ORIGINAL ARTICLE


https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10028-1353
Journal of Postgraduate Medicine Education and Research
Volume 54 | Issue 2 | Year 2020

Extent, Trend, and Pattern of Use of Health and Wellness Products by People in Chandigarh and Shimla


Divya Sharma1, Suman Mor2, Amarjeet Singh3

1,3Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
2Department of Environmental Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

Corresponding Author: Divya Sharma, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, Phone: +91 9876710228, e-mail: divya2809.sharma@gmail.com

How to cite this article Sharma D, Mor S, Singh A. Extent, Trend, and Pattern of Use of Health and Wellness Products by People in Chandigarh and Shimla. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2020;54(2):37–39.

Source of support: Nil

Conflict of interest: None

ABSTRACT

The concept of wellness has evolved over the last few decades. This, in turn, has led to a great increase in the use of health and wellness products.

Objective: To analyze the extent, trend, and pattern of use of health and wellness products by people in Chandigarh and Shimla.

Materials and methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in Chandigarh, UT, and Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The data were collected from participants using structured questionnaires.

Results: A total of 150 individuals were taken for the study. Among food products, traditional food products like rice, sugar, salt, and flour were used by all. In hair care products, shampoos and oil were used the most. Among skin care products, soap and face wash had high frequency of use. Hand wash had the highest frequency of use among hygiene products. Running shoes and yoga pants had highest usage among fitness products.

Conclusion: The use of health and wellness products was moderate in the study areas. The maximum used products were food and beauty care products.

Keywords: Health, Products, Wellness, Wellness revolution.

INTRODUCTION

Every choice we make affects our health and wellness to a great extent, starting with what time we wake up at, followed by everything in between that includes exercise, eating, sitting postures, other physical and psychological activities, and ending with the time we sleep.

The wellness market is majorly governed by the demand and supply theory. In a developing economy like India with a large market, such products have garnered a great deal of demand as well as appreciation. The ever-growing popularity of the wellness revolution has made such products a day-to-day need in most of the households. This has led to a lot of companies entering or extending their business to the production of these products. The purchasing capacity of the customers has also become high as some of these products can also be classified as luxury products.

In the twenty-first century, the global wellness movement has reached a dramatic tipping point where fitness, diet, healthy living, and well-being concepts and offerings have emerged wildly.1 The idea of being “wellthy” has taken over the society. Just like economic development is defined as creating wealth, similarly, holistic human development can be defined as creating wellness where as many people as possible are wellthy.2 Wellness, the “new black,” has now become a status symbol of people, who prioritize maintaining well-balanced physical and mental health.3 This, in turn, has led to a great increase in the use of health and wellness products. Thus, the market size and potential has increased, leading to a lot of new manufacturers entering the market. This has greatly affected the awareness as well as popularity of these products among the masses and hence contributing toward the growth of this sector.

The increased popularity of these products makes it important to study the extent and pattern of their use. The study will help in assessing that which segment and products of health and wellness are contributing more toward the growth of the sector.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the extent, trend, and pattern of use of health and wellness products by people in Chandigarh and Shimla.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in Chandigarh, UT, and Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. It was carried out during January 2018 and March 2018. The sector 15 market in Chandigarh and the Sanjauli market in Shimla were purposively selected. A sample size of 150 individuals was decided. It was divided in a ratio of 2:1 because of difference in area and population of Chandigarh and Shimla. Thus, a sample of 100 individuals from Chandigarh and 50 from Shimla was taken. Then the required sample size of respondents was randomly selected from shops, markets, parks, and gyms. Individuals above the age of 18 years and residing in the study areas for more than 2 years were included in the study. Participation was entirely voluntary and a written consent was taken from the participants. Confidentiality was maintained. The data was collected by the researcher using structured questionnaires. The tool was developed and tested prior to data collection. Data was collected in evening when the markets, gyms, and parks are crowded. The tool was divided into four sections. The consent was duly taken from the respondents. Confidentiality of the data was ensured. The data obtained were coded and entered in MS Excel 2007. Redundant data were removed by cross-checking. The data were analyzed statistically by calculating frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS

The participants between the age group of 18 years and 25 years (34.6%) were more. Female participants (51%) were slightly more in number than males (48.6%). There were 56% participants with graduation and below degree. More than half (52.6%) participants were students followed by professionals (14%) and people with private jobs (12.6%). Many (43%) participants belonged to middle-income families.

