Analysis of Consumer Behavior

An Analysis of the Consumer Behavior of the Students of the
University of Asia and the Pacific towards Fast Food
A Research Paper
Submitted to:
DR. VERONICA QUILINGUIN
Faculty, School of Sciences and Engineering
In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for
By
Mejia, Noemi M.
March 18, 2016

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: The Problem and A Review of Related Literature ............................................1
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1
Review of Related Literature ...............................................................................................2
Consumer Behavior Theory .....................................................................................2
Factors Affecting Consumption ...............................................................................4
The Issues Regarding Fast Food ............................................................................10
Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................11
Conceptual Paradigm .........................................................................................................13
Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................13
Scope and Limitations........................................................................................................14
Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................15
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 2: Method .................................................................................................................17
Research Design.................................................................................................................17
Research Participants .........................................................................................................17
Research Instruments .........................................................................................................18
Data Gathering Procedure ..................................................................................................22
Treatment of Data ..............................................................................................................22
CHAPTER 3: Presentation and Interpretation of Findings ....................................................25
Data Analysis in General ...................................................................................................25
Data Analysis by Year Level .............................................................................................29
Data Analysis by Course ....................................................................................................35
Data Analysis by Gender ...................................................................................................39
CHAPTER 4: Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation .................................................43
Summary ............................................................................................................................43
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................45
Recommendation ...............................................................................................................48
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................50
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................51
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Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND A REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Food is a basic necessity and right for human beings, as stipulated in Article 25 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948). Various food joints and
restaurants offer quality food, as well as suitable atmosphere for people who do not view eating
merely as a means to fulfill a basic need. Eating also becomes a way to socialize. People bond and
spend time together whilst eating (Mejos, 2015).
Some people, for convenience and practicality, choose to visit fast food chains due to low
costs, atmosphere, and variety of food choices. Other people are loyal to their favorite brands and
travel far just to eat at their favorite stores (United International University, n.d.).
Undergraduate students, as shown by several studies, practice unsafe methods in food
handling and food consumption (Li-Cohen & Bruhn, 2002; Morrone & Rathbun, 2003; Unklesbay,
Sneed, & Toma, 1998, in Higgins, Remig, & Yarrow, 2009). According to King, college students
rely on fast food because of its convenience and price.
Fast food, King adds, is one of the unhealthiest food, and that people do not actually care
about the actual food content. In fact, 30% of American college students are considered
overweight, based on the standards by the American Medical Association (2011). Despite this,
college students still buy and consume fast food. Knutson even estimates that college students eat
fast food at the cost of between $484 and $640 per year (2000).
The aforementioned studies were conducted overseas, but the same situation is evident in
the case of the Philippines or, more specifically, in the University of Asia and the Pacific. Various
fast food chains are located outside the campus, which gives students the more reason to consume
fast food.
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Review of Related Literature
Consumer Behavior Theory
Consumer behavior is defined as one that “consumers display in searching for purchasing,
using, evaluating and disposing of products, services and ideas,” (Schiffman & Kanuk, 1997 in
Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).
The consumer behavior theory assumes the rationality of consumers. That is, consumers
engage in mental deliberations, of which the main purpose is to maximize their limited income.
This theory centers on the factor of the consumer’s income. The Marshallian consumer behavior
model shows how consumers choose to purchase the food that gives them the most satisfaction.
Besides their income, related factors that affect the purchasing decision include the taste of the
food and the prices of other related items (Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).
However, this rationality is affected by the monopolistic nature of fast food industries,
especially those with “aggressive” marketing strategies, which make consumers buy on impulse
by reducing the decision-making process. The cultural orientation of consumers also affect their
behavior towards different markets, since they are not isolated from their respective cultures
(Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).
According to Bray, there are five different approaches to the consumer behavior theory.
These are (1) economic man, (2) psychodynamic, (3) behaviourist, (4) cognitive, and (5)
humanistic (2008).
The first approach centers on the idea that man is rational and self-centered, and that he
opts for the optimum choice whilst giving the minimum effort. Given all the possible options and
alternatives, he selects the optimum choice (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2007 in Bray, 2008). However,
this approach has become far from realistic, as man rarely has all the possible choices, thereby
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reducing the decision-making process. Also, man is usually driven to a choice as influenced by
social relationships and values. Moreover, man’s final choice is usually the most satisfactory
option and not necessarily the optimum (Simon, 1997 in Bray, 2008).
According to the psychodynamic approach, “biological drives” are the main determinants
of the consumer behavior, rather than external stimuli or cognition. This idea stems from the works
of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung among others (Bray, 2008).
External factors are the focus of the third approach, or the behaviourist approach, which
proved that “behavior can be learned by external events”. Actions and feelings are considered
behaviors, and they are caused by stimuli outside the individual (Bray, 2008).
The cognitive approach acknowledges behaviouralism, although external stimuli is only
utilized by the individual as he or she goes through a decision-making process. Here, man is
considered an “information processor”. That is, given a stimulus, an organism, in turn, gives a
response (Cziko, 2000 in Bray, 2008).
Before, the organism was thought to be passive and “unprepared” (Eysenck & Keane, 2000
in Bray, 2008). Now, it is said that the organism is active and that his or her past memories and
experiences affect the information, including whether the information should be received or not
(Bray, 2008).
Although this approach has been criticized due to its heavy reliance on abstract ideas rather
than empirical data, it is the most appropriate to use with regard to the consumer behavior theory
(Bray, 2008).
Lastly, given certain limitations of the previous approach, the humanistic approach focuses
on exploring concepts rather than simply describing the decision-making process (Stewart, 1994
in Bray, 2008). First, it points out that the cognitive approach failed to consider the influence of
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the individual’s emotions on his or her consumption. Also, it gives light to the gap between the
individual’s purchase intentions and his or her final purchase behavior. Thirdly, the previous
approach failed to take into consideration any altruistic or selfless motives in consumer behavior
(Bray, 2008).
Alamgir, Nasir, Nedelea, and Shamsuddoha state an example wherein the consumer
behavior theory is applied. Before a man buys a car, he first recognizes his need for it. Afterwards,
he collects and gathers information about cars. He then buys the car he wants. After purchasing,
the man evaluates the car, whether he is satisfied or not, and whether his expectations before
buying were met (2010).
Additionally, there exists a “complex buying behavior” wherein a consumer goes through
all the usual stages in decision making and purchasing, although he or she does extensive research
about the product he or she wants to buy. This implies that the consumer is highly involved with
the process. He or she also compares the product among different brands before purchasing
(Kotlet, 2007 in Alamgir et al., 2010).
Overall, the study of consumer behavior aims to provide marketers with the knowledge
and skills necessary to be able to understand the market and develop effective marketing strategies
(Hamansu, 2008 in Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).
Factors Affecting Food Consumption
1. Location / Number of Outlets
In Japan, the Nippon Foundation conducted a research in 2005 regarding consumer
characteristics towards fast food. The Philippines was included as one of the respondents. When
the respondents were asked about if “they have consumed, at any point of their life, a product from
the country’s most popular fast food restaurant, which in the Philippines’ case, is Jollibee”, the
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country was the only one who had a 100% positive answer. Filipinos more frequently ate fast food
compared to respondents from other countries. This may be due to the fact that Manila, the
country’s capital, has “the most number of fast food outlets than any other city in Southeast Asia”,
and that the meals are cheaper than those of other countries (Peralta, 2012).
Flores observed that fast food companies usually have branches in places where there is
“heavy pedestrian traffic” such as in malls and universities (2014).
College students, according to Al-Numair, Bertrand, Colby, Gross, Heidal, and Mirabella,
spend an average of $71 a month on the seven fast food restaurants located near and around the
university. The researchers claim that high fast food consumption among students is due to
convenience and due to the proximity of fast food chains around the campus (2012).
2. Demographics (Gender, age, status)
A research conducted by Al-Saai and Zeitun concludes that fast food consumption behavior
is mainly affected by the gender, nationality, age, and marital status of the respondents. The
respondents’ respective occupations determine how often they consume fast food. Demographic
and lifestyle factors do not have significant correlations with the consumption behavior (n.d.).
Male students spent more and ate more than their female counterparts, as seen in a study
conducted among college students (Al-Numair et al., 2012). Brunner also claims that in middle
school, male students ate salty snacks more often than their female classmates (2006).
Females, because of great psychological involvement, tend to have brand loyalty when it
comes to products they buy. Males have brand loyalty as well, although this may be because of a
different reason. Males tend to have brand loyalty if the products reflect a “masculine self-image”
(Robertson & Ye, 2012).

