Market Research Report Conducted For The Heart Foundation

Final Research Report
The PROsearchers
Joshua Hay, Alex Kinloch, Cindy Kovac, Akash More, Leo Schmallenbach

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Table of contents
1 Background.........................................................................................................................2
2 Methodology........................................................................................................................3
3 Findings (Qualitative and Quantitative) ..........................................................................5
3.1 Sources of Nutritional Information for QSRs (RO #1) .................................................5
3.1.1 Qualitative Research Findings ................................................................................5
3.1.2 Quantitative Research Findings ..............................................................................6
3.2 Trustworthiness of Sources of Nutritional Information (RO #2) ..................................7
3.3 Accuracy of Knowledge about Different Types of Nutritional Information (RO #3)...8
3.4 Impact of Nutritional Information in Decision Making Process (RO #4) ...................11
3.4.1 Qualitative Research Findings ..............................................................................11
3.4.2 Quantitative Research Findings ............................................................................12
3.5 Further Findings and Additional Information..............................................................14
3.5.1 Qualitative Research Findings ..............................................................................14
3.5.2 Quantitative Research Findings ............................................................................16
4 Recommendations.............................................................................................................18
5 Limitations and Conclusion.............................................................................................20
5.1 Qualitative Research....................................................................................................20
5.2 Quantitative Research..................................................................................................20
Appendix ..................................................................................................................................II

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Executive Summary
This research project suggests that the current importance and influence of nutritional
information on young Australian adults’ food choices at Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) is
fairly low. Even though the majority of the 18-25 years old Australian residents visit a Quick
Service Restaurant (QSR), defined as a food place where it does not take longer than 7
minutes between ordering and consuming food, several times a week, only a few actively look
for nutritional information. Additionally for a high portion of them the understanding and
knowledge regarding the presented information seems to be inaccurate. Only roughly 50% of
the research sample could name the recommended daily intakes of fruits, vegetables and
kilojoules.

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1 Background
2015 will mark the 26th anniversary of the Heart Foundation Tick program. The organization
has worked with several food manufacturers for 26 years in order to help consumers make
healthier food choices. It has dedicated itself to saving the lives of millions of Australians
(Heart Foundation, 2013). Being a non-for profit organization, all of the company’s money
will be used to pursue the organization's objectives. The Tick program has been designed to
help consumers identify healthier foods, by setting extremely strict nutrient standards for food
manufactures to follow. In return they are allowed to present the Heart Foundation tick of
approval on their products. As a result of the program consumers are able to easily identify
products that are low in saturated fat, salt, trans fats and kilojoules. The Heart Foundation
further uses the donations they receive to fund vital research and develop guidelines for health
professionals.
Even though the Heart foundation’s tick program has been very successful throughout the
years, there is always room for improvement. One possible next step is to move into the fast
food/ eating out industry. This market has been increasing over the past century and plays an
important part in today’s eating habits. While in the 1900’s only 2% of meals were eaten
outside the family home, in 2010 the figure has increased to over 50%. Research has revealed
that today one in five people eat breakfast at McDonalds (Heart Foundation, 2013).
In order for the Heart Foundation to reach the organization’s objectives and help people make
healthier food choices, the Tick program could prove applicable to the fast food sector.
To understand and analyse the importance, knowledge and availability of nutritional
information for QSRs the PROsearcher’s research team has been approached and asked to
carry out qualitative as well as quantitative research studies.
For a time period of six weeks, the five project team members, Cindy Kovac, Alex Kinloch,
Joshua Hay, Leo Schmallenbach and Akash More have worked together to research the
following four main objectives:
1. Where do young Australian adults aged between 18 and 25 get nutrition information from
when eating at fast service restaurants, and how often do they seek it? Is there a difference
between genders?

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2. Given the many potential sources of information available (POS, magazines, websites,
blog sites, etc.), which are deemed trustworthy? Why? How trustworthy do they see
information provided by fast food restaurants?
3. What kinds of nutrition information are the young adults looking for? Is their
understanding of nutrition information accurate?
4. Do the consumers actually use the information provided by the fast food restaurants in
their decision making process? Why or why not?
After lining out the applied process for data collection, the key findings and additional
meaningful insights related to the four research objectives will be presented.
2 Methodology
After having conducted secondary research, whose results can be found in the appendix, the
PROsearchers have employed numerous research procedures to ensure high quality and
validity of the collected information. For all data collection processes, the participants were
screened for being permanent residents of Australia and aged between 18 and 25.
The group members conducted the research in a stage wise process as explained below.
Stage 1: In–depth interviews:
In the first stage, two in-depth interviews were conducted. The interviewees were one male
student and one female student studying at Bond University. The in-depth interviews were
conducted by Leo and Josh on the 6th of July and lasted for approximately 30 minutes each.
The atmosphere was private and unofficial so that the interviewees felt comfortable talking
about their feelings and preferences. They helped gain insights into consumption vocabulary
and general understanding of nutritional information related to QSRs.
Sample:
In-depth interview 1: Male Bond University student (Physiotherapy) aged 20, Australian
In-depth interview 2: Female Bond University student (Journalism) aged 19, Australian
Stage 2: Focus Group
In the second stage, PROsearchers conducted 2 focus groups. The focus groups were
differentiated into male and female groups with seven male participants and eight female
participants. The female focus group was conducted under the moderation of Cindy and Alex

