Abstract
The growth of various marketing research has been important and is one way of response, towards the development of service industries and their, continued influence in the world economy (Eric Schlosser, 2002). Most research in the past has based their study in the western countries, however; there has been little attention on the benefits and impacts of fast food meals to the consumers. With a faster lifestyle with more women joining the labor market, traditional American meals have changed.
This, however, has been an advantage to the fast-food industries in the country, since almost everyone loves taking fast food meals. This study focused to investigate the western theory change of lifestyles and it intended to examine the quality of the fast-food meals in the United States industries. The results derived in this research will be useful in providing the ideal tool in the United States and the rest of the world concerning the support and growth for all consumptions (Finklestein, Eric & Zuckerman, Laurie. (2008).
Introduction
The first multi-billion fast food industry was started in 1936 by Maria Del Gray. Later, Ray founded the McDonald’s franchise system, and thereafter, several fast food industries have sprung up in the United States and other countries all over the world.
With the significance of the growth of service sectors around the world and the concurrent study, the interest aroused within the service marketing and much knowledge has been achieved, however, much still remains in the hands of the few individuals. In that case, this study will explicitly investigate various services marketing concepts, to check whether they are suiting the consumers’ view of the quality service in the western economy supporting the call for the validation of the market theory (Finklestein et al 2008).
The current consumption of fast food meals in the United State is 0.27 in a day. It is probably true that the current prevalence of obesity in the U.S. is caused by this factor. Approximately, 30 percent of the United State citizens have a body mass of 30 kg/m2 or more. Fast food intake is likely to be associated with consuming nutrients such as sugar, fats, and sodium in excess. Fast food consumption may lead to obesity, malnutrition, and cardiovascular disease. Despite that, the etiology of malnutrition consumption in dialysis patients is partly understood.
Lack of enough nutrition consumption plays a significant role. However, the affordability, palatability, convenience, and high intake of fat meals increase dietary consumption among patients. The patterns and the effects of the nutritional level of fast-food meals have not been given much attention. This study, therefore, intends to conduct a study to find out the regularity and the repercussion of the fast-food meals intake on hemodialysis patients. The study focused on patients with low albumin levels.
The purpose of this study
This study focused to address the effects of the use of fast food meals in the United State. The study seeks to address the need for fast food quality development especially by making available the contents of the undesirable nutrients in fast foods.
The development and implementation of fast food quality in industries programs are important in facilitating the quality and standard of fast food in the health of a person. A clear program must be put in place by the authority to direct the concerned parties especially the industries to warn the patients on their dietary routine and to clarify the level of contents of nutrients in any particular fast food they are consuming. The topics addressed by this study can be applied to patients and geographical areas. The result is also important to be used in fast food industries.
Research questions
The following four research questions were studied;
- Where do you get your fast food meals?
- How long have you been consuming fast food meals?
- Have you ever suffered from any fast food meals-related disorder?
- What kind of medication did you go through?
Limitations
The limitation of this research was a self-effacing sample size, separation of patients with albumin levels, and lack of long-term follow-up to see whether the result is being implemented.
Literature Review
John A, Jakle, Keith A (1999), observed that it is important for us to seek the best accepted western-based marketing theory as viewed in different countries to find out if such a concept describes is the same situation the consumers face in different countries. Despite the several types of research conducted on the quality of service over the previous years, little attention has been paid to matters concerning the quality of service in different countries (Schlosser 2002).
Liu, C.M., Chen, K.J. (2000) provides a strategy describing and measuring the quality service referred to as SERVQUAL. This strategy has been used in the literature by integrating five service qualities of tangible, responsiveness, reliability, empathy, and assurance. However, the SERVQUAL strategy has received a lot of criticism for its limitations, especially when applied across various service industries.
American fast-food consumers
The ability to buy is a person’s judgment concerning a designed service bearing in mind their current conditions (Mohsin, A. (2003). Buying behavior is considered as a form of loyalty that according to Eric Schlosser, (2002), is a strongly held obligation that constantly dominates a service in the future. Repeat buying of the products greatly affects the growth of a particular business with many argued that about 95% of profits realized are due to a recurring purchase (Ritzer et al 2007).
In that case, clients are the potential marketing tools persuading friends and families on the positive effects of particular products, which result in creating new business and increasing the collection of revenue. The quality of service is associated with the outcomes of the business, like the loyalty of the consumers that lead to business gain (Rust, R.T, Zahorik, A. (1993).
Keiningham (1995), argued that quality service promotes customers’ intention to return, which can be considered as the usual behavior that may result in increased profits.
There has been a mixed reaction concerning the service quality and the behavior that are analytical to consumer loyalty. While Rust and Zahorik (1993) argued that higher, perceptions of service raise loyalty intention, Ritzer,(2007) observed that service quality did not affect the intention of buying a product. However, the outcomes tend to support this perception and it is likely that the Malaysian fast food industry is an example of this case (Schneider, B., White, S.S. (2004).
Methodology
This study was conducted in 44 chronic hemodialysis facilities in Ohio with the main purpose of examining the patients who had low albumin levels. The patients between the ages of 18 or above who had been on dialysis and had serum albumin less than 3.4 g/l were selected with the bracero green method or less than 3.7 g/l with the bromcresol purple method. Chi-square and linear regression correlation methods were adopted in this research. The head of the institutions chosen was informed and briefed on the intended study and the nature of the research and was requested to volunteer for participation. The patients were selected randomly from the institution and were briefed accordingly.