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Consumers in Dhaka, on the other hand, prefer food products based on the quality and
value that are most suited to their purchasing power or their income levels. Consumers comprise
of teenagers, students, working adult, and even senior citizens. Quality and value related
perception of customers is also related to overall impression they derive from the customer service
they experience at these food joints and restaurants (United International University, n.d.).
3. Customer Service
As an employer, Jollibee provides extensive training for its employees in order for them to
be able to incorporate values like “humility, respect for authority, and integrity” into their customer
service. “A friendly set of staff would complement the corporation’s goal for a restaurant that
could foster a cheerful atmosphere”, Peralta states (2012).
Since customers nowadays have become more critical of the quality of customer service,
having a fast and efficient service is crucial for sales growth. There is a problem, however, when
staff members lack training and skills for direct selling. This does not improve sales for the
company. Also, “officers and staff are not sensitive to issues where effective publicity could be
launched” (Flores, 2014).
4. Culture
Since people are not isolated from their cultures, cultural orientation may be incorporated
in marketing strategies so as to influence consumer behavior (Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).
Having incorporated the Filipino taste in their Western-influenced food, Jollibee upholds the
Filipino heritage while taking into consideration the preferences of Filipino children. Their meals
cater to the whole family, with costs comparatively less than that of McDonald’s meals (2012).
5. Advertisements
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Flores compared the five fast food companies, namely Tropical Hut Foodmart, Jollibee
Foods Corporation, McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Chowking Food Corporation
around the University Belt in Manila. Majority of the customers were observed to be aged 20 years
and below, with most of them being college students. She observed that these five companies use
promotional practices such as having endorsements by well-known personalities, having value or
combo meals, or using billboards for advertisements. Broadcast media was used more frequently
than print media to attract more customers (2014).
Advertisers use television to their advantage by using it as a medium to market their
products. Since there is not much regulation on advertisements, children are exposed to
commercials all the time. In Malaysia, 30% of the children watch television for over eight hours a
day. These children are exposed to around two hours of advertisements daily. Viewing rates are
high especially during weekends. 20% of Indonesian children and 15% of Filipino children watch
six to eight hours of television during weekends. On school vacations, viewing rates are even
higher. Additionally, 73% of Pakistani children and 68% of Filipino children even claim to love
commercials (The Junk Food Generation, n.d.).
Food advertisements, specifically, seem to dominate regular television programming. For
every thirty minutes spend on regular programs, ten minutes are solely for advertisements in
Malaysia and the Philippines. In the Philippines, Pakistan, and Malaysia, 50% to 75% of
advertisements are about food. Given the high viewing rates of children, it implies that children
are more likely to be exposed to advertisements, especially those about food (The Junk Food
Generation, n.d.).
According to The Junk Food Generation, people no longer fear the dangers brought about
by advertisements such as idolatry and subliminal conditioning. Advertisements rely on the ability
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of viewers to be easily forced or manipulated, more so if most of the viewers are children, since
children are more sensitive to visual cues (n.d.).
Advertisements also play a significant role in affecting consumers’ behavior, especially
children. Food is depicted in commercials as “a way of socialization and status symbol, relieving
from stress, and a reward for self”. In the United States, it is said that children usually see one food
advertisement for every five minutes. Because of this, children are more likely to prefer junk food
instead of fruits (Peralta, 2012).
The problem with advertisements is that the food commercials shown to viewers are the
opposite of the nationally recommended diet. The food products being shown in advertisements
are usually high in sugars, fat, and salt. Because of this, there is a correlation between the amount
of body fat and television viewing (The Junk Food Generation, n.d.).
In the Philippines, McDonald’s, Jollibee, and Nestle are the top industries with the most
number of advertisements. Also, food products that are low in nutritional value such as cheese
spreads and fast food are those most frequently advertised. Among the six countries included in
the scope of study, the advertisements that were mostly recalled by respondents are those of
unhealthy and processed food such as instant noodles, fast food, soft drinks, and chocolates (The
Junk Food Generation, n.d.).
To address this issue, legislative measures should be enacted in order to decrease the
discrepancy between the food recommended by dieticians and nutritionists and the food being
shown in advertisements. This is important since dietary habits are formed at an early age, and
many children watch television for long periods of time and get exposed to food advertisements.
Being young, they are still incapable of having sound judgement as to the right food to eat, which
is why they are the viewers specifically targeted by advertisers.

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6. Ambience / Atmosphere
Moreover, the ambience of the fast food restaurant is crucial to the consumers’ satisfaction.
Besides their cost-efficient meals, Jollibee also provides a family-friendly atmosphere, with each
restaurant designed with bright colors. Some have play areas which become a way for children to
socialize with others (Peralta, 2012).
7. Other factors
Other factors that may contribute to the consumption of fast food is the presence of obese
friends. The likelihood of a person becoming overweight and even obese is doubled with
overweight friends than when he or she is friends with normal weight individuals. Those who are
overweight are less considered friends and generally less popular than their normal weight
counterparts. The “social marginalization of overweight and obese youth” causes overweight
individuals to be friends among similarly overweight people, thus increasing the likelihood of
obesity (Baker, 2012).
Parents also have a role to play with regard to their children’s eating habits. If parents are
overweight, there is a high chance for the children to be exposed to fatty foods. This continuous
and repeated exposure to unhealthy food train children to have a “taste” for them (The Junk Food
Generation, n.d.).
Deivanai conducted a study focusing on Domino’s Pizza. The results from her survey
indicated that the 120 respondents generally consider the atmosphere of the place most important.
The second factor ranked most important was the varieties of pizza offered, the third being the
delivery service, and the customer service ranked fourth. The sanitation and hygiene of the place
was ranked fifth most important among customers. The advertisements, the “modern” look of the
restaurant, and the customer-friendly atmosphere were ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth by the
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respondents respectively, while the ninth and tenth factors were the quality of the food and
ambience respectively. Other factors considered were the menu cards, the price, the location, and
the side dishes (2013).
Since people are usually on a limited budget, they look for low-priced or discounted meals
offered by fast food chains to get the most out of their money (Flores, 2014), which means the
pricing of the food products also become a factor for fast food consumption.
The Issues Regarding Fast Food
According to Peralta, fast food restaurants have always been criticized for providing meals
with low nutritional value. McDonald’s, for example, is criticized in the United States for their
“high calorie, trans fat, and salt content” of their meals. There is even a documentary entitled
“Supersized Me” that depicts how fast food, particularly those from McDonald’s, encourage
“unhealthiness” (2012).
It is a wonder why no widespread negative reaction has happened in the Philippines,
particularly Jollibee, given that Jollibee was patterned after McDonald’s. Jollibee has the same
products which are rich in sugar and calories. The issue with Jollibee is that the company cannot
provide the nutritional value sheet for their food products, unlike McDonald’s (Peralta, 2012).
Fast food products are composed of saturated sugar, oil, and meat. This means that this
type of food is usually on the upper part of the food pyramid, and should be consumed in small
amounts as compared to those on the base of the pyramid, which should be taken in large amounts.
The base of the pyramid is composed of fruits and vegetables, components that are not usually
found in fast food meals (Peralta, 2012).
French, Fulkerson, Hannan, Neumark-Sztainer, and Story have investigated that
adolescents react negatively towards healthy food, and that this reaction is related to how frequent
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these adolescents consume fast food. They claim that healthy food “taste bad” and that they “don’t
care about eating healthy”. Additionally, females who are healthy ate fast food less frequently.
Those who eat fast food more often report that they are not concerned about their own health (2001
in Baker, 2012).
Given that the country’s capital has the most number of fast food outlets and that the people
eat fast food more frequently than people from other Southeast Asian countries, respondents from
the Philippines had the highest average Body Mass Index (BMI) when compared to their
Malaysian and Thai counterparts. This shows a directly proportional relationship between the
frequency of fast food consumption and the BMI (Nippon Foundation, 2005 in Peralta, 2012).
Quite contrarily, the Philippines experiences the issue of malnutrition. As shown in a
research conducted in 2011, around 3.5 million Filipinos are malnourished. 20% of the respondents
are considered underweight, while 5% are obese, and this number continues to increase. Most
especially, these obese children lived around Metro Manila and other nearby provinces (Food and
Nutrition Research Institute, 2011 in Peralta, 2012).
Also, although there are many fast food outlets in the country, hunger is still prevalent,
especially in the CALABARZON area in the Philippines. This is due to the high incidence of
poverty.
Although advertisements play a role in consumer behavior, they cannot be solely blamed
for a child’s poor eating habits. Other factors that influence a child’s eating habits include the
entire family’s habits and whether or not the child engages in physical activities (Peralta, 2012).
Conceptual Framework
Several researches have been conducted regarding the factors that influence fast food
consumption behavior. Al-Saai and Zeitun have discovered in their study that gender, nationality,
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age, and marital status affect people’s fast food consumption behavior (n.d.). Other researchers
add that male students ate more than their female counterparts (Al-Numair et al., 2012; Brunner,
2006). According to Robertson and Ye, both male and female respondents show brand loyalty
especially when the products cater to the image they want to portray. Men, for example, prove to
be loyal to brands that reflect a masculine image (2012).
Some studies focus on college students, in general, as main consumers of fast food.
According to King, these students eat fast food because of its convenience and price (2011). In
fact, they spend most of their monthly allowance for this type of food (Al-Numair, Bertrand,
Colby, Gross, Heidal, & Mirabella, 2012; Knutson, 2000). This might be because most fast food
chains in Manila are around university belts (Flores, 2014).
However, the researcher has found no study that investigates whether the students’
undergraduate program and year level have a significant correlation to fast food consumption
behavior and preferences. That is, students from different courses have different fast food
preference and students from different year levels have varying fast food consumption patterns.
The researcher thus combines these three factors: gender, year level, and course, to
understand the fast food consumption of students and to investigate whether a difference exists
among students when classified into different groups.