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where Joshua, Akash and Leo conducted the male focus group. To participate students were
required to have a general knowledge of QSR nutritional information. The Focus group was
also collaborated with observation research as explained in the next stage.
The two focus groups were conducted simultaneously on the 8th of July in the group study
rooms of the John & Alison Kearney Library at Bond University. The female focus group
consisted of eight participants while the male focus group consisted of seven. In both focus
groups, which lasted for approximately 45 minutes each, one participant had to leave roughly
10 minutes early.While Josh and Leo moderated the male focus group, Cindy led the
discussion in the female one. For the discussions the participants were rewarded with free
snacks as well as drinks, which bother were offered as a healthy and unhealthy choice. The
decision of the participants was reported through observation research. Through
communication and interaction with the target group of young Australian adults, key areas
and important questions could be defined. For both focus groups and the interviews the same
moderator guide that can be found in the appendix, was used.
Sample:
Focus group 1: Seven male Bond University students, 18-25 years old
Focus group 1: Eight female Bond University students, 18-25 years old
Stage 3: Observation Research
During the Focus Group session, the group members provided sugar free and regular red bull
cans, water, snake candies and grapes to the participants. These options were provided in
order to evaluate the healthy and unhealthy preferences of the participants. The moderators
observed the participants’ choices and noted down the results of these qualitative findings.
Stage 4: Quantitative research
Using the key findings and insights from the qualitative research a questionnaire for the
quantitative research could be developed. Using the Online tool www.suverymonkey.com the
survey could be filled out on the Internet. By sending the survey link to various people on
Facebook and via email 100 responses have been collected within one week. In total the
questionnaire, which can be found in the appendix, consisted of 22 predominantly closed-end
questions.

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Sample
Gender: 46 Females, 54 Males, 4 skipped question
Age: 96 aged 18-25, 4 skipped question
Cultural Background: 67 Australians, 8 Asians, 3 North Americans, 12 Europeans, 1
African, 9 skipped question
Country of residence: 96 Australian residents, 4 skipped question
Occupation: 73 full-time students, 1 part-time student, 12 full-time workers,
9 part-time/ casual workers, 1 unemployed, 4 skipped question
Stage 5: Analysis
After the completion quantitative research, the responses could be downloaded as an Excel
sheet from Survey Monkey. In the next step the data was converted into a SPSS file allowing
the application of various statistical analysis measures. The key findings and results for the
whole project have then been summarised and put into this final report.
3 Findings (Qualitative and Quantitative)
The following chapter will present the most interesting and relevant information that could be
revealed through the research project. The findings are structured in the order of the four main
research objectives (RO). Qualitative as well as quantitative research results will be presented
for each objective separately.
3.1 Sources of Nutritional Information for QSRs (RO #1)
The first research objective aims at revealing and ranking possible sources of nutritional
information as well as young adult’s motivation to actively look for nutritional information.
3.1.1 Qualitative Research Findings
 In general, female participants seemed to do spend more time on in-depth research on
nutritional information
 Male participants stated they don’t care about nutritional information when eating fast
food because of craving
 Both genders stressed the importance of seeking nutritional information when going to
new or unfamiliar restaurant
 Both genders considered internet and social media as their primary source of information
 Both genders stated that they use nutritional information at supermarkets but not at QSRs

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 Both genders discussed the insufficient availability of information
3.1.2 Quantitative Research Findings
 54% or respondents said they would use Google to gain nutritional information
 35% of respondents said they would use the Menu at the QSR as source for information
 16 % of respondents said they would use no source at all
 Statistically significant difference in usage of social media and blogs
o Social Media: Females (26%) vs. Males (8%)  Chi-square: 0.018
 One out of three respondents never actively seeks for nutritional information
 More than 40% look for nutritional information weekly or even more often
 There is no statistically significant difference between genders in the frequency of
searching nutritional information
Figure 1: What sources do you use to gain nutritional information?
Figure 2: How often do you actively seek general nutritional information (kilojoules, calories, fats, salt, etc.)?

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3.2 Trustworthiness of Sources of Nutritional Information (RO #2)
 Both genders treated information found on the Internet with caution
o Trustworthiness varies according to websites and authors
o Interestingly one of the girls said that they prefer information made available by
the government-approved websites, specifically the ones with a triangle sign that
signifies the authorization of the information
 E.g. www.nutritional.gov.au, www.healthstarrating.gov.au
 Certified websites are deemed most trustworthy (4.20 out of 5)
 Blogs (2.78) and Social Media (2.57) are deemed least trustworthy
 There is a statistically significant difference between genders for Blogs, Social Media and
Friends
o Blogs: Males 2.54 < Females 3.00  P-value: 0.07
o Social Media: Males 2.44 < Females 2.78  P-value: 0.48
o Friends: Males 2.84 < Females 3.41  P-value: 0.04
 Google, Family, Friends and Magazines are deemed relatively equally trustworthy
Figure 3: How trustworthy do you deem the following sources of nutritional information?

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 The mean average trustworthiness of information provided by QSR itself is: 3.36
o 68% of true population’s perceived trustworthiness lie between 2.455 and 4.265
 Sample standard deviation: 0.905 and mean: 3.36
 No statistically significant difference between genders regarding perceived
trustworthiness of information
 Information provided by QSR is deemed as trustworthy as Google or Family
3.3 Accuracy of Knowledge about Different Types of Nutritional Information (RO #3)
After having identified the role and influence of nutritional information the participants were
asked to assess their knowledge and understanding of nutritional information in general and
whether the think it is sufficient.
 Both genders had more knowledge about other things such as sugar levels, sodium
levels and fats compared to ones that are displayed in QSRs (kilojoules and calories)
o Quote from male focus group: ”the information is not in detail and many of us
do not even know what is an average daily Kilojoules/kilocalories intake.”
 For both genders the knowledge varied due to the participants’ backgrounds
o E.g. rugby player, physiotherapy student, allergies
 Both genders thought they would rather look at salts, fats and sugars if more
nutritional information was available
Figure 4: Please rank the trustworthiness of nutritional information provided by the QSR.
Mean: 3.36
-1σ +1σ

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o Quote from male focus group “If I was to look at this can and it’s got all these
things, I will just look at fat and saturated fat because I think that is the worst
thing in it.”
 Calories are regarded as most important nutritional information (3.66)
 Salts is regarded as least important nutritional information (2.90)
 There is a statistically significant difference between genders for Kilojoules and Calories
o Kilojoules: Males 2.98 < Females 3.52  P-value: 0.021
o Calories: Males 3.38 < Females 4.00  P-value: 0.007
 Majoriy of respondents (56%) feels their level of knowledge about nutritional information
is average
 There is no statistically signifficant difference in subjective knowledge between genders
Figure 5: How important do you find the following nutritional information?
Figure 6: Please describe your level of knowledge regarding nutritional information.

