Examination of sustainable and health-conscious lifestyle among the Hungarian population based on the results of three research studies

Abstract

The implementation of sustainable development and the associated values in consumer behavior is becoming more and more emphasized as well as increased attention to our health. In both of the two value dimensions, consumer interest is constantly increasing, and demand for healthy and sustainable products is growing. In our research, this trend was primarily investigated in the field of food consumption. The research was based on the segmentation theory of NMI’s LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability). The research consisted of three parts. First, in a representative national survey, we examined the attachment of Hungarian adult consumers to the aforementioned values (N = 1000), then high school students (N = 1000), and finally, university students (N = 298) were interviewed on the same topic. In each case, principal component analysis was used to isolate the individual value dimensions and then cluster analysis was used to identify the various segments. In all of the three studies, each group was significantly separated from each other by the values of health consciousness and sustainable development. Based on our results, it can be concluded that the younger age group is more strongly committed to the tested values than the older generation. As a result, younger generations can be considered a potential consumer market for products and services representing sustainability and health awareness. We believe that further European research of this topic would be useful for both the researchers and the business sector.