A Survey of Drinking Habits and Health Perception of Makgeolli

This study was performed with Korean adults to investigate Makgeolli drinking behavior, preference, and perception about Makgeolli and health, as well as Makgeolli complaints and prices. A survey questionnaire was formulated to obtain information on demographic variables, drinking habits, and perceptions about Makgeolli's function, price, and complaints. The questionnaire was distributed to 468 adults living in the capital area. The results are as follows. Makgeolli (16.1%) was third preferred, following Soju (45.1%) and beer (30.7%), and no significant differences were observed by gender and income, but the preference for Makgeolli increased with increasing age (p<0.001). According to the survey, the largest reason both genders drank Makgeolli was that it tastes good. Men preferred Makgeolli for its health effects and cheap price, while women preferred it for the atmosphere while drinking it. Also, older people and those with higher incomes preferred drinking Makgeolli for its health effect rather than its good taste (p<0.001 for each). No significant difference was observed by gender for the question "Do you think that Makgeolli has a health-promoting effect?" Overall, 51% of the subjects gave positive answers and only 5.9% gave negative answers. Significantly, older people and those with a higher income had a higher rate of answering positively to this question. Belching (45.1%) and headache (29.9%) were the most common symptoms among the side effects of drinking Makgeolli. No significant difference was observed by gender or income, but older people had a higher rate of belching and fewer headaches than younger people (p<0.001). Women had a significantly higher rate of perceiving that Makgeolli was cheap than men. Age and income differences did not influence price perception. To the question "What is the ideal price for high quality Makgeolli", 32.1% answered that the present rate (1,000 won) was ideal, and 59.4% answered that a price between 1,000 and 2,000 won was ideal. These results indicate that the high preference for Makgeolli is due to its good taste and health effects. However, belching and headache caused by drinking Makgeolli were the most common complaints and, thus, must be solved. Some opinions indicated that Makgeolli must eliminate its low-quality image, but, according to this survey, most subjects answered that the ideal price of higher-quality Makgeolli should be increased slightly, which would cause price resistance.

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