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 Majority got the right answer for Kilojoules
(52%) and Fruits (56%)
 There seems to be less knowledge and higher
uncertainty about the recommended daily
servings of vegetables compared to fruits and
kilojoules
o Right answers for kilojoules: 52%
o Right answers for vegetables: 36%
o Right answers for fruits: 56%
 Males have statistically significantly more
knowledge about average daily intake of
kilojoules
o Males with right answer: 64%
o Females with right answer: 39%
o Chi-Square value: 0.026
 For knowledge about fruits and vegetables
there is no statistically significant difference
between genders
Figure 8: Correct answer: c) 8,700 kilojoules
Figure 8: Correct answer: c) 5-6 Servings
Figure 9: Correct answer: b) 2

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3.4 Impact of Nutritional Information in Decision Making Process (RO #4)
After introducing the topic, the participants were asked to describe their decision-making
process habits when eating at a QSR. The main focus was put on the main factors influencing
the food choice at the counter.
 Female participants agreed to often make the choice before arriving at QSR and be
influenced by their friends (e.g. going for a salad when friend does so)
 Male participants based their purchase choice on portion size and the combo deals
 Quote from male focus group: “convenience, prices can be exorbitant but it’s right
there” (Accessibility, Convenience)
 Male participants said that they make the choice after arriving at QSR at the counter
 Both genders were influenced by mitigating factors (e.g. allergies)
 For both genders nutritional information did not have a great influence
 Both groups agreed that they know when visiting QSR the food won’t be healthy
o Quote from male focus group: “Whenever we visit McDonald’s or KFC, we know
it is fast food and it isn’t healthy.”
In the next step questions were formulated more specifically on the QSR itself, and the
nutritional information provided at the store.
 Female participants seemed to be more sceptical in regards to the information provided by
QSR  tend to only trust small and local producers
 Male participants found that the information provided by larger QSRs is more reliable
 Both genders agreed that information is insufficient to make a decision based on it
o Information is limited to kilojoules or kilocalories. Both genders agree they would
prefer to see more information about salts, trans fat and sugar
 Regardless of gender there were two extremes: some said that nutritional information
would effect their decision and others said they wouldn’t
 Both genders agreed they use the nutritional information when comparing two options
 Both genders agreed that information at QSR is sometime hard to find
o Quote from female focus group, who worked at QSR: “I used to work at a
restaurant and we had a whole nutritional table for each meal, but obviously we
didn’t make it available for everyone and didn’t tell people we had it. It is pretty
much there for regulation.” Further she said: ”the marketing strategy of

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displaying information in a small text format is carried out in order to make
customers ignore that information, as it is blurrily visible. Moreover, there is a
20% variation acceptable in the information provided by QSRs.”
 Both genders agreed the information should be on a larger scale and more relatable
o E.g. images of what food can do to you, similar to cigarette packaging
 Both genders agreed that influence of nutrition information depends on motivation
o E.g. when going there because of craving it won’t change your choice
 Majority of the respondents said that they would either “never” or “seldom” look at the
nutritional information provided at a QSR (30% never and 40% seldom)
 24% of respondents said they would look at the nutritional information at a QSR “often”
 A minor 6% said they would “always” look at the nutritional information provided at a
QSR
 No statistically significant difference between genders could be proven
Figure 10: When going to a QSR, how often do you look at the nutritional information provided?

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 48% of respondents said they would “sometimes” use the nutritional information in their
decision-making process
 37% of respondents said they would “never” use the nutritional information provided by a
QSR in their decision-making process
 15% of respondents said they use the nutritional information at a QSR in their decision-
making process
 49% of respondents said that they would notice, but not use the nutritional information in
their decision-making process if it was more easily available and comprehensible
 41% of respondents said “yes” they would use nutritional information in their decision-
making process if it was more easily available and comprehensible
 10% said they would not use the nutritional information in their decision-making process
even if it was more easily available and comprehensible
Figure 11: Do you include the nutritional information provided by the QSR in your decision making process?
Figure 12: Would you use nutritional information in your decision making process if the information was more
easily available and more comprehensible?

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 Respondents said that “Taste” was the most important factor influencing them on their
food choices with an average rating of 4.22
 Respondents results show that price, time of day and portion size are all fairly influential
when they are deciding on their food choice with average ratings of 3.24, 3.24 and 3.52
respectively.
 There is a statistically significant difference between males and females on the influence
of meal combos
o Meal Combos: Male 3.52 > Female 2.87  Chi-square: 0.003
 Nutritional value as an influencing factors was only rated medium important
3.5 Further Findings and Additional Information
Although the motivation and frequency of eating at a QSR does not directly relate to the
research objectives, it was used to introduce the topic to the participant and make them feel
comfortable in the situation. Nevertheless the comments and insights gained in this part can
prove relevant for future research.
 Female participants seemed to be more sensitive to product pricing
 Female participants believed they were less sensitive to serving size
 Female participants expressed that they mainly visit QSR when in social situations
 Male participants expressed that they visit QSRs because it is a quick and easy option
Figure 13: Please rank the following factors according to their influence on your food choices at a QSR.

