Online Healthy Food Experiments: Capturing Complexity by Using Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis.

In treating early-onset scoliosis (EOS), pediatric orthopaedic surgeons and families must often choose between growth-friendly interventions such as magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) and early definitive posterior spinal fusion (PSF). While each strategy has associated pros and cons, little is understood about the specific preferences of patients' families. Addressing potential nuances in these preferences is crucial for meaningful shared decision-making (SDM). To better understand the factors influencing family decisions, we conducted a choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis to explore parents' preferences for PSF and MCGR as treatment options. A survey was developed using Sawtooth Software (Lighthouse Studio version 9.2.0) to gather demographic information and preferences on surgical scenarios via CBC analysis. Anonymous participants, recruited via the Prolific crowdsourcing platform, qualified if they were US residents over 18 years of age with children aged 8 to 9. Data analysis involved the Hierarchical Bayes (HB) method to determine the desirability of 5 surgical attributes: curve correction, increase in spinal height, total number of surgeries, duration of treatment, and chance of complications. The study included 432 participants who prioritized the likelihood of complications (relative importance value of 37), followed by total number of surgeries (22), curve correction (21), spine height (12), and treatment duration (8). Female participants and those with daughters assigned significantly higher importance to the treatment's total number of surgeries ( P <0.05). Simulator analysis showed that 86.6% of participants would hypothetically prefer PSF, while only 13.4% would opt for growing rods based on the modeled participant choices. This CBC analysis suggests that parents of children with EOS requiring surgical intervention would prioritize complication minimization, reduction in total surgical procedures, and effective curve correction, demonstrating a marked preference for PSF. Notably, the sex of both the child and the parent influenced attribute preferences. These findings exemplify the utility of CBC analysis in orthopaedic care, allowing for a deeper understanding of family preferences and enhancing SDM by providing the ability to align surgical recommendations with specific family priorities. Level III.

The rapid growth of quick commerce (q-commerce) is changing urban grocery retailing by guaranteeing delivery of essentials, including fresh fruits and vegetables in 10-30 min. However, speed of delivery has implications for postharvest management of highly perishable food items such as leafy greens and climacteric fruits (i.e., bananas, mangoes, tomatoes and peaches). There is a significant lack of research examining how physiological quality preservation methods influence consumer preferences for highly perishable items such as leafy greens and climacteric fruits. This research fills this gap by investigating urban consumers' preferences regarding the trade-off between delivery speed, price and quality preservation on q-commerce platforms. The study was conducted in the Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. A structured survey of 110 urban consumers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, was conducted using convenience sampling. Choice-Based Conjoint (CBC) analysis under the Random Utility Theory framework was applied using an orthogonal design with three attributes: delivery speed, quality preservation methods and pricing. Consumer utility values were estimated using the Multinomial logit model (MNL) with significance testing at p&lt;0. 05. The results indicated that delivery speed held the highest relative importance (38 %, p&lt;0.001) in consumer preferences, followed by quality preservation methods (32 %, p&lt;0.001) and price sensitivity (30 %, p&lt;0.001). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed that physiological quality indicators such as freshness, ripeness and shelf life were the most influential latent factor (explaining 37.5 % of variance). Garrett Ranking identified inconsistent ripening (mean = 69.68) and high delivery charges (mean = 56.60) as the top barriers to purchasing fresh produce via quick commerce platforms.

