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Impact of price elasticity on the healthfulness of food choices by gender

Objective: To extend findings from experimental price elasticity studies by examining these effects in a field setting and identifying gender differences in purchasing behaviour in response to variations in the cost of lower energy-dense (ED) and higher ED foods. Setting: Data were collected from low- and median-income male and female grocery shoppers at a supermarket in the Western New York region. Design: Using a procedure adapted from experimental economics, participants were given a debit card in a grocery store setting and allowed to purchase any foods from two pricing conditions. Conditions were identical, except one had lower ED foods low priced, and the other had lower ED foods higher priced. The design was fully counterbalanced. Results: Overall, when lower ED foods were more expensive, fewer lower ED foods were purchased (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.0, −.40). Gender differences revealed that men spent more money (in dollars) when higher ED foods were higher priced (95% CI: US$0.51, US$1.73) and women spent more money when lower ED foods were higher priced (95% CI: − US$2.21, − US$0.11). Furthermore, women, but not men, increased spending when lower ED foods were higher priced (95% CI: − US$2.85, − US$0.73). Conclusion: Higher costs for fruits and vegetables among consumers can adversely affect the purchase volume of these foods, with men being most susceptible to pricing manipulations. Results contribute to an understanding of how perceptions of price impact consumer choice and suggest that efforts aimed to increase the perceived value of health over cost should be tailored towards men.