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 Both genders said they visit QSRs to fulfil a satisfaction or craving
 Both genders said they visit QSRs when they have busy weeks (e.g. exam periods)
 Students found that the omnipresence of fast food stores impacted the number of visits
o Quote from male focus group: “McDonald’s is right out front of the
nightclub”
o Quote from female focus group: “Opening hours tend to be a lot later, when
you are hungry they tend to be the places you want to go to and they are really
close by and available”
 Most students would visit a QSR weekly  males visit QSR’s more regularly
 Late trading hours also impact the number of visits
In this section of the research the participants discussed what they thought their peers knew
about nutritional information. They also discussed how cultural and personal background
might influence the food choice.
 Female participants stated that they feel a healthier lifestyle is more apparent these days
 Both genders agreed that social groups have a major impact on what you eat and how
much knowledge you have
 Both genders agreed families have big impact on people’s perspective
o Quote from male focus group: “ The Ignorance we have surrounding McDonalds
comes from our parents”. He then used the example that families use fast food as a
reward which inturn glorifies it.
o Quote from male in-depth interview: “especially the Japanese and Chinese are
considered as healthy culture because of their seafood consumption”
 Both genders think that people from lower economical backgrounds are likely to have
more fast food because it is seen as cheaper
 Participants think younger generations are more educated than older generations
Observation Research
During the focus groups there were different sorts of healthy and unhealthy choices placed on
the table for participants to eat or drink. These items consisted of regular Red Bull vs. sugar
free Red Bull vs. water, and lollies vs. grapes. Participants were not told that their behaviours
were being observed until the event was finished. At the end of the session they were asked

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why they had made their decisions choosing what to eat or drink. It was discovered that the
groups reacted quite differently.
 Male participants did not eat any grapes whereas the females did
 Majority of females grabbed sugar free Red Bull because they saw it as a healthier option
 Males took the full sugar Red Bull because they consumed the Red Bull for the energy
 Neither groups hesitated to eat the lollies but both waited until they were told it was ok to
grab a drink
o They agreed when going to events it seemed socially acceptable to help yourself to
lollies rather than a whole bottle of water
 Over half the respondents said that they visited a QSR 1-2 times in the last week (52%
exactly)
 19% of respondents said they did not visit a QSR at all the last week
 A minor 5% of respondents said they visited a QSR over 5 times in the last week
 Statistical significant difference between males and females
o Males ate more often in the last week than females at a QSR  Chi-square: p-
value of 0.003
Figure 14: Within the last week, how often have you visited a QSR?

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 Respondents results show that convenience was ranked the highest motivation for going to
a QSR (Ranked 4.20)
 Taste and craving for food were near the top of the rankings as a motivator for people to
go to a QSR (Ranked 3.95 and 3.99 respectively)
 Meeting friends was ranked the lowest motivator for people to go to a QSR with a ranking
of 2.63
 35% of respondents said that they make their decision about their food choice at the
counter of a QSR
 32% of respondents said that they make their decision about food choice before leaving to
travel to the QSR
 Statistical significance between males and females and the time at which they make their
decision about their food choice
o Females make their decision about their food choice earlier than males do  Chi-
square: p-value of 0.012
Figure 15: Please rank the following reasons for going to a QSR according to their importance.
Figure 16: When do you usually make the decision for the meal you want to get at the QSR?

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4 Recommendations
Research objective 1:
The top three sources of nutritional information come from Google, QSR menu and certified
websites. This is where the Heart Foundation should focus on supplying detailed information.
Social media was the third lowest source of nutritional information according to our research.
Only 26% of women and 8% of men use it search for nutritional information. However, in our
qualitative research both males and females said they would consider social media as a
primary resource. Being such a large platform that has not been utilised to its full potential
we recommend that the Heart Foundation invest more resources into social media in order to
reach a large audience for a reasonably low expense. Additional investments in
advertisements should be done through Google. This is also a much cheaper option than
traditional advertisements such as TV and provides access to a large audience.
According to qualitative and quantitative research both males and females found that they
treat information found of the Internet with caution. However quantitative research also found
that the information on certified government websites is deemed most trustworthy. If focusing
more on young females there was a significant difference compared to males in terms of
social media and blogs. Females tend to use both of these sources much more than men.
Qualitative research found that both males and females thought there was a lack of
availability when seeking nutritional information therefore we recommend the Heart
Foundation promote the services and information it supplies on its website. 45% of people
suggested that they believed information supplied by the QSR. Therefore we suggest that
more information should be supplied at the QSR if possible.
According to our research 52% of males and 61% of females said they had an average amount
of knowledge on nutritional information. However only 39% of females knew that the
average intake of kilojoules per day was 8700kj the other 61% got it wrong. Only 30% of
males knew that the average serving of vegetables per day was 5-6 serves. The other 70%
were wrong. It is recommended that the Heart Foundation use advertisements to raise the

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average awareness/knowledge of nutritional information by placing this information on their
Facebook page whilst trying to make it fun and enjoyable (e.g. by making them funny or
interesting). Qualitative research showed that both gender preferred to use other information
such as calories, fats and sugars. Heart Foundation should therefore promote a kilojoules to
calories converter on their website and also Facebook page.
Research objectives 4:
It’s recommended that the Heart Foundation strategically times its advertisements.
Advertisements on social media should be posted around 12.00pm and around 6.00pm so it is
fresh in consumers ‘minds when ordering foods. Also quantitative research shows that the
time of day is third highest influence behind eating at a QSR. According to the survey 42 %
of males say they do not use nutritional information when it is provided to them. However
during the male focus group they discussed the fact that if hard hitting images were involved
they were more likely to notice or use it. We recommend that hard-hitting images of people
with disorders due to bad foods be used for advertisements, similar to the ones used for
cigarette packages. As QSR’s would be reluctant to apply this to their food packaging, the
Heart Foundation should apply this to their social media campaigns or create T.V
advertisements.
Additional Findings:
From the additional findings we have explored various other aspects, which can prove to be
vital for the success of the Tick program. The number of visits to a QSR has been highest
during late nights and during exam periods. We recommend that if Heart foundation focuses
on promoting healthy nutritional information in university campuses it will help create
awareness among the students who study till late night. By providing this information a
student who is driving to McDonalds may choose to pick up fruits or healthy beverages to
satisfy his hunger. The omnipresence of fast food restaurants is a major reason for the regular
visits. Hence it is very necessary to make nutritional information omnipresent so that people
give it a second thought even after making their decision to eat out. We recommend that heart
foundation must focus on providing nutritional information to females as they expressed their
reason for visiting a QSR is mostly during social events. Also if the information expressed the
side effects of the consumption of fast food, it may help change the consumers’ preference
regarding the size of the serving and the ingredients in their food.

