Assessing Parental Preferences Regarding a Plant-Based Game for Educating Children about More Sustainable and Healthier Diets

Abstract

Environmental damage or health concerns related to diet are some alarming consequences of our behaviour in the near future. Consumers can make a difference depending on their eating behaviour and conscientiousness about minimizing environmental damage. One way to make children more aware of the environment and induce them to eat healthier food in the future might be educational games where they could learn the importance of the environment and the effect of the food they eat on their health status. In this study, we investigated parental behaviour when feeding their children and their willingness to pay for a game product with educational and eating functions. The sample consisted of 300 parents of children aged from 4 to 12. A hypothetical choice experiment has been used and a latent class model estimated the parents’ preferences for a plant-based product game carrying two attributes, namely, the price and narrative context of the game The results indicated that parents were willing to pay more for a product with a storybook related to healthy eating habits or recycling than one with no storybook. Moreover, two dominant feeding styles in households were found: indulgent parents and uninvolved parents. This alternative approach is oriented toward educating people from the early stages of their lives, creating a favourable environment for the development of preferences for healthier food.