title: Beer consumers' perceptions of the health aspects of alcoholic beverages.
abstract: Consumers' perceptions about alcohol are shaped by numerous factors. This environment includes advertisements, public service announcements, product labels, various health claims, and warnings about the dangers of alcohol consumption. This study used focus groups and questionnaires to examine consumers' perceptions of alcoholic beverages based on their nutritional value and health benefits. The overall purpose of this study was to examine beer consumers' perceptions of the health attributes and content of alcoholic beverages. Volunteers were surveyed at large commercial breweries in California, Missouri, and New Hampshire. The anonymous, written survey was presented in a self-explanatory format and was completed in 5 to 10 min. The content and style of the survey were derived from focus groups conducted in California. The data are separated by location, gender, and over or under the age of 30. Parametric data on beverage rating were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) while the nonparametric data from True/False or Yes/No questions were analyzed using chi-square. Although statistically significant variances did exist between survey location, gender, and age, general trends emerged in areas of inquiry. The findings indicate that a great opportunity exists to inform consumers about the health benefits derived from the moderate consumption of all alcoholic beverages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bruhn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bamforth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001515:Beer; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D058870:Food, Organic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste; D014920:Wine