PurposeDidactic lectures are a commonly used educational tool during urology residency training. Recently, there has been a rapid introduction of online, collaborative didactics as a new model for resident teaching. The aim of this study is to determine which attributes of didactics education are most preferred by contemporary urology trainees.MethodsUrology trainees were invited to complete an online choice-based exercise assessing combinations of four attributes associated with didactics education: mode of communication, learning style, presenter credentials, and curriculum design. The survey was distributed via social media platforms and the Urology Collaborative Online Video Didactics (COViD) website. A choice-based conjoint analysis was used to identify how the trainees valued different combinations of didactic education.ResultsSeventy-three trainees completed the conjoint analysis exercise. Mode of communication was rated as significantly more important than curriculum design (relative importance 28.6% vs. 19.9%). Overall, the majority preferred online/virtual presentations to in-person presentations. Respondents preferred national experts to faculty members from their local institutions, and preferred cased based lectures to didactics style lectures. A nationally standardized curriculum was also preferred over curriculum designed by local institutions. Finally, when segmented by level of training, there was increased preference for overall favored options as PGY year increased.ConclusionThis conjoint analysis shows clear preference by trainees for online, recorded didactics, nationally standardized with national experts, and preferably in a case-based format. Academic societies in urology and program directors should consider utilizing the shared experience of previously created collaborative online lectures in developing future didactic curriculum that can meet the needs of current trainees.

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Evidence-based Medicine & Outcomes II1 Apr 2015MP9-12 PATIENT-CENTERED TREATMENT DECISIONS: USING CONJOINT ANALYSIS AS AN AID FOR SHARED DECISION-MAKING FOR URETHRAL STRICTURE TREATMENT Lindsay Hampson, Thomas Gaither, Leslie Wilson, Jie Ting, Isabel Allen, and Benjamin Breyer Lindsay HampsonLindsay Hampson More articles by this author , Thomas GaitherThomas Gaither More articles by this author , Leslie WilsonLeslie Wilson More articles by this author , Jie TingJie Ting More articles by this author , Isabel AllenIsabel Allen More articles by this author , and Benjamin BreyerBenjamin Breyer More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.372AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Understanding patient preferences for treatment decisions helps to assist in shared decision-making and places emphasis on patient-centered outcomes. Conjoint analysis (CA) has recently been proposed as a method to understand patient preferences and what risks patients are willing to take in terms of side effects and treatment options for what gains. Our objective was to evaluate whether use of a choice-based CA exercise helped to improve patients' decision-making ability about treatment preferences for management of urethral stricture disease. METHODS Male patients with urethral stricture disease completed a 3-part survey consisting of 1) assessment of decisional conflict regarding surgical management of urethral stricture disease using the validated SURE scale, 2) a choice-based CA where participants were presented with a series of 16 random and 2 fixed treatment scenarios from which they had to choose, and 3) a re-assessment of their decisional conflict and evaluation of the usefulness of the CA. RESULTS 177 patients completed the exercise. Prior to completing the CA, 50% reported having decisional conflict about what treatment option to pursue, whereas after the conjoint analysis only 45% had decisional conflict (p < 0.05). 71% of participants felt that the CA was helpful in deciding what was important in making a treatment decision, and 81% felt that it helped them to express their priorities and preferences for side effects and outcomes of surgical management. Participants who had previously undergone urethroplasty and were younger were less likely to have decisional conflict both before and after the conjoint survey (p < 0.01 for all). Men who reported that the CA helped them to express their priorities and preferences were significantly more likely to make a change from having decisional conflict to not having conflict after completion of the CA (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Choice-based CA improves patients' ability to make treatment decisions, to understand and express their treatment preferences, and decreases decisional conflict. CA can be used as a tool to aid in shared decision-making with a focus on patient-centered outcomes. © 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 193Issue 4SApril 2015Page: e106-e107 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Lindsay Hampson More articles by this author Thomas Gaither More articles by this author Leslie Wilson More articles by this author Jie Ting More articles by this author Isabel Allen More articles by this author Benjamin Breyer More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

The purpose of this paper is to provide a method to identify customer (sustainability) demands, map these via price equivalents and use the equivalents for green logistics target costing. We use the methodology of Expert Survey and Choice Based Conjoint Analysis to study purchase decisions and determine customers’ price readiness for sustainable logistics services. The results are inter alia that the three dimensions of the triple bottom line are already seen as essential decision criteria for the selection of logistics services. By means of Target Costing, supported by a Choice Based Conjoint Analysis, companies are in a position to calculate the financial framework available for investments in more sustainable products. This is illustrated by the use of a fictitious example. The main limitation of our research is that the survey was executed with German participants only. Our paper is the first to equally cover the three sustainability dimensions (economical, ecological and social) for target costing in the area of logistics, especially in the field of freight transport. In addition, it is the first paper to use a conjoint analysis for the determination of the price readiness for sustainable logistics services of costumers and to apply this information to target costing.

