The COVID-19 pandemic greatly altered the ways in which families could engage in youth sport and physical activity (SPA). These forced changes might have implications for families’ preferences and conceptualization of value of youth SPA post-pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to understand the impacts of a global pandemic (i.e., COVID-19) on youth SPA by exploring consumers’ (i.e., families in the Ontario) experiences with youth SPA, and examining if and how preferences for returning to SPA might be shifting and affecting perceptions of value post-pandemic. This dissertation was guided by Social Ecology Theory (i.e., behaviour is a function of the sociocultural and built environment) and consumer behaviour theory (e.g., disconfirmation paradigm; if expectations are met or exceeded, consumers will be satisfied). A collective case study methodology with an exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. First, focus group interviews were conducted with families in Ontario (n=14) followed by semi-structured interviews with youth sport providers in Ontario (n=12) to understand these groups’ experiences with youth SPA during the pandemic and post-pandemic intentions. Finally, for generalizability, questionnaires were administered to parents in Ontario (n=550) to assess families’ experiences with, preferences for, and conceptualization of value of youth SPA pre, during, and post-pandemic. Overall, families experienced decreases in youth SPA in all contexts considered (i.e., organized SPA, non-organized SPA, travel for SPA, diversity of SPA). However, the way families felt about these changes (i.e., satisfaction) varied. Families’ socioecological circumstances and their satisfaction with the changes to their youth SPA during the pandemic shaped their preferences and conceptualizations of value for youth SPA post-pandemic. While the forced changes to youth SPA contributed to reconceptualization of value for families with means and access to participation opportunities, families without these means were, and are likely to continue to struggle to access youth SPA opportunities.

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yes / Background/Aims: Personalised nutrition has potential to revolutionise dietary health promotion if accepted by the general public. We studied trust and preferences regarding personalised nutrition services, how they influence intention to adopt these services, and cultural and social differences therein. Methods: A total of 9381 participants were quota sampled to be representative for each of nine EU countries (Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, UK, Norway) and surveyed by questionnaire assessing their intention to adopt personalised nutrition, trust in service regulators and information sources, and preferences for service providers and information channels. Results: Trust and preferences significantly predicted intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Higher trust in the local department of healthcare was associated with lower intention to adopt personalised nutrition. General practitioners were the most trusted of service regulators, except for in Portugal, where consumer organisations and universities were most trusted. In all countries, family doctors were the most trusted information providers. Trust in the National Health Service as service regulator and information source showed high variability across countries. Despite its highest variability across countries, personal meeting was the preferred communication channel except in Spain (where an automated internet service was preferred). General practitioners were the preferred service providers, except in Poland, where dietitians and nutritionists were preferred. The preference for dietitians and nutritionists as service providers highly varied across countries. Conclusion: These results may assist in informing local initiatives to encourage acceptance and adoption of country specific tailored personalised nutrition services therefore benefiting individual and public health.

Implementing an e-market for limited supply perishable asset (LiSPA) products is a problem at the intersection of online purchasing and distributed decision support systems (DistDSS). In this dissertation, we introduce and define LiSPA products, provide real-world examples, develop a framework for a distributed system to implement an e-market for LiSPA products, and provide proof-of-concept for the two major components of the framework. The DistDSS framework requires customers to instantiate agents that learn their preferences and evaluate products on their behalf. Accurately eliciting and modeling customer preferences in a quick and easy manner is a major hurdle for implementing this agent-based system. A methodology is developed for this problem using conjoint analysis and neural networks. The framework also contains a model component that is addressed in this work. The model component is presented as a mediator of customer negotiation that uses the agent-based preference models mentioned above and employs a linear programming model to maximize overall satisfaction of the total market. / Ph. D.