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Conceptual Paradigm
Gender
Fast Food
Consumption
Behavior and
Preferences of
UA&P Students
Course Year Level
Statement of the Problem
The entire study is centered on answering the main research question:
1. What are the three most important and the least important factors that students consider
the most important when choosing a fast food chain?

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2. Is the fast food preference related to the student’s:
a. Year level
b. Course
c. Gender
Scope and Limitations
Fast food here does not pertain to or single out a company or brand name but pertains to
fast food chains specifically near the university. The researcher does not compare one company
from another.
The scope of the study is limited only to the factors that affect the consumer behavior of
UA&P students. These factors include price, atmosphere, location, and others. Also, health
implications of frequent fast food consumption are mentioned by the researcher, though not
thoroughly depicted. The main goal of this study is to observe the consumer behavior regarding
fast food, not the prevalence of health problems due to fast food consumption.
Due to spatial and temporal limitations, the researcher only utilizes 50 students from the
University of Asia and the Pacific as respondents. These respondents are randomly chosen,
regardless of year level, course, and gender. These factors are to be used later on for analysis of
different factors that may or may not affect their consumer behaviors towards fast food. In addition,
the researcher limits the respondents to those currently studying in the University of Asia and the
Pacific for the second semester of school year 2015 to 2016. Also, the respondents are only from
first to fourth year students only, since not all courses have five-year programs. Students from the
graduate programs are not included.
A survey questionnaire with seven items is to be used by the researcher to gather data. This
survey is to be validated by the instructor Dr. Veronica Quilinguin. Other sources of data include
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print material from the Don Eugenio Lopez Library (DELL) and Don Emilio Ejercito Library
(DEEL) in the University of Asia and the Pacific, and articles from trusted sources in the internet.
All of which are properly cited in the Bibliography of this study.
The survey questionnaire contains a forced rank type of test wherein seven factors that
influence fast food consumption and preference are listed. Given that there are 7! = 5,040 possible
answers, meaning 5,040 different orders of the seven factors, the researcher only prioritizes the
first, second, third, and seventh factors.
Significance of the Study
The researcher has noted that most of the sources available regarding the topic were
researches or studies conducted overseas. This makes the study more relevant as it provides a
firsthand description of how fast food consumption is in the Philippines, particularly in the
University of Asia and the Pacific.
For fast food chain owners and / or business owners, a better understanding of consumer
behaviors may help them decide and plan marketing strategies. Knowing the different factors that
greatly affect consumer behavior provide business owners a prediction of their cost, profit, and
revenue. Asamoah and Chovancova explain that “the knowledge the firm obtains from studying
the behaviour of consumers enables them to be aware of issues such as why consumers buy
particular products, when, where, how they buy it, how often they buy it, and also how they
consume it as well as dispose it” (n.d.). For example, if proven that health is a motivational factor
for consumers, business owners may provide healthier options to cater to these consumers.
Consumers, if proven that there is a high prevalence of fast food consumption, is expected
to have a better understanding of the food they are eating and to limit their intake of fast food. Fast
food consumption, if unaccompanied by at least one hour of exercise, is likely to cause obesity
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(Baker, 2012). Fast food consumption should also be less frequent among adolescents since
“adolescence is a period in life marked by a dramatic increase in growth and development, thus an
increased demand for nutrients” (Mahan & Escott-Stump, 2000, in Brunner, 2006). Overweight
adolescents experience symptoms such as “psychosocial difficulties including self-esteem and
self-image issues, hyperlipidemia (elevated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and
triglycerides and lowered high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels), hepatic steatosis, glucose
intolerance, hypertension, sleep apnea, and polycystic ovary disease” (Dietz, 1998b, in Brunner,
2006).
Parents can be provided with information such that they will be aware and concerned of
what their children are eating while in school when they are out of their parents’ sight and
supervision. Parents may warn their children of the risks of consuming too much fast food, and
guide them instead towards a healthy lifestyle.
Definition of Terms
In order for the intended audience to better understand the study, the researcher defines the
following terms.
Advertisement is any strategy or technique used by businesses and industries in order to
promote or sell a product to consumers. Advertisements include print media, such as newspapers
and flyers, and electronic media like commercials on television and radio.
Atmosphere or business environment is the external appearance of a restaurant or fast food
chain. It is one of the factors that influence fast food consumption and preference.
Behaviorism is the theory that states that a human or animal's actions and responses can
be thoroughly studied through further observations of its behavior.
Consumption is the use of goods and services of an individual or the entire household.
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Fast food chain is a restaurant that caters more towards speed and low prices than quality
and nutritional value.
Food pyramid is a graphic representation of the number of servings to be eaten each day
based from the basic food groups.
Obesity is the condition of weighing more than an individual's ideal body weight. It is
usually associated with fast food consumption.
Satisfaction is the level of a consumer's approval of a product or service based on his or
her expectations. The level of satisfaction also pertains to whether or not the consumer’s needs
and expectations were met after purchasing a product.
Chapter 2
METHOD
Research Design
Using the correlational method of research, the study aimed to know whether correlations
exist between different variables. The correlations involved in the study include the relationship
between gender, year level, and course with fast food preference and consumption behavior. This
study also specifically sought to investigate whether there is a difference among the fast food
consumption behavior and preferences among the respondents when classified into different
groups.
Research Participants and Other Sources of Data
The forty (40) respondents for this research were all students of the University of Asia and
the Pacific for the second semester of school year 2015 to 2016. Respondents were chosen
randomly and are given the survey questionnaire to be answered in the presence of the researcher.
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Research Instruments
For this study, the researcher utilized a survey questionnaire with seven (7) questions which
are of different types such as multiple choice, forced rank, open-ended, and the Likert scale types
of test. The researcher expected answers to be both qualitative and quantitative data. There were
also questions pertaining to the demographic information of the respondent, such as the age, year
level and course, and the gender. These categories were to be used in order to classify the
respondents into different groups for analysis.
The seven (7) questions in the survey all pertained to the fast food consumption and
preferences of the respondents.
For the first question, which is a multiple choice type of test, asked “How often do you eat
at fast food chains?” which pertains to the frequency of the respondent’s fast food consumption.
The question added that full meal and snacks are pertained to in the question. There were three
choices provided for the respondent to choose from: (a) at least once a day, which is the most
frequent; (b) three (3) to four (4) times a week, or (c) once or twice a month, which is equivalent
to seldom consumption. The respondent was asked to choose only one from the given choices.
Question number two of the survey asked for the respondent to rank the factors according
to its importance or significance in the respondent’s decision-making process of where to buy their
meal. The respondent was supposed to rank the given factors from one (1) to seven (7) with one
being the most important factor and seven being the least important factor. This was an application
of the consumer behavior theory which assumes the rationality of the consumer, as exemplified by
the decision-making process done before purchasing a product or, in this case, fast food products.
The given factors were based by the researcher on the review of related literature in Chapter
1 of this study. The bases included related studies done on fast food consumption and behavior.
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One factor given in the item was the safety and cleanliness of the food and its preparation.
This option was patterned after the similar study conducted by Deivanai (2013). Another factor in
the questionnaire was the nutritional value. This was an important factor overall given the issues
regarding fast food. According to Peralta, fast food products were usually low in nutritional value
(2012). Baker adds that fast food was one of the common causes of obesity (2012).
The third option in the given factors was the price. Price was an important factor in fast
food products since it is an element to be considered in the consumer behavior theory. According
to the theory, consumers only had a limited income and so they seek out the option where their
money will be maximized. Flores agreed by saying that price as an important factor in the decision-
making process is exemplified by people looking for low-priced and discounted meals which are
common in fast food chains in the Philippines (2014).
The quality of the food was the fourth factor among the list of options. In a research, it was
concluded that consumers in Dhaka are more likely to consume food based on its quality (United
National University, n.d). The quality of the food was also among the factors considered by
Deivanai (2013).
The location, which includes the number of outlets, of a fast food chain was also a factor
to be considered. A study by the Nippon Foundation concluded that Manila, the capital of the
Philippines, has the most number of fast food chains when compared to other cities in Southeast
Asia (Peralta, 2012). Flores added that fast food outlets are usually in places where many people
pass by such as in malls or universities (2014). Al-Numair, Bertrand, Colby, Gross, Heidal, and
Mirabella discovered that college students, among others, spend an average of $71 each month on
the fast food chains located near their university, and that the proximity of these fast food outlets
in the school is the reason for the high fast food consumption among college students (2012).
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Another factor was the atmosphere of the place. This factor was the one noticeably being
worked on in Jollibee, according to Peralta. There were play areas for children and the overall
atmosphere caters to the family (2012). Deivanai also utilized this factor in her research (2013).
Lastly, the influence of advertisements was also considered part of the decision-making
process. According to Flores, advertising is one of the most common promotional strategies
employed by fast food chains. Advertisements were predominated mostly by celebrities to attract
many customers (2014). Advertisements were crucial since about 50% to 70% of commercials are
about food products, and children are estimated to be exposed to two hours of advertisements daily.
Advertisers especially targeted the youth since they are more susceptible to subliminal
conditioning and to visual cues when compared to adults (The Junk Food Generation, n.d), thus
deeming them most likely to consume fast food products.
The third item in the survey asked “Which do you prefer eating more, fast food or home-
cooked food?” to know, if given the choices, what respondents would prefer more. This question
was developed by the researcher and is not based on any related study.
For the four (4) remaining items, the researcher opted to use a Likert scale type of test.
Each statement had four (4) options: Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly
Disagree (SD). The values assigned to each option is as follows: SA = 4, A = 3, D = 2, and SD =
1 for positive questions. Positive questions meant that the expected answer is “Strongly Agree”,
which is why SA is the highest possible weighted score. For negative questions, the opposite scale
was used. That is, SA = 1, A = 2, D = 3, and SD = 4. Here, the answer expected was “Strongly
Disagree” which is why SD has a weight of 4.