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5 Limitations and Conclusion
Regarding the validity and reliability of the findings presented in the report, it is important to
keep limitations that come with a small and homogeneous sample in mind. These limits as
well as conclusions will be summarized in the following.
5.1 Qualitative Research
Due to the homogeneity and small size of the qualitative research sample, the findings
certainly need to be treated with caution. All of the participants were enjoying tertiary
education and visiting a fairly expensive private university so their level of education and
social economic background is likely above average for a young Australian adult.
Nevertheless they offered new perspectives and brought in different thoughts that will help
with formulating clear, logical and appropriate questions for the upcoming survey.
Altogether, it appeared that there are some main differences between male and female
participants in regards to nutritional information and the decision-making process at a QSR.
The main differences include the time the decision is made, the impact of nutritional
information when making the decision and the trustworthiness of different sources of
information.
In other parts, such as the evaluation of information provided by the QSR or the knowledge
and understanding of nutritional information, the genders seemed to be in agreement.
Assessing the representativeness and validity of these findings will be the main objective for
the upcoming quantitative research.
5.2 Quantitative Research
With a small sample of 100 surveys being conducted, it was evident there were some
limitations to the quantitative reporting. As is with every quantitative analysis, self-reported
information obtained from questionnaires may be inaccurate or incomplete. This was the case
with the market research conducted for this report. As students from Bond University
completed majority of the surveys, there was some information incomplete that impacted final
results. Incomplete or inaccurate surveys could be because people were rushing through and
trying to get it done as quickly as possible, rather than taking the time to complete the survey
properly.

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Some people who conducted the survey did not complete questions based on their
demographic (e.g. How old are you, What is your nationality etc.) and four people did not list
their gender, whether it be female or male.
However, despite these incomplete surveys there is clear evidence that people aged between
18-25 do not know enough about the nutritional information of food served at a QSR.
Additionally, there are some clear differences between males and females regarding the
decision-making process before and whilst being at a QSR and peoples’ current subjective
knowledge of nutritional information. Also, genders seemed to be in agreement in other areas
of evaluation, including what sources they use to seek nutritional information and the deemed
trustworthiness of those sources.

II
Appendix
I. Secondary Research
Heart Foundation
 According to the heart foundation there is a mandatory need for nutritional labelling
on menus in café’s and quick serve restaurants to improve.
 The heart foundation is currently calling for the governments to fund and run an
educational campaign to help Australians understand what menu labelling means and
how to use it to make healthier food choices.
 They are also pushing to have new legislation put in place for the enforcement for
mandatory nutritional labelling on menus.
 In 2009 commercial food outlets served 3.7 billion meals across Australia according to
the heart foundation. 1.6 billion were from fast food outlets of which 60% were quick
serve. (Heart Foundation , 2015)
Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (ACDPA)
 A recent Australian study found that more than 80% of consumers surveyed
supported the provision of nutritional information on menu boards at food and drink
chain outlets, with 62% strongly in favour. (Australian Chronic Disease Prevention
Alliance , 2014)
NSW Food Authority
 The NSW Government advocated requiring large fast food chains to publish point of
sale information on the total energy (kilojoules or kJ), saturated fats, trans fats and
salt content of their products (NSW Government , 2015).
Australian Government – Australian Institute of family studies
There are three key components of food security (World Health Organization, 2011):
1. Food access: the capacity to acquire and consume a nutritious diet, including:
 The ability to buy and transport food;
 Home storage, preparation and cooking facilities;
 Knowledge and skills to make appropriate choices;
 Time and mobility to shop for and prepare food.

III
2. Food availability: the supply of food within a community affecting food security of
individuals, households or an entire population, specifically:
 Location of food outlets;
 Availability of food within stores; and
 Price, quality and variety of available food (Nolan, Rickard-Bell, Mohsin, &
Williams, 2006).
3. Food use: the appropriate use of food based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care.
(Rosier, 2011)
Who experiences food insecurity in Australia and why?
According to the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey and the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (data 2004-05) certain groups experience food
insecurity at a higher rate than the general population (Browne, Laurence, & Thorpe, 2009;
Burns, 2004). These groups include (Rosier, 2011):
 Indigenous people (24%);
 Unemployed people (23%);
 Single parent households (23%);
 Low-income earners (20%);
 Rental households (20%); and
 Young people (15%).

IV
Bibliography
Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance . (2014). Position Statement on Nutrition
Labelling on Restaurant Menus. Retrieved 2015, from AUSTRALIAN CHRONIC DISEASE
PREVENTION ALLIANCE: http://www.cancer.org.au/content/pdf/ACDPA/ACDPA
_position_statement_on_restaurant_menu_labelling.pdf
Heart Foundation . (2015). Rapid review of the evidence The need for nutrition labelling on
menus. Retrieved 2015, from Heart Foundation : http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/
SiteCollectionDocuments/Review-nutrition-labelling-on-menus.pdf
NSW Government . (2015). KJ labelling: Fast & snack food menu initiative . Retrieved 2015,
from NSW Food Authority : http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/legislation/
proposals-policy/fast-choices#.Vb4qkJOqqko
Rosier, K. (2011). Food insecurity in Australia: What is it, who experiences it and how can
child and family services support families experiencing it? Retrieved 2015, from Australian
Government Institute of Family studies: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/food-insecurity-
australia-what-it-who-experiences-it