Procedure
Every patient participant was required to complete two different 24-hour recalls at baseline and another two extra 24-hour recalls after 4 months. The dietary recalls are controlled interviews that draw a list of the food consumed by the patients in the past 24 hours. The dialysis daily recalls were carried out through telephones while the trained coordinators conducted the non-dialysis. The responses were analyzed with software and macro and the micronutrients intake was measured. The patients were asked about where they obtained the food.
The baseline medical and demographic records were derived using the dialysis facilities. The serum, albumin, serum potassium, serum phosphorus, and the pre and post-dialysis weight over a duration of 4 months were also measured. The levels of serum were measured on a monthly basis whereas weight was measured before and after dialysis Medicare. The trained coordinators also measured the subjective global assessment of patients at baseline.
The research dietician analyzed 24 hours recall by ESHA Food Processor SQP software. The first food number was also measured by adding the number of days and the data the patient ate a first food divided by the number of days data was gathered. Examination breakdown of inconsistency associated with this study was used to assess the unvaried relationship between fast food intake and the variables associated with the characteristics of participants. Multivariate analyses were derived by the use of multiple linear regressions.
Result and Discussion
194 patients out of 348 participants went throughout their investigation. The average age of the participants was 61 years old. The study discovered that diabetes was the most serious cause of renal failure.
Fast Food Consumption
42 percent of the participant reported consuming one food meal and snack over one of the 4 days of the dietary investigation. High consumption of fast food was linked with young people while longer time intake was associated with dialysis. The participant between the ages group 18 and 44 consumed 0.3 fast-food meals in a day while 65 years old or above consumed 0.15 fast meals in a day. Age and race were found to be independent with the fast-food consumption, that is, fast food consumption reduces by 0.06, meals in a day. White participants consumed 0.08 fast-food meals in a day compare to black participants.
Nutrient Intake
The participants who take fast food more often have higher kilocalories, carbohydrates, fat, and sodium. The study reveals the participants who did not consume fast food had an intake of 18.9 kl/g whereas participants who consumed about 0.75 of fast food meals in a day has an intake of 26.1 kl/g. the increase of the carbohydrates in the body was found to cause the increase of kilocalories. The intake of sodium increased from (2210-3040) mg in a day
Nutritional Parameters
The participants who consumed many fast food meals have higher serum phosphorus levels. The interdialytic weight increased 1.1 percent depending on the rate of consumption of fast food meals. There was no statistically important association between fast food consumption and serum albumin, body mass index, or subjective global assessment.
The report of this study reveals that hemodialysis patients mostly consumed fast food. The higher calorie intake is related to the rate of fast food consumption. The higher sodium intake and higher interdialytic increase in weight are also associated with fast food meals. Fast food meals contributed to a higher level of serum phosphorus in the body of the patients.
The study took samples of 44 chronic hemodialyses from a facility center. The participants comprised of the white and the black patients drawn from these centers. The multiple dietary recalls and measures of nutrition parameters of the patients were obtained. The result of this study reveals a decrease in the consumption rate of fast food meals among dialysis patients. This study shows that the consumption of fast food meals leads to higher caloric intake but not protein intake.
A high intake of calories causes obesity while high sodium intake causes interdialytic. It is clear from the study that high consumption of fats may lead to cardiovascular disorders. The analysis of the rate of phosphorus intake shows that the rate has risen whereas the consumption of Calcium has drastically reduced. It is obvious from the investigation that this intake rate interferes with the usual process of calcium regulation and this might lead to weak bones among the affected. The patients who suffer from Hem dialysis are given recommendations to verify their phosphorus use to between 800 mg/day and 1000 mg/day.
The study reveals that patients who take 0.75 fast food in any day end up ingesting 1100 mg phosphorous a day. Most of the fast-food vendors have not openly exposed phosphorous stuffing in their products. This has made it difficult for dietitians or patients to be able to know the content of phosphorous in a fast food meal they are taking. This study strongly recommends that the authority who are concerned with quality and quantity standards ensure that all fast food meals contained the portrayed content to enable the users to estimate the content level of phosphorous it contains. This will help them reduced the effects that are associated with the intake of undesirable nutrients such as sodium, phosphate among others in excess.
Conclusion
The objective of this study was to find out the benefits and implications of fast food meals on the human health condition. To achieve this objective a sample of 348 participants was selected. The patients selected were both white and black respondents. Chi squire and linear regression correlation coefficient method were used. Those who suffered from hemodialysis the research showed were regular patrons of fast food which was as a result of higher consumption of kilocalories, fats, carbohydrates, and sodium.
This research strongly recommends that the content of the fast-food should be made available to the public so as to enable them to gauge the level of phosphorous content the fast-food meals might contain. The study also recommends further research to be carried out on the benefits and the impacts of fast food meals food intake among hemodialysis patients.
Reference:
Eric Schlosser, (2002). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, HarperCollins, New York, NY.
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Finklestein, Eric & Zuckerman, Laurie. (2008). The Fattening of America: How the Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters and What to Do About It. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
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