Predicting Chinese consumers' purchase intentions for imported soy‐based dietary supplements

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to model Chinese consumers' purchase intentions for imported soy‐based dietary supplements (DS) based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM). The central hypotheses for this study are that purchase intentions of Chinese DS consumers are a result of attitudes toward using DS, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Health value and perceived susceptibility to illness, as well as product knowledge and marketer distrust, are integrated into the model.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 251 consumers in Shanghai, China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.Findings – The TPB model is effective in predicting Chinese consumers' imported soy‐based DS purchase intentions. Attitudes toward using soy‐based DS, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control have significant influences on purchase intention. Perceived behavioral control also plays an important role in the formation of atti...