Consumer evaluation of ‘Veggycation®’ : a website promoting the health benefits of vegetables

Issue addressed: Whether the website Veggycation® appeals to particular groups of consumers significantly more than other groups. Methods: Australian adults aged ≥18 years (n = 1000) completed an online survey. The website evaluation instrument used was tested for validity and reliability. Associations between demographic variables and website evaluation dimensions of attractiveness, content, user-friendliness and loyalty intentions were examined using a general linear model (GLM). The appraisal of the website was further investigated based on the respondents' daily consumption level of vegetables and the importance they attach to vegetable consumption in their diet, using GLM and a Tukey's all-pair comparison. Results: Veggycation® has a high level of acceptance among the Australian community with certain groups evaluating the website more favourably. These include women, people aged ≤29 years, higher income respondents, non-metro respondents and those who viewed vegetables as extremely important in their daily diet. Conclusions: Customisation of the website for consumer groups with low vegetable consumption is recommended. Designing tailored communication tools will assist in enhancing the knowledge base of vegetable-related health benefits and may promote vegetable consumption among the Australian population. So what? The promotion of higher vegetable consumption is aided by tailored, well-designed web communication. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge for the education of organisations developing e-tools for promoting health education and literacy.