The role of risk preferences and risk perceptions in risky food behaviors: Evidence from the United States

Abstract We study how risk preferences and risk perceptions relate to three risky food behaviors—eating unwashed greens, rare meat, and raw dough—among US adults. Using two self‐assessed measures of risk preference and an experimental measure, we find that increased risk aversion negatively correlates with risky food behaviors. Self‐assessed risk measures in the general and food‐at‐home domains provide better model fit than the experimental one. Meanwhile, risk perceptions negatively correlate with risky food behaviors, especially when risk aversion is low. Heightened risk perceptions discourage risky food behaviors among males, Hispanics, and college graduates, underscoring risk perception's importance in behavior change.