The primary objective of this dissertation is to determine Hispanic consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for grass-fed beef. Two hundred and thirty-one Hispanic consumers in four experiment sites in Virginia (Galax, Roanoke, Richmond, and Blacksburg) participated in an experimental economics laboratory procedure. Taste tests and visual evaluations were conducted to understand Hispanic consumers’ sensory preferences for grass-fed beef in comparison to conventional grain-fed beef. A contingent valuation method, Multiple Price Lists (MPL) was used to measure Hispanic consumers’ WTP for grass-fed beef. In the study, MPL was put into a non-hypothetical environment due to real products, real money, and actual transactions involved. A bivariate Probit model was estimated to determine Hispanic consumers’ visual and taste preferences for grass-fed beef and to explore the relationship between their expected and experienced quality of grass-fed beef. A two-step decision process examined Hispanic consumers’ WTP and investigated the factors influencing their valuations on grass-fed beef. Approximately 50% of Hispanic consumers sampled preferred grass-fed to conventional grain-fed beef steak and the vast majority of grass-fed preferring consumers were willing to pay a price premium for it. Hispanic consumers were able to distinguish the appearance and taste between grass-fed and conventional grain-fed beef steaks. A positive correlation between visual and taste preferences for grass-fed beef was captured. / Ph. D.

Make Your Food Dollars Count is a program the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published to help low-income people improve their nutritional status and maximize the use of their food dollars. This program was implemented in Roanoke City at Mountain House, a special rehabilitation program sponsored by Mental Health Services of the Roanoke Valley; Melrose Tower Retirement Village and Morningside Manor Retirement Village. Program effectiveness was measured by food dollars saved, a decrease in good dollars spent on foods in the firth food group (fats, sweets, and alcohol), and improved dietary intake. The main instruments used to measure effectiveness were pre and post-demographic surveys, pre and post 24-hour recalls, and four food habit surveys. A total of 53 people participated in this study. Results show that were was an average $1.15 weekly decrease in the amount of money 12 participants attending sessions and four spent on foods in the fifth food group. An average of $4.23 per week was saved by those six participants who attended all four sessions. Fruit and Vegetable Adequacy and Milk and Milk Product Adequacy Subscores improved for all participants attending sessions one and four. The greatest dietary changes occurred for those participants attending all four sessions. / M.S.

The research reported in this thesis tested the hypothesis that low-income families purchase private brands of selected food products because they represent acceptable quality at lower prices. The six food products selected were coffee, flour, peanut butter, bread, pork and beans, and margarine. The data collected in field interviews and subsequent statistical analyses consistently refuted the hypothesis. This finding is true for the low-income consumer segment and its sub-categories, white and Negro. The low-income consumers do not purchase private brands heavily, but test data indicate that this market segment buys more private brands than does the C > $7000 consumer group. There is evidence of substantial differences in the buying habits of low-income Negro and white consumers. While neither market segment purchases more private brands than national labels, the N < $3000 consumer tends to buy more private brands than does the W < $3000 consumer. Contrary to the hypothesis the indication is that the C > $7000 consumer knows price better than does the low-income consumer. Also, greater importance is attached to price by the C > $7000 group than by the low-income segment. This is not true of the Negro consumer. As stated above, the N < $3000 consumer buys more private brands than does the W < $3000 consumer. This tendency exists for price knowledge and the importance attached to price. The Negro consumer tends to know prices better, and he attaches more importance to price than does any of the other income segments tested. Regarding private-brand awareness, none of the market segments tested was well informed about private-brand market offerings. However, low-income consumers were able to name more private brands than were the C > $7000 consumers. Negro consumers were able to name more private labels than the W < $3000 group. The field data and test results all indicate that the Negro consumer tends to spend his money on the selected products more knowledgeably than the lower income white consumer. The Negro is better informed as to price and the private-brand offering. / M.S.