This article chapter provides an up‐to‐date review of methods that have come to be calledconjoint analysis. These methods enable marketing researchers to determine trade‐offs among attributes of a new product based on responses of stated preferences and stated choices. These trade‐offs can assist in product design, pricing, market segmentation, and similar marketing decisions. There are essentially four types of conjoint analysis; these are traditional conjoint analysis that uses stated preferences, choice‐based conjoint analysis (CBCA) that uses stated choices, self‐explicated conjoint analysis that uses direct elicitation of attribute importances and ratings on attribute levels, and adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) which involves a staged and adaptive data collection. Over several thousand conjoint studies were conducted since the introduction of this method in the early 1970s. The chapterarticle also covers significant advances in estimation methods and design of stimuli (profiles and choice sets) over these years. Essentially, this methodology is alive and thriving well.

Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis (ACBC) and hybrid individualized two-level choice-based conjoint analysis (HIT-CBC) were developed to improve standard choice-based conjoint analysis through additional interviewing techniques. Both methods have demonstrated their applicability in comparison to standard choice-based conjoint methods. The objective of our study was a direct comparison of the two adaptive hybrid methods ACBC and HIT-CBC. Therefore, we analysed the previous comparative literature on the methods and used the results to conduct both a Monte Carlo simulation study and an empirical study for validity comparisons. The simulation study confirms the vulnerability of HIT-CBC to produce incorrect ratings of respondents in the last part of the questionnaire. The empirical findings reveal an advantage of ACBC in comparison to the current version of HIT-CBC. We conclude that the rating tasks in the last section of HIT-CBC questionnaires reduce the predictive validity of the method and suggest an improvement to HIT-CBC.

Abbreviated MRI (AMRI), proposed as an alternative imaging modality for hepatocellular carcinoma screening, provides higher sensitivity than ultrasound. It is, however, unknown how patients weigh the higher sensitivity of AMRI against its higher cost and potentially less desirable testing experience. To assess patient preferences for hepatocellular carcinoma screening test attributes including sensitivity, false-positive rate, test-related anxiety, cost, and need for intravenous catheterization and contrast use, measured by choice-based conjoint analysis. This was an ancillary study to two prospective dual-center studies designed to compare the hepatocellular carcinoma detection rates by ultrasound versus AMRI. Of the 135 eligible participants, 106 (median age 63, range 25-85; 56% male) completed the choice-based conjoint analysis survey and were included in this substudy. Participants' preference for individual screening test attributes was assessed using a 12-item, web-based choice-based conjoint analysis survey administered in person at the screening visit. Conjoint analyses software and hierarchical Bayes random-effects logit model were used to calculate the relative importance of each attribute. The most important attribute driving patient preferences was higher test sensitivity (importance score 39.8%), followed by lower cost (importance score 22.8%) and lower false-positive rate (importance score 19.4%). The overall estimated participants' preference for ultrasound and AMRI were similar when assuming the same specificity for both modalities. Higher screening test sensitivity and lower cost were the leading patient preference drivers. This study has important implications for understanding patient preferences for specific screening test characteristics as potential determinants of adherence.