P a g e | 21
In the questionnaire, there were three (3) positive questions and one (1) negative question*.
These questions were based from the questionnaire made by Baker who conducted a related study
on attitudes towards fast food (2012). The researcher only paraphrased and revised the statements.
1. Eating fast food saves time.
2. I believe eating fast food will make me get fat.
3. If I eat fast food, I get to hang out with my friends.
4. Fast food is healthy for my body.*
The first statement in the Likert scale, “Eating fast food saves time”, pertained to the
convenience brought about by eating fast food. Al-Numair, Bertrand, Colby, Gross, Heidal, and
Mirabella in 2012 concluded that convenience is a factor mentioned by college students as a reason
why they spend much of their money on fast food.
“I believe eating fast food will make me get fat” is the second statement, pertaining to the
correlation between weight perception and fast food consumption, which is modeled after Baker’s
study (2012).
Statement number three stated, “If I eat fast food, I get to hang out with my friends”. This
was an application of Mejos’ idea that eating is a way to socialize (2015). Also, according to Baker,
the type of friends may be a factor that influences fast food consumption. Having overweight
friends increased the likelihood of one becoming overweight (2012).
Lastly, the fourth statement was about the health-perception of those eating fast food
products. The researcher expected that the respondents’ answer to the statement “Fast food is
healthy for my body” is “Strongly Disagree” or “Disagree” since fast food is low in nutrients
(Peralta, 2012). Answering “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” to this statement meant that the
respondent has a distorted perception of nutrition.

P a g e | 22
Data Gathering Procedure
Starting from December 22, 2015 until January 28, 2016, the researcher gathered all
necessary information and data regarding fast food consumption and preferences. These included
journals, articles, books, and related researches. These were gathered from the University of Asia
and the Pacific libraries, namely Don Emilio Ejercito Library (DEEL) and Don Eugenio Lopez
Library (DELL). Others were taken from trusted sources on the Internet. All these were cited
properly in the Bibliography of this study.
From February 1 to 12, 2016, the researcher conducted surveys among randomly chosen
participants who are students of the University of Asia and the Pacific for the school year 2015 to
2016. These students were randomly chosen, regardless of their gender, year level, and course.
However, these demographics were used later on to classify the respondents into different groups.
The questionnaires were answered by the respondents in the presence of the researcher.
Afterwards, the questionnaires were collected.
Treatment of Data
Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and recorded by the researcher. All
the survey questionnaires were added in the Appendix of this study.
At the beginning, the researcher aimed to have forty (40) respondents. However, if any of
the respondents failed to follow the instructions, such as checking the factors instead of ranking
them from one (1) to seven (7), their answered and submitted questionnaire is considered invalid.
For the qualitative data, particularly answers from item number three of the questionnaire
(“Which do you prefer eating more, fast food or home-cooked food?”), the answers were recorded
by the researcher to be used as further evidence for findings. These are to be found in Chapter 3 of
this study.
P a g e | 23
For the quantitative data, on the other hand, there were three types of data expected by the
researcher: nominal, forced rank, and interval data. These data were treated using different
methods. Percentages were used for nominal data gathered from the first item in the questionnaire
which is a multiple choice type and the respondent is asked to choose only one from the options.
Permutation was first used by the researcher for the forced rank data. Given that there are
seven (7) factors to be ranked, this means that there are 7! or 5,040 possible orders of the factors.
Since there were forty (40) respondents, only 40 out of 5,040 possible answers were expected.
There might even be less than 40 since other respondents might have the same ranking of the
factors. However, instead of getting the ranking of all the seven factors according to computations,
the researcher only computed for the first, the second, the third, and the seventh factor most chosen
by the respondents by tallying all the answers.
For analyzing the data in general, the researcher used weighted mean to compute for the
results of the Likert Scale. In this case, the mean µ is taken by using the formula below.
𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝜇=
𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠
The value of the mean is evaluated according to the following scale improvised by the
researcher.
For positive statements

0µ<1 1µ<2 2µ<3 3µ4
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
For negative statements
0µ<1 1µ<2 2µ<3 3µ4
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
The percentages of the values, symbolized by y, were computed using the relative
frequency of the data value multiplied by 100. The formula is shown below.
P a g e | 24
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑦

𝑦= 𝑥 100
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
Analysis on Variance (ANOVA) was used as the statistical tool for analyzing forced rank
data from the second question in the survey. ANOVA was also used for the four-point Likert Scale
when analyzing data with three (3) or more groups, such as when analyzing data according to year
level (k = 4) and course (k = 7). The researcher aimed to test the null hypothesis that the means of
the groups are equal. That is, H0: µ1 = µ2 = … = µk where µ is the mean of the groups from 1 to k
on two significant levels, α = 0.05 and α = 0.01.
If the f value falls within the critical region for a specific significant level, the null
hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis wherein at least two of the groups have
different means. However, ANOVA does not specify which particular groups have significantly
different means. On the other hand, if the f value does not fall within the critical region, the null
hypothesis is accepted.
When data is analyzed according to gender (k = 2), the four-point Likert Scale is computed
using a two-tailed Z Test. The researcher also assumed that the means of k groups are equal and
that the difference is equal to zero. The null hypothesis is given to be H0: µ1 = µ2 = … = µk where
µ is the mean of the groups from 1 to k on two significant levels, α = 0.05 and α = 0.01.
x̅1− x̅2− ∆
To get the z score, the formula 𝑧= 2 2
was applied. x1 and x2 pertain to the
√(𝜎1) + (𝜎2)
𝑛1 𝑛2
sample mean of the two groups;  is the expected difference between the two sample means, and
since the researcher hypothesized that the means are equal, the difference is equal to zero. 1 and
2 are the standard deviations, and since they are raised to the second power, they pertain to the
variances of each group. n1 and n2 are the respective sample sizes.