Flour, rice, pulses, salt, oil, sugar, and milk were used by all. Among other food products, ghee (99%), tea (96%), and butter (94%) were most commonly used. The usage of products like apple cider (10%), muesli (9%), and yakult (7%) was low. Among supplements/nutraceuticals, nuts (38%) were most commonly used. Multimineral (5%), tonics (5%), and proteins (4%) were used by very few.

Among hair care products, shampoo (95%) and oil (88%) were used by majority. Whereas products like gel (7%), hair creams (5%), and hair sprays (1%) were used by few (Table 1). Table 2 shows that among skin care products, soaps (99%) and face wash (82%) had high frequency of use. The usage of products like toners (5%), cleansers (3%), and skin-lightening creams (1%) was very low. The most popular cosmetic product among females was lipstick (83%), followed by eyeliner (61%). The least used products included lip liners (9%) and concealers (9%). Among fragrances, deodorant (59%) was the most used product. Roll-Ons (8%) and mists (6%) were the least used fragrances.

Table 1: Frequency of the use of hair care products (n = 150)
Hair care products150 (100%)
Shampoo143 (95)
Oil132 (88)
Conditioner  89 (59)
Serum  29 (19)
Hair color  26 (17)
Gel/wax  11 (7)
Cream    8 (5)
Sprays    2 (1)
Table 2: Frequency of the use of skin care products (n = 150)
Skin care products150 (100%)
Soaps149 (99)
Face wash123 (82)
Creams  87 (58)
Lotions  75 (50)
Sunscreen  53 (35)
Face scrub  38 (25)
Face packs  23 (15)
Aloe vera  20 (13)
Toners    8 (5)
Cleansers    5 (3)
Skin-lightening creams    2 (1)

Apart from toothbrush and toothpaste, which were used by all, mouthwash (21%) had the highest frequency of use among oral care products. Flosser (3%) was the least used product.

Table 3 shows that among hygiene products, majority respondents used hand wash (97%). The usage of sanitary pads (90%) was also high. The least used hygiene products were wet wipes (13%) and intimate wash.

Among fitness products, running shoes (54.6%) and yoga pants (25%) have highest usage. Green coffee (3%) and treadmill (1%) were the least used products.

DISCUSSION

Health and wellness is a concept that has been used since ages in India. Traditional medicinal and health practices like Ayurveda and Yoga have given the concept of mental and bodily wellness.4 Most of the ancient health and wellness concepts have focused on nutrition, relaxation, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.1

Health is a dynamic concept. It requires regular inputs and monitoring. The government, community, and family also play a major part in maintaining health of an individual. The government plays a role in providing proper health care and other facilities at an affordable price to improve health. The community and family have a responsibility of providing an environment for the individual to grow physically, mentally, and socially. The major responsibilities lie with the individual, which include maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

In today’s era, the importance and understanding of the concept of wellness has been exponentially increasing. As people are becoming more conscious about their health, they are ready to spend money for a healthy living. This, in turn, has led to a great increase in the use of health and wellness products.

The health and wellness market products are segmented into various categories. These include nutrition, beauty care, hygiene, rejuvenation, and fitness products.5 The entry of new organized Indian and foreign players into the market has increased options for consumers. Increased brand consciousness and readiness to pay for secondary and luxurious products made consumers willing to experiment with new products.6

The use of various health- and wellness-related products as assessed in the study revealed that among food products, daily use products like cereals, flour, pulses, salt, oil, and milk were used by all. These products constitute the staple diet and are universally used. Traditional diet products like ghee, tea, and butter had very high usage. The regularly used products that have gained popularity over the years like honey, green tea, and cornflakes had average usage. Oats, muesli, and Yakult are some of the newer and exalted products and have low usage.

