The Relationship of Health and Nutrition Claims towards Purchasing Choices among Consumers in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire on 385 respondents collected through convenience sampling. The survey consisted of four parts: socio-demographic background, health awareness, understanding and usage of health and nutrition claims, and purchase intention measured through the use of a mock packaging. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Most of the respondents aged 18-30 (81.0%) and almost half of them were Malay (45.7%) with bachelor/master or PhD qualification (60.0%). The distribution of household income for all categories was almost similar (18.2-20.8%). There was a significant statistical relationship between health awareness and purchase intention among respondents (r=0.391, p<0.01). Health and nutrition claims influenced consumer's perceptions and purchase intention, especially for those who were more concerned about their health, thus, more focus on policy regarding claims is needed.