P a g e | 25
After getting the z scores, the researcher compared these to the respective critical region
when a.) α = 0.05 and b.) α = 0.01. If the z score falls within the critical region, there is a significant
difference between the two groups, and the null hypothesis is rejected. On the other hand, if the z
score is outside the critical region, there is no difference between the two groups, and the null
hypothesis is accepted.
The data was computed by the researcher using two (2) methods: manual computation and
computation using Microsoft Excel 2013.
Chapter 3
PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
Data Analysis in General
GENDER TOTAL
MALE 8
FEMALE 29 37
YEAR LEVEL
1ST YEAR 11
2ND YEAR 23
3RD YEAR 1
TH
4 YEAR 2 37
COURSE
School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE) 12
School of Law and Governance (SLG) 1
School of Communication (SCM) 10
School of Management (SMN) 8
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) 4
School of Economics (SEC) 1
Unknown 1 37
Table 1: Summary of the Respondents According to Categories
Forty (40) students are the initial target respondents of the researcher. Even though this
goal was achieved, some survey questionnaires, upon analysis, are found to be invalid since the
P a g e | 26
respondents did not follow the specified instructions. Because of this, three (3) surveys are found
invalid and only thirty-seven (37) are utilized by the researcher for analysis.
The breakdown of the respondents is shown in the Table 1.1.
When respondents are grouped by gender, most of the students are female, comprising of
78% of the sample. Similarly, 62% of the respondents are second year students while only 2% are
third year students when categorized according to year level. Lastly, 32% of the respondents come
from the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE).
For the first question in the questionnaire, most of the respondents generally eat fast food
either three to four times a week or at least once a month, with both choices having been chosen
by 18 out of the 37 students or 48% of the respondents. Only 1 student has been discovered to eat
fast food at least once a day. The results are summarized in Figure 1.1 below.
How often do you eat at fast food chains?
At least once a day 3 to 4 times a week At least once month
Figure 1: How often do you eat at fast food chains?
Regarding the different factors that the respondents consider important when purchasing
fast food products, 32% of them ranks the quality of the food as the most important. Price is the
second most important after being chosen by 17 out of the 37 respondents.

P a g e | 27
For the third most important factor, the quality of the food is also chosen by most of the
respondents. To avoid repetition, the researcher has chosen to consider the factors that have the
second highest frequency for the third place, which are the location and the nutritional value, since
the two have equal frequencies. Both factors are the second highest after being chosen by 7 out of
the 37 respondents.
Advertisements of the fast food chain is the last chosen by the respondents as the factor
they consider the least important in their fast food consumption. This means that the respondents
are not affected or influenced by the advertisements or marketing strategies of fast food chains.
This disproves Asamoah and Chovancova’s conclusion in their study that the decision-making
process of the consumers is decreased by “aggressive” promotion strategies by fast food industries
(n.d).
When comparing these results to the findings by Deivanai in her research, the three factors
ranked the most important by respondents from India are the atmosphere of the place, varieties of
the food offered, and the delivery service, respectively (2013). Advertisements, ranked the last in
this study, is not the last factor considered in Deivanai’s research. It is ranked the sixth among
fourteen (14) factors used by Deivanai in her questionnaire.
The third question tackles about which the respondents prefer eating more, fast food or
home-cooked food. Although the question was not based on a previous study, the researcher wants
to investigate whether or not the respondents will still choose fast food products if given an
alternative which, in this case, is home-cooked food.
Thirty-six (36) out of the thirty-seven respondents have chosen home-cooked food.
According to them, it is safer since they know how the food is prepared and its contents. One
respondent said he preferred home-cooked meals because “it is safer and more delicious”. The
P a g e | 28
one respondent who chose fast food over home-cooked food explains that she chose fast food
because “it saves on time and preparation of food”.
Table 2 shows the weighted results for the fourth part of the questionnaire, or the Likert
Scale type of test. There are four (4) statements in which the respondent is asked to encircle the
letter of his or her answer, whether the respondent strongly agrees (SA), agrees (A), disagrees (D),
or strongly disagrees (SD). Each response correspondents to a weight which is multiplied to the
frequency of answers. For each statement, the weighted scores are added and divided by four (4)
in order to get the weighted mean shown in the table.
SA A D SD AVERAGE MEANING
Eating fast food saves time 56 60 6 0 3.30 SA
I believe eating fast food will make
me get fat 92 30 6 1 3.49 SA
If I eat fast food, I get to hang out
with my friends 32 51 20 2 2.84 A
Fast food is healthy for my body 0 2 21 116 3.76 SD
Table 2: Summary Table of Responses in General for Likert Scale
The researcher improvises a scale that will give the meaning of the weighted mean. A mean
between 0 and 1 indicates a general answer of Strongly Disagree. If the mean is equal to 1 and less
than 2, the interpretation is Disagree, while for Agree, the mean should be equal to 2 and less than
3. The general response for a statement is Strongly Agree if the mean is equal to 3 and between or
equal to 4.
Based on this scale, the respondents generally answer Strongly Agree that eating fast food
saves time. This means that they acknowledge the convenience brought about by eating fast food.
This confirms Driskell, Kim, and Goebel’s research conclusion that convenience is the top reason
why college students consume fast food products (2005, in Al-Numair, Bertrand, Colby, Gross,
Heidal, & Mirabella, 2012).

P a g e | 29
For the second and fourth statement, the respondents strongly believe that fast food
consumption will result to being fat. They also strongly disagree that fast food is healthy. The
researcher notes that the respondents’ correct perception of the effects of fast food consumption is
a good sign. According to Baker, “weight perception is a driving force behind weight related
behaviors.” Also, those who cannot perceive their weight status are less likely to engage in healthy
eating practices and behaviors (2012).
Lastly, most of the respondents agree that eating fast food is a way for them to socialize
with their peers. This is significant to note because adults are more likely to be obese with the
presence of obese friends (Baker, 2012). Additionally, those who have high peer support on eating
healthy food appear to consume less unhealthy food (Eisenberg, Harnack, Larson, Neumark-
Sztainer, Story, & Wall, 2008, in Baker, 2012).
Data Analysis by Year Level
Respondents Grouped According to Year Level
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH
Figure 2: Number of respondents per year level
Respondents are grouped according to their respective year levels from first to fourth year.
Since the researcher used a random sampling technique to choose participants for this study, the
P a g e | 30
number of students per year level is not equal. The breakdown of the respondents is shown in the
figure below.
As shown in the figure, most of the respondents are second year students, comprising 62%
of the sample size. 29% of the respondents are first year students, 5% are fourth year students, and
2% are third year students.
Regarding the frequency of fast food consumption, one first year student claims to eat fast
food at least once a day while most of the second year students state that they eat fast food around
three (3) to four (4) times each week. The summary of the responses can be seen in Figure 3.

16
14
12
10
0
1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year
At least once a day 3 to 4 times a week At least once a month
Figure 3: Frequency of Fast Food Consumption According to Year Level
The researcher has utilized the ANOVA test in order to analyze the null hypothesis that no
difference exists among the means of the different groups of respondents. That is, the factors
chosen by the students as the first, second, third, and seventh most important factors to consider
before buying fast food products are the same.

P a g e | 31
Table 3 shows the ANOVA table when the data is computed for the first factor. The
columns computed are the frequencies of the respondents’ answer for each factor they ranked as
the first most important to consider before buying fast food products.
The null hypothesis is rejected at a 95% and 99% level of confidence. This means that a
difference exists among the means of the groups.
First year students have chosen the location of the fast food chain, while second and third
year students believe that the quality of the food should be considered first and foremost. For fourth
year students, on the other hand, the location of the fast food chain and the cleanliness of the
preparation of the food are most important.
FIRST FACTOR
SUMMARY Count Sum Average Variance

FIRST YEAR 7 11 1.571429 2.952381
SECOND
YEAR 7 23 3.285714 6.904762
THIRD YEAR 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
FOURTH
YEAR 7 2 0.285714 0.238095
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 7.985106 0.001359 5.09189
DECISION: REJECT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 7.985106 0.001359 3.159908
DECISION: REJECT
Table 3: Results of First Factor According to Year Level
P a g e | 32
For the second factor, as seen in Table 4, the null hypothesis is rejected only at a 95%
confidence level. This means that differences among the students from the four year levels occur
at a significant level of 0.05.
First and second year students mostly say that the price is the second most important factor
to consider when purchasing fast food products. For respondents at the third year level, the location
of the fast food chain is the second factor be considered while the quality of the food is for the
fourth year students.
Given that the F value for the second factor is 4.03 and the critical values when  is equal
to 0.05 and 0.01 are 3.16 and 5.10 respectively, the F value falls only within the critical region of
 = 0.05.
SECOND FACTOR

FIRST YEAR 7 11 1.571429 8.619048
SECOND
YEAR 7 23 3.285714 10.57143
THIRD YEAR 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
FOURTH
YEAR 7 2 0.285714 0.571429
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 4.026824 0.023512 5.09189
DECISION: ACCEPT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 4.026824 0.023512 3.159908
DECISION: REJECT
Table 4: Results of Second Factor According to Year Level
P a g e | 33
THIRD FACTOR