Current technological developments, followed by internet connectivity, are driving the emergence of online food delivery. Now, online food delivery has become a daily necessity. To meet these needs, many companies offer online food delivery services with a variety of services. This shows that consumers are faced with various services or attributes provided by each online food delivery service, so consumers will be more selective in choosing according to their preferences. Therefore, companies must be able to know and understand the preferences and needs of consumers to win against the competition in this industry. This study aims to determine the combination of attributes that are most preferred by consumers in choosing online food delivery services, the most important attributes for consumers in choosing online food delivery services, and the level that is most useful for consumers in choosing online food delivery services. The data collection tool in this research uses online questionnaires to 390 respondents who are online food delivery consumers. The non-probability sampling method was used in this research. The analysis technique used is conjoint analysis. The results found that of the 8 cards, card number 1 was the most preferred combination card by the consumers, which consists of fast delivery, multi orders, COD payment methods, discounted prices, and many restaurant choices. Then the most important attribute to be considered is the time and delivery attribute with a value of 34,934, and the most useful level for consumers is the 24-hour service available with a usability value of 0.290. It is hoped that this research can be a reference for business people in online food delivery in Indonesia to be able to provide fast delivery services to consumers and provide promos in the form of discounted prices so that they can become consumers' choices.

Airline services nowadays become one of the highly coveted options by many consumers for long-distance transportation. The increasing numbers of users makes airlines tightly compete each other to attract consumers’ interest. Thus, analysis to consumer preference has always been the starting point in market research as reference in creating new innovation. This research uses the choice-based conjoint analysis with the full profile as method of presentation. Conjoint analysis is a multivariate analysis method that can be used as a measurement for the level of preference. In the instrument, consumers were asked to choose one among three attribute combination of each choice set within 9 choice sets. Utility values were obtained by conditional logic model. The results show that for each attribute the order of preference is Price-Airport tax-Class-Facility. Judging from the value of its usefulness, the most preferred attribute by consumer is Airport tax and that Include is preferably from Exclude. For Price attribute, lower than 500 thousand rupiahs is the most preferred categories among others. In Class attribute, Business is more preferable than other categories. And for Facility attribute, entertainment is the most preferred one of other categories. Keywords : preferences, airlines, choice-based conjoint

Indoor radon constitutes a public health issue in various regions across the United States as the second leading cause of lung cancer following tobacco smoke. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises radon mitigation interventions for residential buildings with indoor radon concentrations exceeding the threshold level of 4 pCi/L. Despite considerable research assessing the technical effectiveness of radon mitigation systems, there remains a gap in understanding their broader influence on occupant behavior and preferences in residential design. This study aims to investigate the impact of residing in radon-mitigated homes within the Commonwealth of Kentucky—an area known for elevated radon concentrations—on occupants’ preferences regarding healthy home design attributes. The objectives of this research are twofold: firstly to determine if living in radon-mitigated homes enhances occupant awareness and consequently influences their preferences toward health-related home attributes and secondly to quantitatively evaluate and compare the relative significance homeowners assign to health-related attributes such as indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and water quality relative to conventional attributes including home size, architectural style, and neighborhood quality. The overarching purpose is to explore the potential role radon mitigation initiatives may play in motivating occupants towards healthier home construction and renovation practices. Using choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis, this paper compares preferences reported by homeowners from radon-mitigated homes against those from non-mitigated homes. While the findings suggest a relationship between radon mitigation and increased preference for indoor air quality, the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation, and the possibility of reverse causation—where health-conscious individuals are more likely to seek mitigation—must be considered. The results provide novel insights into how radon mitigation efforts might effectively influence occupant priorities towards integrating healthier design elements in residential environments.