V
II. Moderator Guide (for in-depth interviews and focus group)
Thank you for taking the time to join us here today. My name is ______ and this is ________
he will be assisting me with running the focus groups and also be taking down some notes
whilst we go.
This study is looking at nutrition information when eating out in quick service restaurant. We
hope that the project will help us understand the influence of nutrition information on
students’ food choices. This is a research project that is being conducted for the Heart
foundation of Australia, which aims at increasing health awareness amongst the Australian
society.
Let me emphasize: there are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in your opinions
only. I’m in no way an expert on this topic, so I might ask you to clarify some things if I don’t
understand.
You will notice that this is being recorded (point to camcorder), but this is only so that we
have an accurate record of what was said. Your comments will be held in the strictest
confidence; the only people that will see the tape will be the researchers.
We will not divulge your names. Our purpose is to use the insights that we get from you to
better understand how young adults can make healthier choices when eating out.
As a token of our appreciation for your participation in this focus group, we will provide you
with Red Bull, water, snakes and grapes. This session will take no longer than one hour.
Before we begin, there are some ground rules that I would want you to know: Please be
respectful of others. If someone is speaking, please do not interrupt; wait for your turn to
speak. We want to hear from all of you.
If several people start talking at the same time, we will stop the conversation and ask you to
respond one at a time. And please let me repeat: there are no right or wrong answers. We just
value your opinions. You may withdraw your consent at any time. So if there is something
that you find uncomfortable talking about you are able to leave at any time.
Again, thank you for coming in today. Are there any questions before we begin?

VI
1. How often do you eat at Quick Service Restaurants? (E.g. on average each week. If
they give you a hint dig deeper.)
 Generally what time of the day do you go to eat at a QSR (breakfast, lunch, dinner)?
 Please describe a typical scenario in which you decide to go to a quick service
restaurant?
o For example you have an exam the next the next day and no time to cook
 Where do you usually go?
2. What are some of the reasons you go to Quick Service Restaurant?
 For example price, comfort, accessibility, convenience, taste
 How much you spend at a QSR on average?
 Who do you usually go with when eating at a QSR
o Do they influence your food choice?
3. What influences your food choices when you are ordering at the counter?
 Do combos/ meal deals influence your buying behaviour?
 Please rank the importance of nutrition information in your decision making process.
4. When do you make your decision on the specific food you want to eat at the QSR?
 After you have you arrived at the QSR?
 Just before ordering as a result of an impulse?
 Before you decide what QSR you are going to?
 Do you know what you want to get before you arrive at the store?
5. Do you incorporate and actively seek nutritional information for decision-making?
 Where do you seek nutritional information?
 How often do you look for nutritional information?
 Do you find the nutritional information reliable and trustworthy?
6. Please name possible sources for nutritional information
 Please rank different nutritional information sources according to their reliability and
trustworthiness (please rate from 1-5 5 being the highest.)
 Do you feel that there is a sufficient supply of information?

VII
7. Do you use the nutritional information provided by the QSR
 Please describe a situation in which you have consciously read and used the data provided
 Do you trust the information provided by the QSR?
 Do you think the information is comprehensible and easy to find?
 Would you base your decision more often on nutritional information if it was more easily
available and comprehensible?
8. What do you know about nutritional information?
 What do you think kilocalories are?
 What do you think salt does to your body?
 What specific information are you looking when looking at these sources
o Salt, Sodium, Saturated fat, Kilojoules
9. How do you think your peers and other young adults regard nutritional
information?
 Are there differences depending on cultural, social, educational background?
 Do you think your understanding of nutritional information is above average?
 What do you think is the most important source for nutritional information?
10. Has anyone based his or her food decision today on the provided nutrition
information?
 Red bull (sugar free vs. regular) vs. Water
 Grapes vs. Snack

VIII
III. Survey as published on www.surveymonkey.com
Introduction
Dear participant,
First of all thank you very much for taking part in this survey. In the next five to ten minutes you will be asked 22 questions on your
decision process at Quick Service Restaurant. A quick service restaurant is defined as a food place where you don't spend more
than 7 minutes between ordering and consuming food. Examples include McDonald's, Subway, KFC or even the local ThaiFood
place.
We hope that the project will help us understand the influence of nutrition information on young adults’ food choices. This is a
research project that is being conducted for the Heart foundation of Australia, which aims at increasing health awareness amongst
the Australian society.
Please keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. We just value your opinions! The collected data will be kept in the
strictest confidence and treated anonymously.
Questions 1-10
* 1. Within the last week, how often have you visited a quick service restaurant (e.g. McDonald's, KFC,
Thaifood place)?
0 times
1-2 times
3-4 times
5 or more times
* 2. Please rank the following reasons for going to quick service restaurants according to their importance.
Not important at all Not important Neutral Important Very important
Price
Convenience
Location
Time of the day
Healthy food
Taste
Craving for food
Meeting friends
* 3. When do you usually make the decision for the meal you want to get at the quick service restaurant.
Before leaving
On the way there
At the counter
Other (please specify)

IX
* 4. Please rank the following factors according to their influence on your food choices at a quick service
restaurant.
Not important at all Not important Neutral Important Very important
Price
Taste
Meal Combos
Nutritional value
Time of the day
Portion size
* 5. How often do you actively seek general nutritional information (kilojoules, calories, fats, salts, etc.)?
Never
Once or twice a month
Weekly
A couple of times a week
* 6. What sources do you use to gain nutritional information?
Google
Certified Websites (e.g. governmental websites)
Blogs
Social Media
Magazines
Menu at quick service restaurant
Friends
Family
No source at all

X
* 7. How trustworthy do you deem the following sources of nutritional information?
not trustworthy at
all not trustworthy neutral trustworthy very trustworthy
Google
Certified Websites (e.g.
governmental websites)
Blogs
Social Media
Magazines
Friends
Family
* 8. Do you include the nutritional information provided at the quick service restaurant in your decision
making process?
Yes
Sometimes
Never
* 9. When going to a quick service restaurant, how often do you look at the nutritional information
provided?
Never
Seldom
Often
Always
* 10. Please rank the trustworthiness of nutritional information provided by the quick service restaurant.
Not trustworthy at all
Not trustworthy
Neutral
Trustworthy
Very trustworthy
Questions 11-17