FIRST YEAR 7 11 1.571429 1.952381
SECOND
YEAR 7 23 3.285714 6.904762
THIRD
YEAR 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
FOURTH
YEAR 7 2 0.285714 0.238095
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Variation SS Df MS F P-value F crit
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 8.230263 0.001169 5.09189
DECISION: REJECT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 8.230263 0.001169 3.159908
DECISION: REJECT
Table 5: Results of Third Factor According to Year Level
The ANOVA table above shows the computation for the third most important factor for
the respondents. Based on the table, the difference between the answers of the four groups of
respondents is highly significant with both 95% and 99% levels of confidence.
When asked to rank the seven factors according to their significance in the decision-making
process, first year and second year students answer that the quality of the food is the third most
important. For third year students, the third most important factor is the nutritional value of the
food, while the fourth year students believe that the nutritional value of the food and the
atmosphere inside the fast food chain are the third factors to be considered.
P a g e | 34
SEVENTH FACTOR

FIRST YEAR 7 11 1.571429 13.95238
SECOND
YEAR 7 23 3.285714 42.57143
THIRD
YEAR 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
FOURTH
YEAR 7 2 0.285714 0.238095
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 1.654033 0.212375 5.09189
DECISION: ACCEPT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 1.654033 0.212375 3.159908
DECISION: ACCEPT
Table 6: Results of Seventh Factor According to Year Level
Lastly, the researcher has found that respondents from all year levels agree that the last
factor to be considered when buying fast food product is the advertisement of the fast food chain.
When computed using the ANOVA test, the F value does not fall within critical regions for the
95% and 99% levels of confidence. This means that no difference exists between the means of the
four groups of respondents.
The result is highly significant and worthy to note because according to several studies in
the review of related literature, the advertisements play a crucial role in the fast food consumption
of people, especially children, since they are more susceptible to visual cues (The Junk Food
Generation, n.d.). This might imply that marketing strategies employed by fast food companies
are not effective for college students.

P a g e | 35
Data Analysis by Course
Respondents Grouped According to Schools
School of Sciences and Engineering School of Law and Governance

School of Communication School of Management
College of Arts and Sciences School of Economics
Unknown
Figure 4: Respondents Grouped According to Schools
When respondents are grouped according to course, seven (7) groups are observed. There
are six (6) respective schools: School of Sciences and Engineering, School of Economics, School
of Communication, School of Management, School of Law and Governance, and College of Arts
and Sciences, and since one respondent did not specify his or her course, the researcher creates a
separate group for the unknown course. The number of respondents per course is shown in Figure
4.
Regarding the second item in the questionnaire, the frequency of fast food consumption,
no conclusion can be made since there are different numbers of students per course which makes
it difficult for the researcher to compare the groups to one another.

P a g e | 36
FIRST FACTOR

FIRST YEAR 7 11 1.571429 2.952381
SECOND
YEAR 7 23 3.285714 6.904762
THIRD YEAR 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
FOURTH
YEAR 7 2 0.285714 0.238095
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 7.985106 0.001359 5.09189
DECISION: REJECT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 44.67857 3 14.89286 7.985106 0.001359 3.159908
DECISION: REJECT
Table 7: Results of First Factor According to Course
Table 7 shows the ANOVA table where the means of the seven groups were compared
using the ANOVA test. Given the results, the researcher has found that there exists differences
among the courses when it comes to the first factor to consider when buying fast food.
For most of the students in the School of Law and Governance, School of Management,
and School of Economics, the quality of the food is the first and foremost factor to consider; for
students in the College of Arts and Sciences, the location of the fast food chain; for students in
sciences and engineering related courses, the location of the fast food chain, the nutritional value
of the food, and the cleanliness of the preparation of the food since the three factors have the
highest and equal frequencies; the quality of the food and the location of the fast food chain for
P a g e | 37
those in the School of Communication; and the cleanliness of the preparation of the food for the
student in the unknown course.
SECOND FACTOR

SSE 7 12 1.714285714 5.238095
SLG 7 1 0.142857143 0.142857
SMN 7 8 1.142857143 2.47619
SCM 7 10 1.428571429 2.952381
CAS 7 4 0.571428571 0.619048
SEC 7 1 0.142857143 0.142857
UNKNOWN 7 1 0.142857143 0.142857
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 18.7755102 6 3.129252 2.810590631 0.023957 3.350677465
DECISION: ACCEPT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 18.7755102 6 3.129252 2.810590631 0.023957 2.363750958
DECISION: REJECT
Table 8: Results of Second Factor According to Course
For the second factor, the differences between the courses are only at a 0.05 level of
significance. That is, the F value, as seen in Table 8, does not fall in the critical region when  is
equal to 0.01.
Students from communications, arts and sciences, law and governance, economics, and the
unknown courses similarly state that the second most important factor to consider is the price of
the food. Those from the School of Management, on the other hand, prioritize the cleanliness of
P a g e | 38
the preparation of the food while the price and the quality of the food are second most important
to those from the School of Sciences and Engineering.
THIRD FACTOR

SSE 7 12 1.714286 2.571429
SLG 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
SMN 7 8 1.142857 1.142857
SCM 7 10 1.428571 1.619048
CAS 7 4 0.571429 0.619048
SEC 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
UNKNOWN 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 18.77551 6 3.129252 4.466019 0.001781 3.350677
DECISION: REJECT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 18.77551 6 3.129252 4.466019 0.001781 2.363751
DECISION: REJECT
Table 9: Results of Third Factor According to Course
For the third most important factor, differences among the courses exist at both the 95%
and 99% levels of confidence, as seen in Table 9. Students from the School of Sciences and
Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, and the unknown course agree that quality of the food
should come third among the seven factors to consider when buying fast food. The location of the
fast food is the third most important for students from law and governance, and management
related courses. For students from the School of Communication, the quality of the food and the
P a g e | 39
cleanliness of its preparation go together as the third factors to be considered, while economics
students believe the nutritional value of the food should be the third.
SEVENTH FACTOR

SSE 7 12 1.714286 13.57143
SLG 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
SMN 7 8 1.142857 4.809524
SCM 7 10 1.428571 6.619048
CAS 7 4 0.571429 2.285714
SEC 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
UNKNOWN 7 1 0.142857 0.142857
ANOVA 0.01
Source of
Columns 18.77551 6 3.129252 1.765835 0.134098 3.350677
DECISION: ACCEPT
ANOVA 0.05
Source of
Columns 18.77551 6 3.129252 1.765835 0.134098 2.363751
DECISION: ACCEPT
Table 10: Results of Seventh Factor According to Course
Similar to the previous data analysis, most of the students agree, regardless of course or
program, that the advertisements of a fast food chain are the last to be considered in their decision-
making process before purchasing fast food products.
Data Analysis by Gender
Here, the students are grouped according to gender: male and female. Since there are only
two groups to compare, the researcher utilizes the Z Test as discussed in the previous chapter.
P a g e | 40
According to the demographic information, there were 8 male students and 29 female
students in the entire sample. That is, 21.6% are males while females comprise 78.4% of the sample
size. The breakdown can be seen in the figure below.
Respondents Grouped According to Gender
MALE FEMALE
Figure 5: Respondents Grouped According to Gender
For the first question in the survey regarding the frequency of fast food consumption,
Figure 6 shows that male respondents ate fast food more frequently than their female counterparts.
62.5% of the male respondents admit that they eat fast food at least three to four times a week. For
females, on the other hand, almost half (43%) say that they eat fast food at least once each month.
This finding affirms previous observations by Al-Numair, Bertrand, Colby, Gross, Heidal,
and Mirabella that male students ate more frequently than female students (2012). It also agrees
with Brunner’s statement that male students ate more salty snacks than females (2006).
Regarding the forced rank type of data, the three most important and the least important
are shown to have differences among male and female respondents. Table 10 shows that for the
first factor, the most important to be considered when buying fast food products, are different with
95% and 99% levels of confidence.