Our study explores how production location decisions impact consumer preferences, particularly willingness to pay (WTP), and how to use sustainability perceptions and values as underlying mechanisms. Our research highlights the importance of perceived quality and environmental and social sustainability in shaping consumer behavior, with local production often viewed more sustainable and favorably. We employ a multi-method approach to test our conceptual framework. Study 1 utilizes an online survey with a choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis to measure stated preferences for products with varying origins. The study covers multiple product categories and captures perceptions of origin, personal values, and demographic data. Study 2 complements these findings through a controlled lab experiment, introducing real monetary incentives to capture revealed preferences and address social desirability bias. Together, these studies provide robust insights into consumer preferences for local and sustainable products. Our findings show that product origin significantly influences consumer decision-making, with local products consistently associated with higher WTP. This preference is driven by product-specific perceptions of higher quality and/or environmental and social sustainability and by personal values. By integrating consumer perspectives into production location decisions, our research highlights the dual benefits of aligning operational strategies with sustainability goals: enhancing profitability through higher WTP and supporting more sustainable supply chains that contribute to broader environmental and social objectives.

Purpose - With the rapid economic development, great changes have happened in the Chinese beer market. The scale of imported beer is increasing. However, the sales of native Chinese beer decrease in recent years. It is because more Chinese customers prefer beer with unique attributes than those with lower prices. In order to take an advantage in this market, practitioners should develop new products to satisfy Chinese customers. Scholars have also focused on beer characteristics to estimate consumers' behavior for improving the development of beer industry. However, most studies are theoretically centered on marketing strategy management or general understanding of the market. It is not enough for us to explain customers' consumption patterns. Some empirical research did attempt to find out beer attributes that may influence their choice behavior. However, they failed to verify what can increase customers' utility through a new product. More importantly, few evidences can be found in the literature. Therefore this study explores the major characteristics of imported beer which may associate with customers' preferences. Research design, data, and methodology - With the results of literature review and focus group interview, we found out four main imported beer attributes and the levels of each factor. A pre-test is constructed to check the problems in the questionnaire protocol. With the results of pre-test, the revised questionnaire is processed among customers who have purchased and had imported beer in China regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong and so on. The choice-based conjoint analysis is applied to analyze the useful data of 205. Results - Results indicate that choice-based conjoint analysis is the effective method to estimate customers' choice behavior. Results also indicate that country of origin, price, taste, and package affect customers' preference and the importances of imported beer attributes are significantly different. Conclusions - Country of origin, price, taste, and package are important for customers to make an imported beer choice decision. Marketers should consider these determinants and their importance to develop new products. Moreover, choice-based conjoint analysis should be the useful method for practitioners to develop a new product of imported beer for sustainable business in the competitive industry.

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the relative importance of corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) in comparison to standard, price, duration, destination, brand and disruption using choice-based conjoint analysis (CBC).Design/methodology/approachCBC was used as the data collection survey technique, and counts analysis for preference and hierarchical Bayes estimation (HB) for importance levels data analysis methods, from Sawtooth Software Inc.FindingsResults show that 2:1 Royal Caribbean Cruise Line cruise consumers prefer companies with CSER policies and practices. However, their actual product choice selection of cruise package attributes revealed that consumers overall placed less importance on CSER when choosing cruises. Experienced consumers were more brand image-conscious than those new to cruising, and consumers who were less price-sensitive were most willing to choose companies with CSER policies and practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe information provided is specifically on “what” cruise consumer preferences and importance attributes are but does not explicitly explain “why” the respondents made the choices they did. This was at the time a limitation of the software used to conduct the study.Practical implicationsThe Conjoint Analysis CBC Sawtooth Software pre-2014 version choice simulators do not facilitate questions that provide answers as to “why” respondents make the choices they do in the market simulations.Social implicationsThe knowledge contribution is of value to both academia and industry, as the quantitative statistical data on the cruise consumers’ choice preferences are of value in understanding and identifying solutions/approaches towards “opening the bottleneck” that exists between private sector sustainable development practices and consumer lifestyle changes.Originality/valueThis was the first time that CBC/HB was applied within academia to examine the cruise consumers’ choice preferences in a UK context and also the first time that CSER was applied as a direct variable in a cruise package to determine the preference and important values of a brand in a consumer behaviour decision-making context.

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Methods (MCDM) for the development of functional food products in Venezuela