Quantitative Surveys of Food Consumption and Motives: The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ)

Data about the motives of consumers for buying and consuming specific food products are needed in order to tailor media messages and public health policies to the current nutritional challenges. Research in this field is especially important in the Western Balkan countries, where the population suffers from several diseases linked to unhealthy nutrition and the data on the actual eating habits are scarce. Addressing the motives behind different nutritional choices could help improve diets in the region. To this end, a Food Choice Questionnaire was applied to six Western Balkan countries. This method provided a systematic cross-national comparison of food choice motivations in the region as well as comparison to countries of the European Union.