Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Eating Behaviour in the Hungarian Adult Population: Motivations, Health–Taste Attitudes, and Eating Styles Using TEMS, HTAS, and TFEQ-R21
- 1Kautz Gyula Faculty of Economics, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Győr, Hungary
- 2Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Eating behaviour patterns are fundamental determinants of chronic disease risk and public health. Hungary faces among the highest rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diet-related mortality in Europe. Despite this, population-level consumer profiling based on validated multi-scale instruments remains limited. This study used nationally representative samples to assess eating motivations, health and taste attitudes, and eating styles among Hungarian adults, and grouped adults into consumer segments for each measure. Methods: Two independent nationally representative cross-sectional surveys were conducted: (1) eating attitudes (TFEQ-R21) and health/taste attitude scales (HTAS) were assessed in 2021 (n = 1000); (2) eating motivations (TEMS) were assessed in late 2019 (n = 1000). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to each instrument, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to the TFEQ-R21 and to both HTAS subscales. Consumer segmentation was performed using hierarchical and K-means cluster analysis. Sociodemographic differences across segments were explored via chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The perceived palatability and healthiness of functional food categories were examined across TFEQ-R21 segments. Results: The TEMS yielded eight eating motivation factors and five consumer segments: Traditional Simplifiers (17.9%), Frugal Social and Emotional Eaters (19.9%), Balanced Self-Rewarders (27.5%), Health-Conscious (18.3%), and Indifferent (16.4%). The HTAS health subscale produced four clusters, with Health-Conscious Metropolitans (19.8%) as the primary functional food target. The HTAS taste subscale identified taste-oriented consumers (26.9%) alongside three further groups. The TFEQ-R21 confirmed a three-factor eating attitude structure (emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, cognitive restriction; explained variance 57.2%) and yielded five behavioural clusters. Controlled Dieters represented 20.6% of the sample; the other TFEQ-R21 segments showed average, uncontrolled, or emotionally driven eating profiles. Perceived palatability and healthiness of functional foods differed across TFEQ-R21 segments (one-way ANOVA, unadjusted p < 0.05 in six of ten categories for palatability and eight of ten for healthiness), and Controlled Dieters gave the highest mean rating in eight of ten categories on each measure. Conclusions: The parallel application of three validated eating behaviour scales describes eating attitudes, motivations and consumer segments among Hungarian adults. Habitual, taste-oriented and average-profile segments were common, and each instrument also yielded a smaller health-oriented segment (about 18–21%). These cross-sectional findings on attitudes and self-reported motivations may inform segment-specific communication, which should be tested in future intervention studies.
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BibTeX
@article{platz2026multidimensional,
title = {{Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Eating Behaviour in the Hungarian Adult Population: Motivations, Health–Taste Attitudes, and Eating Styles Using TEMS, HTAS, and TFEQ-R21}},
author = {Petra Platz and Márk Szakály and Kinga Lili Balogh and Péter Huszka},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213690},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3690},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Eating Behaviour in the Hungarian Adult Population: Motivations, Health–Taste Attitudes, and Eating Styles Using TEMS, HTAS, and TFEQ-R21
AU - Petra Platz
AU - Márk Szakály
AU - Kinga Lili Balogh
AU - Péter Huszka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/07
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213690
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3690
AB - Background/Objectives: Eating behaviour patterns are fundamental determinants of chronic disease risk and public health. Hungary faces among the highest rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diet-related mortality in Europe. Despite this, population-level consumer profiling based on validated multi-scale instruments remains limited. This study used nationally representative samples to assess eating motivations, health and taste attitudes, and eating styles among Hungarian adults, and grouped adults into consumer segments for each measure. Methods: Two independent nationally representative cross-sectional surveys were conducted: (1) eating attitudes (TFEQ-R21) and health/taste attitude scales (HTAS) were assessed in 2021 (n = 1000); (2) eating motivations (TEMS) were assessed in late 2019 (n = 1000). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to each instrument, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to the TFEQ-R21 and to both HTAS subscales. Consumer segmentation was performed using hierarchical and K-means cluster analysis. Sociodemographic differences across segments were explored via chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The perceived palatability and healthiness of functional food categories were examined across TFEQ-R21 segments. Results: The TEMS yielded eight eating motivation factors and five consumer segments: Traditional Simplifiers (17.9%), Frugal Social and Emotional Eaters (19.9%), Balanced Self-Rewarders (27.5%), Health-Conscious (18.3%), and Indifferent (16.4%). The HTAS health subscale produced four clusters, with Health-Conscious Metropolitans (19.8%) as the primary functional food target. The HTAS taste subscale identified taste-oriented consumers (26.9%) alongside three further groups. The TFEQ-R21 confirmed a three-factor eating attitude structure (emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, cognitive restriction; explained variance 57.2%) and yielded five behavioural clusters. Controlled Dieters represented 20.6% of the sample; the other TFEQ-R21 segments showed average, uncontrolled, or emotionally driven eating profiles. Perceived palatability and healthiness of functional foods differed across TFEQ-R21 segments (one-way ANOVA, unadjusted p < 0.05 in six of ten categories for palatability and eight of ten for healthiness), and Controlled Dieters gave the highest mean rating in eight of ten categories on each measure. Conclusions: The parallel application of three validated eating behaviour scales describes eating attitudes, motivations and consumer segments among Hungarian adults. Habitual, taste-oriented and average-profile segments were common, and each instrument also yielded a smaller health-oriented segment (about 18–21%). These cross-sectional findings on attitudes and self-reported motivations may inform segment-specific communication, which should be tested in future intervention studies.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -