Introduction
Bread is one of the most important staple foods in human history, holding a central place across cultures and in household diets. It is commonly classified into two main types: whole wheat bread and white bread. Whole wheat bread is made from flour that retains the bran and germ, resulting in roughly twice the vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber compared to white bread, which is more refined. Numerous clinical studies have shown that regular consumption of whole wheat bread is associated with a reduced risk of various health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.  Despite this, in recent decades, wheat bran has been separated from flour in various quantities in many factories in the country, and the bread made from this flour not only has a very low nutritional value; rather, it causes the spread of all kinds of diseases. The study of food consumption in Iran reveals that the primary food group contributing to daily energy and protein intake is bread, which includes various types, such as Barbari, Lavash, and Sangak. Based on the compiled standards, each bread has a specific amount of bran removed. Sangak bread is the richest bread in terms of nutrition. Lavash and Tufton bread have lower bran content than Sangak, and Barbari bread flour has the highest percentage of bran removal. It is considered the whitest flour among traditional breads. Considering the importance of bread consumption as a complete food item in the household basket and its direct effect on people’s health, in this study, breads are classified into three groups: whole-wheat bread (Sangak), low-bran bread (Lavash and Tufton) and bran free bread (Barbari) and the influencing factors on the choice and consumption of the type of bread of the households have been investigated
 
Materials and Methods
A questionnaire was developed to achieve the research aim, and data were collected through a random sampling method from households living in Mashhad city. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 265 households in 2023. Because of the ordinal nature of the bran percentage of flour for all types of bread, first, an ordinal logit model was estimated to investigate the probability of each household being placed in 3 groups of bran-free bread, low-bran bread, and whole-bran bread, But due to the violation of the assumption of parallel regressions in this model, the Generalized Ordinal Logit Model was used.
 
Results and Discussion
 The results of this study showed that a significant percentage of households (56%) consume bread with low bran (Lavash and Tafton), and only 15% of households consume bread bran-free (Berberi). Also, 29% of households consume bread with high bran (Sangak). The results showed that increasing the variable level of household income, the importance of bread health, the importance of bread quality, and the satisfaction of consuming bread increases the probability of consuming bread with higher bran than bread bran-free. The negative and significant coefficient of the importance variable of bread shape shows that households that attach more importance to the shape of bread increase the probability of consuming bran-free bread compared to whole-grain bread. This issue could be due to the darker color of bran bread compared to bran-free bread. Additionally, the marginal effects of the coefficients at different levels were estimated, which interpret the change in the predicted probabilities of a household consuming whole-wheat bread per one unit change in a specific explanatory variable (based on the average of consumer data.
 
Conclusion
Based on the results, the household's monthly income, the importance of bread to health, the importance of bread quality, and the satisfaction with the consumed bread were the main and significant factors affecting the choice of bread type consumed in Mashhad households. Therefore, considering the importance of health in changing consumption behavior, providing educational programs and awareness campaigns to inform people about the benefits of wholemeal bread—such as its effects on digestive health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and improving nutrition—will be effective in changing the eating habits of the community and improving the overall level of health. These programs can position the consumption of wholemeal bread as a healthier choice in the minds of consumers.
The results indicate that, all else being equal, higher consumer satisfaction with high-bran bread increases the likelihood of its consumption. In contrast, placing greater importance on bread appearance reduces the probability of choosing high-bran options. Overall, consumer satisfaction is a key driver of wholemeal bread consumption, whereas its darker color and distinct appearance tend to discourage it.  Therefore, to increase the attractiveness of wholemeal bread for consumers, it is suggested that manufacturers focus on improving the appearance of bread and use techniques that make wholemeal bread more similar in color and appearance to white bread. This could include using improved formulations to enhance the color and texture of the bread. Additionally, to address concerns about the taste of wholemeal bread, manufacturers can offer different varieties of wholemeal bread with varying characteristics in appearance and flavor to attract consumers with diverse preferences. Improving the quality of bread in terms of taste, texture, and other characteristics can lead to increased consumer satisfaction and, ultimately, a rise in the consumption of wholemeal bread.
To reduce the negative effects of price increases on the consumption of bread with high bran, it is suggested that producers or policymakers adjust the price of this bread so that it remains attractive compared to bread with low bran. This can be done by reducing production costs or government support in the pricing of wholemeal bread. Also, to encourage more consumers to buy bread with high bran, it is possible to use the combined packaging of wholemeal bread with regular bread or bread with low bran, and consider discounts for buying these packages.