Gunne Grankvist

Values and eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled products

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to study whether preference for a product increased, or decreased, as a consequence of information that the product was either eco‐ or fair trade labelled. An additional purpose was to investigate associations between importance attached to values and preference for eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled food products.Design/methodology/approach – Effects of information that orange juice was either eco‐ or fair trade labelled were studied in an experimental setting, with a sample of Swedish students. Importance attached to values was measured with the list of values (LOV) scale. Taste preference was the evaluated aspect.Findings – No significant effects of the experimental manipulation were observed. Attaching greater importance to the value “warm relationships with others” was associated with a more favourable rating of the taste of both eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled juices. The value “security” was positively associated with an increased taste preference for the group expos...

Habitual and Value-guided Purchase Behavior

Abstract Society increasingly requests that individuals adopt environmentally benign behavior. Information campaigns purported to change peoples attitudes are often regarded as prerequisites to installing such changes. While such information may be a necessary step, it is not sufficient by itself. We argue that many everyday behaviors with environmental consequences are habitual, and that little attention is given to information directed toward changing these habitual behaviors. In other instances, behavior is guided by values in a more reflective process. However, other information besides environmental consequences may draw a persons attention and affect behavioral choice. Using surveys and experimental studies targeting consumer behavior, we studied under what conditions different kinds of information is likely to influence people with varying levels of environmental concern. Based on results from these studies, implications for behavioral change are discussed.

Disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression in myocardial infarction patients.

Background: Disturbed sleep has been linked to increased morbidity, mortality and depression and worsened health-related quality of life in patients with chronic illness. Few studies of readjustment after coronary artery disease have explicitly focused on sleep disturbance. Aim: To explore associations between disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and to assess to what extent fatigue four months post-MI could be explained. Method: The sample included 204 consecutive patients, ≤ 80 years of age who answered questionnaires about disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression four months after MI. Results: The variables anxiety, depression and disturbed sleep were all associated with fatigue. The regression model accounted for 46% of the variance in fatigue with depression and disturbed sleep as predictors. Infarct size measured by conventional biochemical markers, left ventricle ejection fraction and history of previous MI were not correlated with disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety or depression. Conclusions: From knowledge about associations between disturbed sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression after MI, cardiac nurses could be trained to observe such symptoms. Optimal care for sleep disturbance may include actions to reduce anxiety and depression as well as self-care advices about sleep hygiene in order to improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue.

Associations between depression, fatigue, and life orientation in myocardial infarction patients.

Background: The possible preventive and treatment measures for post-myocardial infarction fatigue may rely on gaining insight into the psychosocial factors associated with fatigue. One such factor may be life orientation, that is, having an optimistic versus pessimistic view of life. Optimists expect things to turn out for the good, whereas pessimists generally expect that bad things will happen to them. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the relations among life orientation (optimism-pessimism), depression, and fatigue after a first-time myocardial infarction. Methods: The sample included 98 patients in total, 33 women and 65 men, who had suffered a first-time myocardial infarction 1 year before the testing. Linear and curvilinear regression analysis models were used to describe and explore the associations between the variables. Results: A nonlinear relationship between postmyocardial fatigue and life orientation was found. The interpretation was that a pessimistic view of life could have more negative consequences for postmyocardial fatigue than an optimistic view of life could have positive consequences. The association between depression and fatigue was weak, supporting the notion that fatigue may be experienced by myocardial infarction patients without coexisting depression. Conclusion: Post-myocardial infarction fatigue must be investigated further and explicitly focused upon. One way to decrease postmyocardial fatigue could be to focus on steps that cause the most pessimistic individuals to feel less pessimistic.

The effect of environmental information on professional purchasers' preference for food products

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how variation in product information about environmental consequences could make professional food purchasers inclined to choose more environmentall ...