Abstract
This study was performed to analyze the preferences and actual use patterns of university students (96 males and 187 females) for bakeries in the Gyeongju area of Korea. A total of 283 questionnaires were used for the examination and statistical analyses were completed using SPSS Win (14.0) by descriptive analysis and $x^2$-tests. The most favored bakery products were prepared items such as sandwiches and toast. Most of the respondents (92.9%) typically used bread for snacks, and the main places of purchase were well-known bakery shops (38.5%) in which females preferred well-known shops more than males. In addition, the respondents liked milk (79.9%) and jam (39.7%) as the beverage and food, respectively, to eat with bread. When choosing bread, the main selection point was taste (80.2%) and the cost per person per visit was usually 1,000~5,000 won (63.3%). The consumption frequency rate revealed that 49.1% of the students consumed bread as a snack, while 24.8% consumed bread with other foods 1~2 times a week. In the case of purchasing bread as a snack, females had more purchases than males (p<0.05). Students who lived in their own home (p<0.001) with a commute time to school greater than 30 minutes (p<0.001) had the highest number of bread purchases as a snack. The most important point for bread purchase was hygiene (4.60). Overall, for the development of bakeries in the Gyeongju area it seems imperative to address the bakery shop environment, including such aspects as hygiene, price, and new bread product development for students.
