Validation of the Foodie Index and characterization of foodies across four countries
Gary J. PickeringPurpose
This paper aims to determine the validity and performance of the Foodie Index in four countries in the Global North and describe the sociodemographic characteristics of foodies and their hedonic experiences of food.
Design/methodology/approach
About 824 adults from England, Canada, the USA and Australia, representative of age and region for each country, completed the 12-item Food Index (nine-point Likert scale) and answered a range of questions related to sociodemographics and pleasure derived from eating (seven-point Likert scale).
Findings
The internal reliability of the Index was very good (Cronbach’s alpha and mean interitem correlation), and confirmatory factor analysis yielded a four-dimensional solution, with Index items loading well onto separate factors describing monetary investment, enjoyment and interest, time investment and knowledge, respectively. The proportion of foodies in the populations sampled does not vary between countries p(χ2 > 0.05), suggesting a robustness in the foodie construct and the utility of the Foodie Index for determining foodie status. Foodies are significantly younger (17 years) than non-foodies (p(K < 0.05) and more likely to be university educated than are non-foodies for English and Canadian participants p(χ2 < 0.05). Additionally, foodies derive more pleasure from eating food relative to other regular daily activities and rate pleasure from both sensory and social experiences when eating higher (p(K < 0.05).
Originality/value
These findings support the use of the Foodie Index in further consumer research in the Global North and offer insights into the development and marketing of food services and products for specific consumer segments.