Table 3: Frequency of the use of hygiene products (n = 150)
Hygiene products150 (100%)
Hand wash146 (97)
Sanitary pads  70 (90)*
Sanitizer  62 (41)
Body wash  27 (18)
Wet wipes  20 (13)
Intimate wash  17 (11)

* Only females (n = 77)

Natural and herbal supplements like nuts and chyawanprash were among the highest used supplements. Chyawanprash was mostly used by individuals above 44 years of age. Apart from the traditional supplements, multivitamins were more popular as compared to other nutraceutical products. Similar findings were reported in a study that further explained that herbal dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular over other supplements, with companies focusing on product innovation to address taste barriers. On the other hand, multivitamins continue to be well-established due to their association with holistic health benefits in the minds of consumers.5 The use of multivitamins, calcium, and iron was more among females while the use of proteins was more among males. There has been an increase in use of supplements by people in last few years.

The beauty care segment is further divided into hair care, skin care, oral care, fragrances, and color cosmetics.7 Under the hair care section, shampoo, oil, and conditioners were used by majority participants. The use of these products was more among females than males. The use of hair color was more among individuals above the age of 44 years. Serum, hair color, hair creams, and sprays were used by fewer participants. Hair creams were used more by males. These products were found to be more popular among young participants.

The high-usage frequencies of skin care products show that they dominate the beauty care segment. Face wash, lotion, and sunscreen that have gained popularity in recent years also had quite high frequency of use. The frequency of use was more among females than males. The skin care products used commonly by males were soaps, face wash, and creams. The increased use of creams by males has resulted in launch of various types of creams for men.

The high usage of cosmetic products shows that they form a major part of the beauty care segment. The use of cosmetics was seen more among young females. Facial beauty is being promoted and given more importance by various beauty pageants and competitions. This has resulted in increase in use of cosmetics.

Among oral care products, toothbrush and toothpaste are the most common products and were used by all participants. But products like mouthwash and tongue cleaner were used by very few participants. There is increasing awareness about oral hygiene but advertising of these oral care products compared to others is less. This could be a reason for low usage of these products.

Among hygiene products, use of hand wash, sanitary pads, and sanitizers was high. Hand washing has been promoted by the WHO through specific guidelines. Initiatives are also being taken by governments, NGOs, and various private organizations. The global hand washing day campaign has been initiated by the global hand washing partnership and is celebrated on October 15 every year.8 The new hygiene products like body wash and intimate wash were used by few participants. Sanitary pads were used by majority of females. The influence of campaigns, movies, and social media challenges on menstrual hygiene was evident by high usage of sanitary pads.

The usage of various products under different segments shows that beauty and nutrition form a major part of the wellness industry. Similar findings were reported in an “Invest India” article, which said beauty (40%) and nutrition (27%) are the highest contributors in the wellness industry.9

Limitation

Collected data were based on self-reporting. So, it is possible that these may be desirable responses.

CONCLUSION

The use of health and wellness products was moderate in the study areas. The maximum used products were food and beauty care products.

REFERENCES

1. History of Wellness- Global Wellness Institute. Available from: https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/history-of-wellness.

2. Graham U. ‘Wellthy’: Possessing the Resources and Resourcefulness to Thrive in All Life Domains, The Blog 2013.

3. Kickbusch I, Payne L. Twenty-first century health promotion: the public health revolution meets the wellness revolution. Health Promot Int 2003;18(4):275–278. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dag418.

4. Naryanaswamy V. Origin and development of Ayurveda: (a brief history). Anc Sci Life 1981;1(1):1–7.

5. Imperatives for growth: the wellness industry, 5th Annual wellness conference; PwC, FICCI; 2013.

6. Life sciences and IT knowledge banking (lsit), Yes bank, Health and Wellness: Indian Perspective; 2014.

7. India’s growing cosmetic market, Global Cosmetic Industry; 2015.

8. WHO Guidelines for hand hygiene in Health care, First Global Patient Safety Challenge Clean Care is Safer Care, Patient safety: A World alliance for Safer Health care; 2017.

9. A healthy growth, Invest India: National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency. Available from: www.investindia.gov.in.

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