ABSTRACT

 There is a growing body ofresearch on understanding adult food choices globally in both urban and rural areas. Despite this, there is a lack of understanding about the drivers offood choice in Nigeria as a country and in Abia State. Therefore, the purpose ofthis study was to identify the important drivers of food choice existing among adults in households residing in Aba North and Aba South L.G.As. The study was a cross-sectional study carried out in Aba North and Aba South Local government areas of Abia State. Four hundred (400) participants aged 18 years and above were selected randomly by giving consent to fill out the questionnaires. Statistical analysis was carried out in SPSS version 25. Majority (31.3%) of the respondents were aged 18-25 years, followed by 29.8% who were 31-40 years old. Majority of the respondents are traders (43%), students (23%) and business owners (23%). Convenience (59.6%), Price (55.4%), Natural content (54.3%), Health (49%) and Sensory Appeal (47.7%) emerged as the most important drivers of food choice in both local government areas while ethical concern and mood were the least important ones. In analysing the associations between factors that influence food choice among respondents, there was a significant relationship (p =0.05) between the socio-demographic (age) characteristics of the respondents and the factors influencing food choice; and a significant relationship (p = 0.05) between the socio-economic characteristics (household income and family size) and the factors influencing food choice. In conclusion, more research is needed to understand the complexities ofthe identified drivers offood choice and formulate policies or interventions to improve healthy living through food choice behaviour.