XI
* 11. How important do you find the following nutritional information?
not important at all not important neutral important very important
Kilojoules
Calories
Salts
Fats
Sugars
* 12. Please describe your level of knowledge regarding nutritional information.
Below average
Average
Above average
* 13. What do you think the average intake of kilojoules for an adult should be? (Regardless of gender)
2,800
5,700
8,700
9,900
11,300
* 14. How many serves of vegetables should an adult have per day?
1-2 a day
3-4 a day
5-6 a day
7-8 a day
* 15. How many serves of fruits should an adult have per day?
1
2
3
4
* 16. Do you feel that there is sufficient supply of nutritional information at quick service restaurants?
Yes
No

XII
* 17. Would you use nutritional information in your decision making process if the information was more
easily available and more comprehensible?
No
I would notice it, but not necessarily use it
Yes, definitely
Demographic Questions
* 18. Are you male or female?
Male
Female
* 19. What is your age?
Under 18
18-25
Over 25
* 20. In what country do you currently reside?
Australia
* 21. Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?
Full-time Student
Part-time Student
Full-time work
Part-time or casual work
Unemployed
* 22. What is your cultural background?
Australian
Asian
North American
South American
European
African

XIII
IV. SPSS DATA OUTPUTS
Question 1: Within the last week, how often have you visited a quick service restaurant?
Group Statistics
Q18 Response N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Q1 Responses Male 50 2.38 .697 .099
Female 46 1.91 .812 .120
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df
Sig. (2-
tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper
Q1
Responses
Equal
variances
assumed
.216 .643 3.032 94 .003 .467 .154 .161 .773
Equal
variances
not assumed
3.012 89.082 .003 .467 .155 .159 .775

XIV
Question 2: Please rank the following reasons for going to quick service restaurants according
to their importance (1-5, 5 being most important).
Group Statistics
Q18 Response N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Q2 Price Male 50 3.26 1.065 .151
Female 46 3.33 1.156 .170
Q2 Convenience Male 50 4.08 .986 .140
Female 46 4.33 .845 .125
Q2 Location Male 50 3.58 .950 .134
Female 46 3.65 1.100 .162
Q2 Time of the day Male 50 3.58 1.126 .159
Female 46 3.37 1.199 .177
Q2 Healthy food Male 50 2.96 1.195 .169
Female 46 3.04 1.316 .194
Q2 Taste Male 50 3.90 .931 .132
Female 46 4.00 .919 .135
Q2 Craving for food Male 50 4.10 .953 .135
Female 46 3.87 1.046 .154
Q2 Meeting friends Male 50 2.58 1.197 .169
Female 46 2.65 1.159 .171

XV
Question 3: When do you usually make the decision for the meal you want to get at the quick
service restaurant?
Q3 Response * Q18 Response Crosstabulation
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q3 Response 0 Count 1 3 4
Expected Count 2.1 1.9 4.0
Before arriving Count 12 19 31
On the way there Count 15 13 28
At the counter Count 22 11 33
Total Count 50 46 96
Chi-Square Tests
Value df Asymp. Sig.
(2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 6.234a 3 .101
Likelihood Ratio 6.355 3 .096
Linear-by-Linear
Association
6.163 1 .013
N of Valid Cases 96
a. 2 cells (25.0%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is 1.92.

XVI
Question 4: Please rank the following factors according to their influence on your food
choices at a quick service restaurant (1-5, 5 being most important).
Group Statistics
Q18 Response N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error
Mean
Q4 Price Male 50 3.36 1.102 .156
Female 46 3.11 1.159 .171
Q4 Taste Male 50 4.10 .886 .125
Female 46 4.35 .566 .084
Q4 Meal Combos Male 50 3.52 .909 .129
Female 46 2.87 1.147 .169
Q4 Nutritional
value
Male 50 2.68 1.168 .165
Female 46 3.02 1.164 .172
Q4 Time of the day Male 50 3.16 .976 .138
Female 46 3.33 1.034 .152
Q4 Portion size Male 50 3.64 .898 .127
Female 46 3.39 .881 .130

XVII
Question 5: How often do you actively seek general nutritional information?
Q5 Response * Q18 Response Crosstabulation
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q5 Response Never Count 17 15 32
Once or twice a month Count 14 10 24
Weekly Count 7 13 20
A couple of times a
week
Count 12 8 20
Chi-Square Tests
(2-sided)
Pearson Chi-
Square
3.231a 3 .357
Likelihood
Ratio
3.262 3 .353
Linear-by-
Linear
Association
.011 1 .917
N of Valid
Cases
96

XVIII
Question 6: What sources do you use to gain nutritional information?
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Q6 Google 100 0 1 .54 .501
Q6 Certified Websites
(e.g. governmental
websites)
100 0 1 .27 .446
Q6 Blogs 100 0 1 .10 .302
Q6 Social Media 100 0 1 .18 .386
Q6 Magazines 100 0 1 .13 .338
Q6 Menu at quick
service restaurant
100 0 1 .34 .476
Q6 Friends 100 0 1 .26 .441
Q6 Family 100 0 1 .19 .394
Q6 No source at all 100 0 1 .15 .359
Q6 Other (please
specify)
3 0 0 .00 .000
Valid N (listwise) 3