This research investigated the importance female consumers place on fit, style, price, color, fabric, and construction when purchasing a dress and sleepwear for themselves. Age, education, employment status, and income also were studied to assess their relationship to attribute importance. The data indicated that fit was the major consideration for both a dress and sleepwear. Dress style and price were of secondary concern; color, construction, and fabric were least important. For sleepwear, price, fabric, and style were of secondary importance; color and construction were of least concern. The sample of 133 respondents was divided into two groups: secretaries and custodians. When dress and sleepwear attribute importance scores were compared significant differences were found. Secretaries considered style more important for a dress; fabric was of greater concern in sleepwear selection. Fabric was more important when custodians purchased sleepwear. A comparison of garment attribute importance between the two groups indicated dress fit and style and sleepwear fabric were of greater concern to secretaries than to custodians. The price of the garments was of higher priority to the custodians. Age was significantly related to the secretaries' sleepwear color ratings and to the custodians' ratings on dress color. For secretaries, educational attainment was related to dress construction, employment status to dress style, and income to dress fit. No significant correlations were found between education, employment, or income of custodians and the importance of garment attributes in purchase decision. / M.S.

This research project investigated the influences of a supermarket intervention on the food choices of parents and their children. Twenty-four families (11 experimental; 13 control) participated in this study. They used the NLS weekly when they completed their major shopping. The NLS was a public access, interactive information system located in the supermarket which provided users with information and feedback about how to decrease fat and increase fiber in their food purchases. During the intervention, participants in the experimental condition viewed a different videodisc program each week. In addition, they were able to enter their intended shopping purchases for each weekly shopping, and receive feedback about the items they intended to purchase. Control participants entered their intended purchases, but received no information or feedback. All participants sent in their detailed supermarket receipts. The NLS phases included baseline, intervention, and follow up. Families with children ages 8-15 years were recruited for the family study. Participants were interviewed pre- and post-assessment. One target child was selected from each family. The main family study measures were the Card Sorting Task (CST) and the Food History Questionnaire (FHQ). The CST used pictures of food items. The FHQ was used to evaluate the usual diet over one month. The CST task was analyzed with a Wilcoxon test; the FHQ task was analyzed with an ANCOVA, using the pre-assessment score as the covariate. The results indicated that experimental participants reported an increase in their consumption of low-fat dairy products and low-fat fruit (FHQ data). In addition, experimental participants reported a decrease in their behavior, preference and knowledge for high-fat snacks and and high-fat entrees (CST data). The results suggested that parents and their children may be positively affected by a public-access interactive videodisc information system directed to parent use. Overall, the results provided some evidence that parents who are involved in a nutrition intervention also will influence their children's food choices. Future research should further evaluate the effects of the intervention on different food categories and continue to investigate how changes in certain food choices affect other choices. Variables relating to health beliefs, types of foods to change, meal preparations, family characteristics, and behavior strategies all must be considered in future intervention programming. / Ph. D.

Stagnant student achievement in science education in the United States has placed an increased emphasis on teacher professional development. Since many elementary educators could benefit from improved science content knowledge—and given the challenge of providing this at a level scalable and sustainable through face-to-face delivery alone—this study sought to understand what types of online self-directed content-interaction strategies are of greatest learner satisfaction and provide the highest learning impact for teachers in grades three–six. Employing Anderson's Equivalency of Interaction Theorem, and looking at age, years teaching experience, and learning preferences via Kolb and Kolb's Learning Style Inventory 3.1 (2005), this descriptive study non-randomly sampled 85 educators who passed a series of self-paced interactive web modules to rate their preferences for five different types of content-interactive strategies: (a) simulations, (b) interactive reference, (c) hands-on, (d) personal feedback, and (e) pedagogical implications. Using an online survey and a pre- and postassessment instrument it was found that (a) as age and years teaching experience increase, teachers' preferences for personal feedback, interactive reference, and simulations increased, (b) teachers' content knowledge increased significantly after completing the web modules, (c) teachers' learning style moderately aligned with their preferences for content-interaction strategies, and (d) teachers least preferred the pedagogical implications component. Instructional designers and education administrators selecting professional development for teachers may find this informative. Data from this research support Anderson's theory that if the content interaction is rich, human interaction may be provided in diminished capacities. / Ph. D.