Improving School Nutrition in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Adolescent Perceptions and Food Vendor Practices

provide a wide range of meal options for their consumers.This study aimed to assess the relative importance of key drivers influencing food choices (taste, price, convenience, healthiness, familiarity, mood, environmental sustainability, natural ingredients, and weight control) and identify segments of consumers based on the relative importance they place on these drivers.Methods: Adult OMDS users (N1,505) completed an online survey in Aug-Sep 2024 assessing the importance of food choice drivers, sociodemographic, and other factors.Latent profile analysis, an advanced clustering modelling, was performed to identify segments of Australian OMDS consumers based on the food choice drivers.A multinomial regression model was then performed to explain differences between identified clusters.Results: Overall, taste (94%), price (90%), convenience (84%), and familiarity (73%) were the top prioritised drivers, while healthiness was the fifth driver when using OMDS (64%).However, there were distinctions in relative importance across the six identified segments: three clusters rated taste the highest (42% mainly taste; 9% taste and convenience; and 6% taste, price and convenience), one group prioritised healthiness and weight control (21%), one group was not responsive to any of the assessed drivers (6%) and one group was similarly responsive to all drivers (16%).Respondents in the taste-prioritising classes were mainly older, female respondents and those who shared food preparation roles in their households.Consumers who prioritised healthiness tended to be male, the main grocery buyers, have at least one special dietary requirement, and read nutrition information more frequently.Consumers who were not responsive to the assessed drivers were mainly low-income earners and younger adults.Conclusions: Understanding the relative importance of food choice drivers across OMDS consumer segments will help guide the development of nutrition messages and interventions.To assist in controlling diet-related health conditions, priority should be given to emphasising the palatability, low cost and convenience of healthier options.