XIX
Question 7: How trustworthy do you deem the following sources of nutritional information
(1-5, 5 being most trustworthy)?
Group Statistics
MeanQ 7Google Male 50 3.56 .929 .131
Female 46 3.50 .837 .123
Q7 Certified
Websites (e.g.
governmental websites)
Male 50 4.14 1.030 .146
Female 46 4.37 .679 .100
Q7 Blogs Male 50 2.54 .908 .128
Female 46 3.00 .699 .103
Q7 Social Media Male 50 2.44 .884 .125
Female 46 2.78 .786 .116
Q7 Magazines Male 50 3.00 1.050 .148
Female 46 3.11 .948 .140
Q7 Friends Male 50 2.84 1.131 .160
Female 46 3.41 .686 .101
Q7 Family Male 50 3.20 1.030 .146
Female 46 3.54 .862 .127

XX
Question 8: Do you include the nutritional information provided at the quick service
restaurant in your decision making process?
Crosstab
Q18 Response
Total
Male Female
Q8 Response Yes Count 7 7 14
Sometimes Count 22 24 46
Never Count 21 15 36
Chi-Square Tests
(2-sided)Pearson Chi-Square .922a 2 .631
Likelihood Ratio .925 2 .630
Linear-by-Linear
Association
.570 1 .450
N of Valid Cases 96

XXI
Question 9: When going to a quick service restaurant, how often do you look at the nutritional
information provided?
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q9 Response Never Count 15 14 29
Seldom Count 22 16 38
Often Count 10 13 23
Always Count 3 3 6
Chi-Square Tests
(2-sided)
Linear-by-Linear
Association
.237 1 .627
N of Valid Cases 96

XXII
Question 10: Please rank the trustworthiness of nutritional information provided by the quick
service restaurant (1-5, 5 being most trustworthy).
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q10 Response Not trustworthy at
all
Count 1 3 4
Not trustworthy Count 7 3 10
Neutral Count 18 15 33
Trustworthy Count 20 23 43
Very trustworthy Count 4 2 6
Chi-Square Tests
(2-sided)
Linear-by-Linear
Association
.004 1 .952
N of Valid Cases 96

XXIII
Question 11: How important do you find the following nutritional information (1-5, 5 being
most important)?
Group Statistics
Mean
Q11 Kilojoules Male 50 2.98 1.220 .173
Female 46 3.52 1.027 .151
Q11 Calories Male 50 3.38 1.159 .164
Female 45 4.00 1.000 .149
Q11 Salts Male 50 2.72 .991 .140
Female 46 3.09 .962 .142
Q11 Fats Male 50 3.32 1.077 .152
Female 46 3.61 1.085 .160
Q11 Sugars Male 50 3.36 1.208 .171
Female 46 3.76 1.058 .156

XXIV
Question 12: Please describe your level of knowledge regarding nutritional information.
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q12 Response Below average Count 12 11 23
Average Count 26 28 54
Above average Count 12 7 19
Chi-Square Tests
Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-
sided)
Linear-by-Linear Association .411 1 .521
N of Valid Cases 96
a. 0 cells (0.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is
9.10.

XXV
Question 13: What do you think the average intake of kilojoules for an adult should be?
(Regardless of gender)
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q13 Response 2,800 Count 5 11 16
5,700 Count 12 13 25
8,700 Count 32 18 50
9,900 Count 0 4 4
11,300 Count 1 0 1
Expected Count .5 .5 1.0
Chi-Square Tests
sided)
Linear-by-Linear Association 2.443 1 .118
N of Valid Cases 96
a. 4 cells (40.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum
expected count is .48.

XXVI
Question 14: How many serves of vegetables should an adult have per day?
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q14 Response 1-2 a day Count 11 4 15
3-4 a day Count 21 20 41
5-6 a day Count 15 20 35
7-8 a day Count 3 2 5
Chi-Square Tests
sided)
N of Valid Cases 96
expected count is 2.40.

XXVII
Question 15: How many serves of fruits should an adult have per day?
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q15 Response 1 Count 3 2 5
2 Count 26 28 54
3 Count 12 11 23
4 Count 9 5 14
Chi-Square Tests
sided)
Linear-by-Linear
Association
.592 1 .442
N of Valid Cases 96
expected count is 2.40.

XXVIII
Question 16: Do you feel that there is sufficient supply of nutritional information at quick
service restaurants?
Group Statistics
Q18
Response
N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Q16
Response
Male 50 1.66 .479 .068
Female 46 1.76 .431 .064
Independent Samples Test
Levene's
Test for
Equality of
Variances
t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df Sig.
(2-
tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
95%
Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper
Q16
Response
Equal
variances
assumed
4.737 .032 -
1.082
94 .282 -.101 .093 -.286 .084
Equal
variances
not
assumed
-
1.086
93.964.280 -.101 .093 -.285 .084

XXIX
Question 17: Would you use nutritional information in your decision making process if the
information was more easily available and more comprehensible?
Crosstab
Q18 Response Total
Male Female
Q17 Response No Count 6 4 10
I would notice it, but not
necessarily use it
Count 27 20 47
Yes, definitely Count 17 22 39
Chi-Square Tests
Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
N of Valid Cases 96
a. 1 cells (16.7%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 4.79.

XXX
Question 18: Are you male or female?
Q18 Response
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Male 50 50.0 52.1 52.1
Female 46 46.0 47.9 100.0
Total 96 96.0 100.0
Missing System 4 4.0
Total 100 100.0
Question 19: What is your age?
Q19 Response
Percent
Valid 18-25 96 96.0 100.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0
Question 20: In what country do you currently reside?
Q20 Response
Percent
Valid Australia 96 96.0 100.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0

XXXI
Question 21: Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?
Q21 Response
Percent
Valid Full-time student 73 73.0 76.0 76.0
Part-time student 1 1.0 1.0 77.1
Full-time work 12 12.0 12.5 89.6
Part-time or casual
work
9 9.0 9.4 99.0
Unemployed 1 1.0 1.0 100.0
Total 96 96.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0
Question 22: What is your cultural background?
Q22 Other (please specify)
Percent
Valid 96 96.0 96.0 96.0
Fijian 1 1.0 1.0 97.0
Middle Eastern 1 1.0 1.0 98.0
New Zealand 2 2.0 2.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0

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