P a g e | 41

18
16
14
12
10
0
Male Female
At least once a day 3 to 4 times a week At least once a month
Figure 6: Frequency of Fast Food Consumption According to Gender
FIRST FACTOR
F M FORMULA F M DECISION
5 0  4.57143 1.1428571
9 2 2  13.619 2.1428571
3 0 2/n  0.46962 0.2678571
8 4 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
0.737479475
7 1 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
0.858766251
0 1  3.428571429
0 0 (12/n1) + (22/n2)] 3.992438481
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.96 REJECT NULL
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.645 REJECT NULL
Table 11: Results of First Factor According to Gender
Using the Z test, the researcher has found that the z score for the first factor falls in the
critical regions when α is equal to 0.05 and 0.01, which means that the difference between the two
groups is highly significant. For factor to be considered the most important, the male students have
mostly chosen the quality of the food while the female students have chosen the nutritional value
of the food.
P a g e | 42
For the second, third, and seventh factor, although most of the respondents from each group
have ranked the price to be the second most important (Table 12), the quality of the food as the
third most important (Table 13), and the advertisements as the least important (Table 14), the z
scores fall within the critical regions for 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance, which means that
there are differences among the two groups for the second, third, and seventh factors on the 95%
and 99% levels of confidence.
SECOND FACTOR
5 2  4.14286 1.14286
2 0 2  17.4762 3.47619
12 5 2/n  0.60263 0.43452
6 1 (12/n1) + (22/n2) 1.037151067
4 0 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
1.018406141
0 0  3
0 0 (12/n1) + (22/n2)] 2.945779567
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.96 reject REJECT NULL
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.645 reject REJECT NULL
Table 12: Results of Second Factor According to Gender
THIRD FACTOR
4 1  4.14286 1.1428571
5 2 2  8.47619 1.1428571
3 1 2/n  0.29228 0.1428571
9 3 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
0.435139573
6 1 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
0.659651099
2 0  3
0 0 (12/n1) + (22/n2)] 4.547858712
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.96 REJECT NULL
Table 13: Results of Third Factor According to Gender
P a g e | 43
SEVENTH FACTOR
0 0  4.14286 1.1428571
0 1 2  70.1429 6.8095238
2 0 2/n  2.41872 0.8511905
0 0 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
3.269909688
2 0 (1 /n1) + (2 /n2)
2 2
1.808289161
2 0  3
23 7 (12/n1) + (22/n2)] 1.659026701
CRITICAL VALUE AT  1.96 ACCEPT
Table 14: Results of Seventh Factor According to Gender
Chapter 4
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
Due to temporal and spatial limitations, the researcher uses only a survey questionnaire as
a research instrument. The results have been collected, tallied, and computed by the researcher
using Microsoft Excel 2013 and manual computation. When analyzing data from the entire sample
itself, the researcher uses relative frequency and weighted mean to compute for the mean, which
corresponds to an answer from the scale developed by the researcher. For the data analysis
involving two groups, such as when respondents were categorized according to gender, the Z Test
is used to compare the means. When there are three or more groups, such as when respondents
were separated according to their respective courses and year levels, the ANOVA test is used.
Even though the researcher intended to have forty (40) participants for the survey, three
(3) of the answered questionnaire is deemed invalid by the researcher because the respondents
failed to follow the instructions.

P a g e | 44
In general, students either eat fast food three to four times per week or at least once a month,
since the two options have the equal and highest frequencies. One student has been discovered to
eat fast food at least once a day.
Before buying fast food, several factors are considered by the consumers as part of the
decision-making process involved in the consumer behavior theory. Given the large possible
sample space, the researcher has chosen to limit the factors to be analyzed to only four (4) factors:
the first, second, and third most important, and the least important or the seventh. Based on the
data gathered, University of Asia and the Pacific students first consider the quality of the food
before considering the price.
For the third most important factor, the quality of the food has the highest number of
frequency. However, since the said factor is already the first most important, the researcher opts
to use the factors with the second highest number of frequency: the location of the fast food chain
and the nutritional value to be gained from the food.
The last factor to be considered by the respondents is the advertisements of the fast food
chain.
The third question in the survey pertains to whether or not respondents are still going to eat
fast food if given another option, which is home-cooked food. Among the 37 respondents, 36 of
them say that they prefer home-cooked food because it is "safer" and "cheaper" than fast food.
For the fourth question, the researcher uses a Likert Scale type of test. When the results
were analyzed, it has been found that majority of the respondents strongly agree that eating fast
food saves time although they also strongly agree that eating fast food will make them fat.
Respondents generally agree that eating fast food is a way to socialize with their peers, but they
also recognize the fact that fast food is not healthy for them.
P a g e | 45
The researcher also investigates whether there are differences in the fast food consumption
practices among different groups such as between males and females, among first, second, third,
and fourth year students, and among students from different courses.
When data analysis is done after respondents have been categorized according to year level,
the first (p < 0.01), second (p < 0.05), and third (p < 0.01) most important factors differ
significantly. The last factor, on the other hand, is the same for all year levels.
Similar results are found when respondents are divided according to their respective
courses. The first (p < 0.01), second (p < 0.05), and third (p < 0.01) factors differ significantly
among students from different courses. The F value for the seventh factor does not fall within
critical regions, which means the null hypothesis that there is no difference among the groups is
accepted.
When respondents are divided into male and female groups, the first (p < 0.01), second (p
< 0.01), third (p < 0.01), and seventh (p < 0.05) factors are different for each group.
Conclusion
Research Problem 1: What are the three most important and the least important factors that
students consider the most important when choosing a fast food chain?
After the collection and analysis of data, the researcher has discovered that in general, the
three most important factors that affect the students’ fast food consumption are: (1) quality of the
food, (2) price, and (3) the location of the fast food chain and the nutritional value of the food,
since both have the equal number of frequency. The least important factor in the fast food
consumption decision-making process is discovered to be the advertisements of the fast food chain.
P a g e | 46
Research Problem 2: Is the fast food preference related to the student’s:
a. Year level
When analysis is done on groups of students separated according to year level, there are
differences with regard to the respondents’ first, second, and third most important factors. For first
year students, the location of the fast food chain is most important; for second year and third year
students, the quality of the food; for fourth year students, both the location of the fast food chain
and the cleanliness of the preparation of the food.
The second most important factor is the price for first year and second year students, the
location of the fast food chain for third year students, and the quality of the food for fourth year
students.
For the third most important factor, the first year and second year students have chosen the
quality of the food, the third year student considers the nutritional value of the food, while the
fourth year students take note of the nutritional value of the food and the atmosphere inside the
fast food chain.
No difference exists on the least important factor considered. Most of the respondents in
each year level consider the advertisements of the fast food chain the least important in their
decision-making process.
b. Course
For the seven groups formed when the respondents are categorized according to their
respective courses or programs (School of Sciences and Engineering, School of Law and
Governance, School of Management, School of Communication, School of Economics, College
of Arts and Sciences, Unknown), the top three most important factors also differ significantly.
P a g e | 47
Those in courses related to sciences and engineering consider cleanliness of the
preparation of the food, the nutritional value of the food, and the location of the fast food chain
as the first most important factors to be considered. These three factors have the highest and equal
number of frequencies. For the respondents from the School of Law and Governance, School of
Economics, and the School of Management, the quality of the food is the most important factor.
The quality of the food and the location of the fast food chain is the most important for those in
communications related courses. Only the location of the fast food chain is the most important for
those in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the cleanliness of the preparation of the food for
the respondent from the unknown course.
Students from the School of Law and Governance, School of Communication, College of
Arts and Sciences, School of Economics, and the unknown course have chosen the price of the
food to be the second most important factor to consider when buying fast food. Those from
sciences and engineering courses believe the price and the quality of the food to be the second
most important factors, while those from management related courses consider the cleanliness of
the preparation of the food.
The quality of the food is the third factor to be considered by students from the School of
Sciences and Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, and the unknown course. On the other
hand, those in law and governance and management related courses believe the location of the fast
food chain to be the third most important factor. Students from the School of Communication have
chosen the cleanliness of the preparation of the food and the quality of the food, while students
from the School of Economics have chosen the nutritional value of the food.
P a g e | 48
Most of the respondents, regardless of their course or program, have chosen the
advertisements of the fast food chain to be the least important when it comes to deciding where to
purchase fast food products.
c. Gender
When the respondents are categorized according to gender, the three most important factors
and the least important factor differ among male and female respondents. For the first most
important factor, male respondents have chosen the quality of the food while their female
counterparts have chosen the nutritional value of the food.
Although the price of the food was chosen by both male and female respondents as the
second important factor to be considered before purchasing fast food products, the researcher has
computed that there is a significant difference in the means of the two groups when the ANOVA
test is used. The same case is observed for the respondents’ chosen third and least important factor,
the quality of the food and advertisements of the fast food chain respectively.
Recommendation
Fast food companies and food business owners, given the three most important factors
considered by University of Asia and the Pacific students before purchasing fast food, are
suggested to give importance to the quality of the food. This pertains to the taste of the food itself.
Low quality food might not be profitable in the long run since students might not buy them.
Second, given that the consumers are students and that they rely on allowances, the price of the
food must be reasonable and student-friendly. There might still be students who are willing to buy
expensive food, but they will not be many.

