The Impacts of Young Consumers' Health Values on Functional Beverages Purchase Intentions.

Hsiao-Ping Chang,Chun-Chieh Ma,Han-Shen Chen

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103479

Abstract

Internationally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of proper diet values and habits, a balanced intake of healthy food products, and rates of obesity control encompassing information on fat content and calories. In this context, some beverage manufacturers have shifted to marketing their products as having fewer calories and more functional benefits. This study aims to develop an extended value–attitude–behavior (VAB) research model that includes three constructs, namely, cue to action, self-efficacy, and health orientation, to explore the impacts of university students’ health values on their purchase intentions concerning functional beverages. The results indicated that university students’ interest in functional beverages was significantly affected by their health values. Besides, both interests in functional beverages and health orientation were significant predictors of purchase intention, while cue to action and self-efficacy were not. Based on these results, enhancing consumers’ education about food security is suggested. Furthermore, the findings provide crucial insights for marketing channels, suggesting the beverage industry can target consumers’ health values concerning health beverages as the key to purchase intention and attract business by developing practical marketing strategies.

Highlights

IntroductionWithout the parents’ supervision of diet and lifestyle, being overweight or obese has become prevalent among college students in Taiwan [3]
According to some studies [1,2], with the gradual increase of chronic civilized diseases, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases all over the world, consumers have started to pay more attention to health, and the promotion of good value is gradually adding visibility to the notion of healthy diets.Without the parents’ supervision of diet and lifestyle, being overweight or obese has become prevalent among college students in Taiwan [3]
Item 5 "I’m not concerned about the health-related consequences of what I eat”; concerning self-efficacy, Item "It is easy for me to buy functional beverages”, Item “Drinking functional beverages is under my control”, and Item “I believe that drinking functional beverages has a positive impact on my health." Since most of the questionnaire items had a Cronbach’s α higher than or close to 0.7, there was high reliability

Summary

Introduction

Without the parents’ supervision of diet and lifestyle, being overweight or obese has become prevalent among college students in Taiwan [3]. This encourages businesses to take advantage of business opportunities related to “functional food” and nutrient and dietary supplements. Every country has different terms and definitions for health food “food for specified health uses” in Japan, and “functional food” in China). Refers to food that contains a specific nutrient or one that produces particular health effects, but not offered to the public as treatment or remedy for human diseases.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion