History and background to the survey
In 1985, JRA Research, an ad hoc market
research agency working mostly in the food
sector, identified a need for reliable trend data
to measure levels of concern with and aware-
ness of healthy eating issues.
Throughout the early 1980s there had been
much discussion about health issues and a
strengthening consumer interest in many
aspects of health and diet. As researchers
talking constantly to the public about food it
was evident that there was not only increasing
concern, but also an increasing number of
issues being brought to the public’s attention
by the media.
Although at the time there were a number
of one-off surveys exploring and measuring
attitudes to healthy eating it was evident that
consumers tend to over claim in this area. Few
consumers are happy to admit to giving their
family foods which are supposedly bad for
them, drinks which they know are full of
sugar, even if in fact chips and fizzy drinks are
a daily part of their household’s diet. In order
to glean a realistic picture of attitudinal and
behavioural changes regarding food and
health it is more reliable to look at changes in
measures rather than looking at one snapshot
picture.
Since 1986 the National Health Survey has
monitored women’s attitudes to health focus-
ing specifically on food and drink, providing a
unique picture of changes in attitudes and
behaviour across the last decade. The survey
is run as a syndicated survey and is subscribed
to by many of the large food and drink suppli-
ers in the UK.
The survey comprises 1,800 interviews
annually with a nationally representative
sample across England, Scotland and Wales.
All interviews are conducted face to face
across 26 sampling points.
Coverage of the survey
There are a number of key areas covered
within the survey. These include:
(1) Consumers’ perceptions of the healthi-
ness of around 90 individual food prod-
ucts and 30 different drinks (non-alco-
holic).
(2) Changes in eating habits due to health
concerns.
95
Nutrition & Food Science
Number 2 · March/April 1998 · pp. 95–98
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0034-6659
The National Health
Survey – consumer
attitudes to health and
food
Allyson Armitstead
The author
Allyson Armitsteadis a Director of JRA Research Ltd,
Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Provides the background to ongoing research and the last
decade’s trends in consumer attitudes to health and food.
Based on findings from the National Health Survey (UK) of
women’s attitudes to health focusing specially on food and
drink. A total of 1,800 interviews are annually undertaken
of a representative sample of women. Key issues over the
last ten years have been salmonella and eggs, listeria,
additives in food, fats in food, and beef. All have led to
changes in attitudes and behaviour change.