The 2007 Study of Food Buying Exploring individuals' food choices and food availability

What is the purpose of this study?

We are currently in the third year of a research project aimed at understanding the different foods that people buy, their reasons for buying them, and how these things may be changing in today's rapidly evolving marketplace. The focus of our study is on food purchased for home consumption (i.e. not restaurant food), and as such, we are gathering data on such topics as:

• Where do people buy their food?
• How do they choose those grocery providers?
• How does the accessibility and food selection of one's grocery provider impact a person's diet?
• How do people choose which foods to purchase?
• How does the intended method of preparation impact food choices?
• Does the amount of time available to spend cooking have an impact?
• Does cooking skill matter?
• How does a person's enjoyment of cooking (or lack thereof) come into play?
• Does where someone learned to cook make a difference?
• What are shopper's biggest concerns regarding the food they purchase?
• How do children impact food buying decisions?
• How are food purchases likely to change in the future?
• We are examining other issues as well, but this should give you an idea of the nature of our research...

What has been done so far?

Over the past couple of years, this study has involved a variety of research techniques including focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and a national survey. Right now, we are specifically looking for people to participate in one-on-one in-depth interviews. Essentially, this means a 30-45 minute interview where we ask questions about some of the issues listed above to try and gain greater insight into how these food purchasing decisions are made by people from all walks of life. We welcome, and would greatly appreciate, anyone that is willing to be interviewed. We are looking for a variety of perspectives, and our interview questions simply ask that you tell us about your opinions and food related routines. Every single person is a food consumer, and that means that every single person has insights to offer us and this study. If you live in the Madison, Wisconsin area and are available and willing to be a participant in our research, please let us know by filling in the contact form below. We would love to hear from you!

Who is doing this research?

This research is being supervised by Lydia Zepeda, Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin - Madison's School of Human Ecology. Human Ecology, in a nutshell, is the study of humans and the ways in which they interact with the social, cultural, and physical environments in which they live, work, and play. The aim of the school is to improve the standard of living for all people through interdisciplinary research, creative innovation, teaching, learning and outreach. This specific project is being funded by a grant from the National Research Initiative through the United States Department of Agriculture.

What is the current status of the project?

We have completed dozens of interviews, and the data analysis is underway. We are working on summarizing our findings, applying the relevant academic theories, and publishing the results. We are not currently seeking more participants.