THE ROLE OF LIFESTYLE PATTERNS IN THE CHOICE OF HEALTH-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN HUNGARY

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THE ROLE OF LIFESTYLE PATTERNS IN THE CHOICE OF
HEALTH-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN HUNGARY
IAREP 2008. LUISS, Rome

• Beáta Vajda
• Dr. Éva Málovics
• Dr. Zoltán Veres
• University of Szeged
• Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
  Hungary

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Contents

• Introduction the importance of the topic
• Theoretical background
• the concept of lifestyle
• the concept of health behaviour
• Research method
• Empirical results
• Conclusion and further research

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Introduction

• The topic of healthcare becoming increasingly
  relevant
• Social trends affecting health care, lifestyle
  and health behaviour
• Changes in population health are not only due to
  economic growth or public policies, but to
  lifestyle choices as well the role of individuals
• Is it possible to analyse (health-related)
  decisions based on health behaviour and lifestyle
  elements in Hungary?

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The concept of lifestyle

• Several definitions, one we accept Lifestyle is
  the pattern of individual and social behaviour
  characteristic of an individual or a group.
  (Veal, 2000)
• Lifestyle-based segmentation psychographics
• Suitable in several areas but has limitations
  (obtaining segments which are not only distinct,
  but also homogeneous within cannot always be
  accomplished, there are no standardized methods
  for developing psychographic items)

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The concept of health behaviour

• Connection between behaviour and diseases
• individual responsabilities
• Those personal attributes such as beliefs,
  expectations, motives, values, perceptions, and
  other cognitive elements personality
  characteristics, including affective and
  emotional states and traits and overt behaviour
  patterns, actions, and habits that relate to
  health maintenance, to health restoration, and to
  health improvement. (Gochman, 1988)
• By defining lifestyle-groups, we may gain
  relevant information in connection with market
  segmentation and about how to address different
  groups

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Research method

• Aim to find out what explanatory force lifestyle
  typologies have and whether it is possible to
  analyse health-related decisions based on
  lifestyle groups in Hungary
• In-depth interviews on activities and consumption
  of health-related products and services of people
  belonging to a lifestyle group (This research is
  supported by the National Scientific Research
  Fund (OTKA K 67803))
• The structure of interviews
• Relationship between personality and
  health-related consumption
• Principles of way of life, personality
• Relationship between lifestyle characteristics
  and the examined area and description of the
  subjects own consumption
• 10 interviews have been made

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Empirical results 1.

• About the increased amount and diverse character
  of information
• Too much information the more the
  information, the more established decisions are
• Information coming from medias or
  suppliers/sellers may substitute information that
  should come from doctors
• Low level of trust

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Empirical results 2.

• Personality and consumption
• Decision is affected by current status or
  occurrent problems of health status, lifestyle
  habits, and personal or family preferences
• The arousal of a problem is needed for a
  conscious health-behaviour prevention is not
  part of the Hungarian culture
• Possibilities are greatly limited by
  discretionary income

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Empirical results 3.

• Principles of way of life and personality
• Healthy life, security and support for the
  family, material security and social status
• Relationship between lifestyle characteristics
  and the examined area and description of the
  subjects own consumption
• Concordance in connection with low-fat food,
  fruits and vegetables
• No concordance for vitamin products and food
  supplements
• Medicines, bought without prescription in case
  of emergency
• Running, cycling or gymnastics at home are the
  most popular sports
• Massage or sauna rather luxury goods and only
  available occasionally
• Opinion of the environment have almost no impact
  on their choice

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Empirical results 4.

• Types of behaviour
• For nourishment
• Avoiding forms of health-conscious nourishment
• Preferring forms of health-conscious nourishment
• Vegetarianism
• For sports
• Doing sports regularly, are willing to sacrifice
  money for it
• Doing sports, but are not sacrificing money for
  it
• Who acknowledge the need for sports but do not do
  enough

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Conclusion and further research

• Individual responsibility for our health
• Disease-behaviour is a stronger part of
  health-behaviour conscious energy- and financial
  efforts are made rather in case of the occurrence
  of a health problem
• Financial reasons are the most frequently
  mentioned burdens for the realization of the
  desired lifestyle
• The range of people interviewed will have to be
  wider
• Quantitative methods later

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Thank You for Your Attention!