P a g e | 49
Third, the location of the fast food chain and the nutritional value of the food itself are also
significant. Since students have tight schedules, they might only be willing to purchase food from
those businesses near the university. Also, since many people are health-conscious nowadays, it is
only suitable to sell food that is high in nutritional value. Healthy food must also be delicious and
appealing so that students will be encouraged to buy and eat.
Lastly, given that students rank advertisements as the seventh factor to be considered
before buying food, advertisements may not be effective for college students. Therefore,
aggressive promotional strategies are not necessary and should not be focused on if the target
consumers are college students.
For students, it is commendable that they have the correct perception of the effects of
frequent fast food consumption and that they consider the nutritional value as one of the influential
factors when buying food. This may mean that college students are aware and conscious of their
health and what they eat. This may indicate that other factors aside, when fast food consumption
is considered, students from the University of Asia and the Pacific have a low risk of obesity.
For future researchers, it is recommended to ask for the weight of the respondent so that it
may be better correlated to the frequency of fast food consumption. It may also be interesting to
investigate additionally the difference between normal weight and overweight participants’ fast
food consumption preferences, patterns, and behavior. A larger sample size may also be done so
that the error will be less and the sample is more representative of the population. A consultation
with experts, like nutritionists and marketing consultants of fast food companies, may also be done
in order for the results to be explained further and for the conclusions to be validated.
P a g e | 50
Bibliography
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consumer decision making process – an empirical study on car buyers.
Al-Numair, K., Bertrand, B., Colby, S., Gross, K., Heidal, K., and Mirabella, G. (2012) Cost and
calorie analysis of fast food consumption in college students. In Food and Nutrition
Sciences, 2012, 3, 942-946.
Al-Saai, S. and Zeitun, R. (n.d.) Consumer behavior towards fast food in qatar.
Asamoah, E. and Chovancova, M. (n.d.) The theory of consumer behaviour in fast food marketing:
strategies for competitive advantage.
Baker, N. (2012) Attitudes about food. Texas A&M University.
Bray, J. (2008) Consumer behaviour theory: approaches and models.
Brunner, M. (2006) A comparison of food habits of middle school students. University of
Wisconsin – Stout.
Deivanai, P. (2013) A study on consumer behaviour towards fast food products with special
reference to domino’s pizza. In International Research Journal of Business and
Management. ISSN 2322-083X Vol. 5. Global Wisdom Research Publications. pp. 46-52.
Delos Reyes, J. and Himatay, M. (2010) Food consumption patterns and household food security
in calabarzon. J. ISSAAS Vol. 16, No.2: 53-66
Flores, M. (2014) Promotional practices of selected food chain stores in the university belt in
manila. In International Journal of Information Technology and Business Management.
ISSN 2304-0777 Vol. 21 No. 1. JITBM & ARF. pp. 68-73.
Knuston, B. (2000) College students and fast food— how students perceive restaurant brands.
Elsevier Inc.
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Peralta, R. (2012) Marketing to children: an analysis of its impact and application to selling health
behaviors. Asian Institute of Management. Dr. Stephen Zuellig Center for Asian Business
Transformation. Makati City, Philippines.
Robertson, T. and Ye, L. (2012) Gender identity: does it matter for consumers’ perceptions? In
Journal of Business Diversity Vol. 12(3). pp. 81-89.
The junk food generation. (n.d.) Consumers International.
United International University (n.d.) Consumer behavior – restaurant and fast food joints in
Dhaka.
Appendix
GENERAL
At least once a 3 to 4 times a At least once
day week month
How often do you eat at fast food chains? 1 18 18
Home cooked Fast food
36 1
1st 2nd 3rd 7th
Safety and cleanliness of the food and its
preparation 5 7 5 0
Nutritional value 8 2 7 ** 1
Price 3 17 * 4 2
Quality of the food 12 * 7 12 * 0
Location 8 4 7 ** 2
Atmosphere of the place 1 0 2 2
Advertisement of the fast food chain 0 0 0 30 *
SA A D SD
Eating fast food saves time 56 60 6 0
I believe eating fast food will make me get fat 92 30 6 1
If I eat fast food, I get to hang out with my
friends 32 51 20 2
Fast food is healthy for my body 0 2 21 116
P a g e | 52
FIRST YEAR (11/37) SECOND (23/37)
1 per day 3 to 4 1 per month 1 per day 3 to 4 1 per month
How often do you eat at fast food chains? 1 3 7 14 9
Home cooked Fast food Home cooked Fast food
10 1 23
st
1 2nd 3rd 7th 1st 2nd 3rd 7th
preparation 1 1 2 0 3 6 3 0
Nutritional value 3 0 2 0 5 2 3 1
Price 0 8 1 0 3 9 3 1
Quality of the food 3 2 4 0 8 3 8 0
Location 4 0 2 0 3 3 5 2
Atmosphere of the place 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
Advertisement of the fast food chain 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 18
THIRD (1/37) FOURTH (2/37)

1 2
1 2
1st 2nd 3rd 7th 1st 2nd 3rd 7th
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
SSE (12/37) P a g e | 53
SLG (1/37)
How often do you eat at fast food chains? 0 6 6 1
12 0 1
Safety and cleanliness of the food and its preparation 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Price 1 5 1 1 0 1 0 0
Location 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
SMN (8/37) SCM (10/37) CAS (4/37)

1 per day 3 to 4 1 per month
0 7 1 1 2 7
Fast Fast 2 2
Home cooked food Home cooked food Home cooked Fast food
8 0 9 1 4
1st 2nd 3rd 7th 1st 2nd 3rd 7th 1st 2nd 3rd 7th
0 4 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 0
2 0 2 1 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0
1 2 1 0 1 5 1 1 0 2 1 0
5 0 1 0 3 1 3 0
1 1 2 0
0 2 3 1 3 2 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0
0 0 0 6 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 4
P a g e | 54
ECON (1/37) UNKNOWN (1/37)
1 1
1 1
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
MALE (8/37) FEMALE (29/37)

How often do you eat at fast food chains? 0 5 2 1 12 16
8 0 28 1
preparation 0 2 1 0 5 5 4 0
Price 0 5 1 0 3 12 3 2
Location 1 0 1 0 7 4 6 2

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An Analysis of the Consumer Behavior of the Students of the

University of Asia and the Pacific towards Fast Food

DR. VERONICA QUILINGUIN

Faculty, School of Sciences and Engineering

of the requirements for

March 18, 2016

spend time together whilst eating (Mejos, 2015).

Undergraduate students, as shown by several studies, practice unsafe methods in food

rely on fast food because of its convenience and price.

Review of Related Literature

Consumer Behavior Theory

Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).

(Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).

of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung among others (Bray, 2008).

The cognitive approach acknowledges behaviouralism, although external stimuli is only

response (Cziko, 2000 in Bray, 2008).

buying were met (2010).

(Kotlet, 2007 in Alamgir et al., 2010).

(Hamansu, 2008 in Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).

Factors Affecting Food Consumption

1. Location / Number of Outlets

In Japan, the Nippon Foundation conducted a research in 2005 regarding consumer

“heavy pedestrian traffic” such as in malls and universities (2014).

2. Demographics (Gender, age, status)

(Robertson & Ye, 2012).

could foster a cheerful atmosphere”, Peralta states (2012).

launched” (Flores, 2014).

in marketing strategies so as to influence consumer behavior (Asamoah & Chovancova, n.d.).

promotional practices such as having endorsements by well-known personalities, having value or

than print media to attract more customers (2014).

Advertisers use television to their advantage by using it as a medium to market their

commercials (The Junk Food Generation, n.d.).

Food advertisements, specifically, seem to dominate regular television programming. For

children are more sensitive to visual cues (n.d.).

Advertisements also play a significant role in affecting consumers’ behavior, especially

instead of fruits (Peralta, 2012).

Junk Food Generation, n.d.).

is why they are the viewers specifically targeted by advertisers.

socialize with others (Peralta, 2012).

obesity (Baker, 2012).

the side dishes (2013).

The Issues Regarding Fast Food

It is a wonder why no widespread negative reaction has happened in the Philippines,

found in fast food meals (Peralta, 2012).

French, Fulkerson, Hannan, Neumark-Sztainer, and Story have investigated that

Quite contrarily, the Philippines experiences the issue of malnutrition. As shown in a

Nutrition Research Institute, 2011 in Peralta, 2012).

be loyal to brands that reflect a masculine image (2012).

chains in Manila are around university belts (Flores, 2014).

among students when classified into different groups.

Course Year Level

Statement of the Problem

The entire study is centered on answering the main research question:

the most important when choosing a fast food chain?

2. Is the fast food preference related to the student’s:

Scope and Limitations

graduate programs are not included.

All of which are properly cited in the Bibliography of this study.

first, second, third, and seventh factors.

Significance of the Study

University of Asia and the Pacific.

adolescents experience symptoms such as “psychosocial difficulties including self-esteem and

guide them instead towards a healthy lifestyle.

Advertisement is any strategy or technique used by businesses and industries in order to