The Role of Convenience in Fast Food Consumption in Urban Ghana

Background: Although fast food has been linked to various health problems its consumption is increasing in Ghana. The objective of this study was to examine how convenience (a measure of perceived product convenience, which is a product attribute, and convenience orientation, a psychosocial attribute of consumers) together with demographic variables and cooking skill influence fast food consumption in urban Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional consumer survey was conducted among 400 fast food consumers, 15 years and older, drawn from 20 fast food restaurants in the Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana.

Results: Firstly, findings showed that the more consumers perceived fast food as convenient (i.e. having convenience attributes such as easiness to get, easiness to eat, quickness to get, requiring little efforts to clear-up after eating) the greater the odds of eating it more frequently. Secondly, convenience orientation was measured by three components, namely consumers’ inclination to save mental effort, physical efforts, and time however, the time component was the most significant in influencing fast food consumption. Thirdly, the predictive power of income level and cooking skill on frequency of fast food consumption could not be confirmed although positive associations were found between them. Fourthly, the findings could not show any significant association of age, gender, education level, employment status, working status, and marital status with frequency of fast food consumption.

Conclusion: The study concludes that most people eat fast food because its inherent convenience attributes as well as consumers’ inclination to save mental effort, physical effort and time. Therefore, when designing nutrition and health programmes strategies should be developed to encourage and support provision of healthier options in fast-food restaurants. Alternatively, restaurants that have been identified to be offering healthier foods should be encouraged to integrate convenience attributes into their operations.