smart speakers i.e., voice-enabled IoT devices, with implications for improved adoption.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.101-124
• /
• 2009

According to Wikipedia, virtual reality (VR) is defined as a technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment. Due to a rapid growth in information technology (IT), the cost of virtual reality has been decreasing while the utility of virtual reality advertisements has dramatically increased. Nevertheless, only a few studies have investigated the effects of virtual reality advertisement on consumer behaviors. Therefore, the objective of this study is to empirically examine the effects of virtual reality advertisement. Compared to traditional online advertisements, virtual reality advertisement enables consumers to experience products realistically over the Internet by providing high media richness, interactivity, and telepresence (Suh and Lee, 2005). Advertisements with high media richness facilitate consumers' understanding of advertised products by providing them with a large amount and a high variety of information on the products. Interactivity also provides consumers with a high level of control over the computer-simulated environment in terms of their abilities to adjust the information according to their individual interests and concerns and to be active rather than passive in their engagement with the information (Pimentel and Teixera, 1994). Through high media richness and interactivity, virtual reality advertisements can generate compelling feelings of "telepresence" (Suh and Lee, 2005). Telepresence is a sense of being there in an environment by means of a communication medium (Steuer, 1992). Virtual reality advertisements enable consumers to create a perceptual illusion of being present and highly engaged in a simulated environment, while they are in reality physically present in another place (Biocca, 1997). Based on the characteristics of virtual reality advertisements, a research model has been proposed to explain consumer responses to the virtual reality advertisements. The proposed model includes two dimensions of consumer responses. One dimension is consumers' rational response, which is based on the Information Processing Theory. Based on the Information Processing Theory, product knowledge and perceived risk are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. The other dimension is emotional response of consumers, which is based on the Attitude-Structure Theory. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, arousal, flow, and positive affect are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. Because it has been criticized to have investigated only one of the two dimensions of consumer response in prior studies, our research model has been built so as to incorporate both dimensions. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, we hypothesized the path of consumers' emotional responses to a virtual reality advertisement: (H1) Arousal by the virtual reality advertisement increases flow; (H2) Flow increases positive affect; and (H3) Positive affect increases intension to purchase. In addition, we hypothesized the path of consumers' rational responses to the virtual reality advertisement based on the Information Processing Theory: (H4) Increased product knowledge through the virtual reality advertisement decreases perceived risk; and (H5) Perceived risk decreases intension to purchase. Based on literature of flow, we additionally hypothesized the relationship between flow and product knowledge: (H6) Flow increases product knowledge. To test the hypotheses, we conducted a free simulation experiment [Fromkin and Streufert, 1976] with 300 people. Subjects were asked to use the virtual reality advertisement of a cellular phone on the Internet and then answer questions about the variables. To check whether subjects fully experienced the virtual reality advertisement, they were asked to answer a quiz about the virtual reality advertisement itself. Responses of 26 subjects were dropped because of their incomplete answers. Responses of 274 subjects were used to test the hypotheses. It was found that all of six hypotheses are accepted. In addition, we found that consumers' emotional response has stronger impact on their intention to purchase than their rational response does. This study sheds much light into practical implications for both IS researchers and managers. First of all, while most of previous research has analyzed only one of the customers' rational and emotional responses, we theoretically incorporated and empirically examined both of the two sides. Second, we empirically showed that mediators such as arousal, flow, positive affect, product knowledge, and perceived risk play an important role between virtual reality advertisement and customer's intention to purchase. In addition, the findings of this study can provide a basis of practical strategies for managers. It was found that consumers' emotional response is stronger than their rational response. This result indicates that advertisements using virtual reality should focus on the emotional side, and that virtual reality can be served as an appropriate advertisement tool for fancy products that require their online advertisements to give an impetus to customers' emotion. Finally, even if this study examined the effects of virtual reality advertisement of cellular phone, its findings could be applied to other products that are suited for virtual experience. However, this research has some limitations. We were unable to control different kinds of consumers and different attributes of products on consumers' intention to purchase. It is, therefore, deemed important for future research to control the consumer and product types for more reliable results. In addition to the consumer and product attributes, other variables could affect consumers' intention to purchase. Thus, the future research needs to find ways t control other variables.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.105-113
• /
• 2013

Consumer organizations usually lead the opinions of the consumers. This study was performed to investigate the perceptions and information needs of consumer organizations on food additives for the promotion of risk communication. A survey was conducted for 4 weeks in March 2012 by using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 32 questions. Total 111 responses were collected for analysis. 'Safety (91.0%)' was the most important factor influencing the purchase of processed food, and both 'food additives (24.3%)' and 'environmental pollution (23.4%)' were considered as main risk factors. The longer the career of the members had, the higher negative perceptions on food additives (p<0.01). About 70% of the respondents who had known KFDA's researches on evaluating safety of food additives answered that researches were not enough to make sure the safety. Although lectures and other domestic organization were the main channels for getting information, 'TV' was considered as the most suitable way for it. 'Poor risk communication (32.4%)' was pointed out as the serious problem of government's food safety policy. Based on these results, consumer organizations' low level of trust on government should be overcome by continuous supply of information what they need to facilitate risk communication on food additives.

• The Korean Fashion and Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.523-532
• /
• 2013

This study investigates risk reduction behavior with risk perception in outdoor wear purchase situations. Data were collected via a questionnaire from 400 consumers between the ages of 20 to 50 residing in Seoul and Kyonggi-do. Data analysis were conducted with SPSS 20 program on the reliability test, factor analysis, cluster analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and Duncan's multiple range test. Factor analyses were employed for the participation motivation of mountain climbing activities, risk reduction behavior and risk perception. Five factors were for the participation motivation of mountain climbing activities (health and fitness, external ostentation, achievement and excitement, improvement of climbing skills, and society). Five factors were for risk perception (fashionability loss and social risk, time and convenience loss, economic risk, performance risk, and psychological risk). Five factors were for the risk reduction behavior (interpersonal information sources use, marketer-dominated information sources use, professional information sources use, pre-purchase deliberation/observation/experience, and brand dependence). Three clusters were identified based on the motivation of outdoor activities (the affiliation/display, the health/internal informativeness and low motivation). The participation motivation for mountain climbing activities were varied. Manufacturers should increase efforts to develop products with good qualities at a reasonable cost as well as establish new marketing strategies since the risk of product performance and economic efficiency in the purchase of outdoor wear was a significant consumer perception.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.20-26
• /
• 2006

In the fields of mechanical reliability application, "zero" or "zero or one" failure tests are most commonly used for demonstrating reliability of a product since they reduce test duration and/or sample size compared to other test methods that guarantees the same reliability of a product with a given confidence level or consumer's risk. The test duration of the "zero or one" failure test is longer than that of "zero" failure test but it has advantage of smaller producer's risk. In this paper a two-stage test is developed that compromises the "zero" and "zero or one" failure tests. The properties of the proposed two-stage test are investigated and the three test methods are compared using a numerical example.