Research

Pork Knowledge Gap Among the U.S. Consumers: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Perception

Authors

• • Mamata Adhikari mamata@iastate.edu Email Mamata Adhikari. (compose email, opens in email app.)
  • Iowa State University View ROR record for Iowa State University. (opens in new tab)
• • Tafadzwa Anne-Marie Dzinoreva
  • Iowa State University View ROR record for Iowa State University. (opens in new tab)
• • Shuyang Qu
  • Iowa State University View ROR record for Iowa State University. (opens in new tab)
• • Alexa Lamm
  • University of Georgia
• • Allison R. Byrd
  • University of Georgia
• • Kevan W. Lamm
  • University of Georgia
• • Fally Masambuka-Kanchewa
  • Iowa State University View ROR record for Iowa State University. (opens in new tab)
• • Catherine E. Sanders
  • NC State University
• • Michael Retallick
  • Iowa State University View ROR record for Iowa State University. (opens in new tab)

Abstract

This study examined pork knowledge gaps among U.S. consumers assessing whether socioeconomic status (SES) or meat perceptions explain differences in factual understanding. The objectives were to (1) identify consumers' knowledge level about pork, (2) determine how income and educational levels influence pork knowledge and (3) examine how positive and negative perceptions toward meat influence consumer knowledge about pork. An online survey of 1,011 U.S. adults was conducted in July 2024. Respondents evaluated seven true statements on pork production and rated eleven positive and five negative items from the Meat Attachment Questionnaire. One-way ANOVAs tested differences by SES and Pearson's correlations examined associations between perceptions and knowledge. One-way ANOVAs revealed no significant differences by income and education, contradicting the traditional knowledge gap hypothesis. Instead, knowledge scores correlated weakly and positively with positive meat perceptions (r = .25, p < .01) and weakly but negatively with negative perceptions (r = .19, p < .01). These results indicate a perception-driven knowledge gap where confirmation bias and motivated reasoning could have governed information acquisition about pork. Therefore, strategies to bridge the knowledge gap should align pork messaging with consumer values and use storytelling to communicate information about pork. Future research should examine how perception-based gaps relate to misinformation and test these patterns in pork-centric cultures beyond the U.S.

Keywords: Knowledge Gap Hypothesis, Socioeconomic Status (SES), Consumer perception, Pork

How to Cite: Adhikari, M. , Dzinoreva, T. , Qu, S. , Lamm, A. , Byrd, A. R. , Lamm, K. W. , Masambuka-Kanchewa, F. , Sanders, C. E. & Retallick, M. (2026) “Pork Knowledge Gap Among the U.S. Consumers: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Perception”, Journal of Applied Communications. 110(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/jac.20855