Attitudes and choice of flavoured milks: Extensions of fishbein and ajzen's theory of reasoned action

What Can Drive Consumers’ Dining-Out Behavior in China and Korea during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Currently, living with COVID-19 under certain protective measures still continues as the “new normal” for most of the world. The disruption that the pandemic has caused to societies and economies, especially to the restaurant industry, may last longer than some had thought. This study intended to find out the key drivers of consumers’ dining-out intentions and their internal relationships. We adopted the structural equation modeling (SEM) method with 508 surveys collected from China and Korea. The results were as follows: perceived psychological risks, subjective norms, and enjoyment are influential to consumers’ dining-out intentions but not restaurant precautionary measures or perceived physical risk; subjective norms have direct implications on both perceived psychological and physical risks, while restaurant precautionary measures can only significantly affect perceived physical risk; enjoyment can be negatively influenced by perceived psychological and physical risks; country can moderate the relationships between subjective norms, perceived physical/psychological risk, and enjoyment. This study provides further understanding of the current food consumption patterns, which will help restaurants set up strategies accordingly to sustain their businesses and get them more prepared for any future outbreaks.

Some Key Factors Affecting Consumers' Intentions to Purchase Functional Foods: A Case Study of Functional Yogurts in Vietnam

The development of functional foods is key to promoting a healthy diet and preventing certain diseases. This study aims to examine several key factors that affect consumer attitude and intention with respect to purchasing functional foods in an emerging market economy. A research model was developed by extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and then validated through obtaining data from 596 Vietnamese consumers who were interested in functional yogurts using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariate data analysis reveals that while health consciousness and subjective norm significantly enhance consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing functional yogurts, perceived price of functional yogurts exerts a negative impact on such attitudes. Moreover, subjective norm and attitude appear to be key predictors of consumers’ intentions to buy functional yogurts. These findings extend the extant literature relating to functional food purchase and consumption in emerging markets, and they have several important practical implications for functional yogurt manufacturers, retailers, and policymakers. A major implication is that education and communication programs that aim at increasing consumers’ health consciousness and their awareness of functional foods’ health benefits play an integral role in the success of functional food products such as functional yogurts. Research limitations and future research directions are also presented.

Type of milk typically consumed, and stated preference, but not health consciousness affect revealed preferences for fat in milk

Fat is an important source of both pleasure and calories in the diet. Dairy products are a major source of fat in the diet, and understanding preferences for fat in fluid milk can potentially inform efforts to change fat consumption patterns or optimize consumer products. Here, patterns of preference for fat in milk were determined in the laboratory among 100 free living adults using rejection thresholds. Participants also answered questions relating to their health concerns, the type of fluid milk typically consumed, and their declared preference for type of milk (in terms of fat level). When revealed preferences in blind tasting were stratified by these measures, we observed striking differences in the preferred level of fat in milk. These data indicate a non-trivial number of consumers who prefer low-fat milk to full fat milk, a pattern that would have been overshadowed by the use of a group mean. While it is widely assumed and claimed that increasing fat content in fluid milk universally increases palatability, present data demonstrate this is not true for a segment of the population. These results underscore the need to go look beyond group means to understand individual differences in food preference.

Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects: A survey of awareness among Latina women of childbearing age residing in southeast Michigan

Periconceptional intake of folic acid is known to reduce the risk for neural tube defects (NTDs). To inform southeast Michigan Latina women of childbearing age about the benefits of food and supplemental sources of the micronutrient in the prevention of NTDs, Spanish-English bilingual health educators carried out 20 education events in supermarkets and community organizations serving Latina women. One hundred and sixty Latina women ages 19 to 50 years indicated their current folic acid awareness and stated their future intentions regarding folic acid. Of 160 women surveyed, 114 (71%) had heard of folic acid, 84 (74%) knew that folic acid prevents birth defects, 63 (55%) knew the critical time to take folic acid, and 76 (67%) identified at least one source of folic acid. After participating in the education events, 136 women (85%) reported planning to eat more folate and/or folic acid-rich foods. Although general folic acid awareness is fairly high, health promotion efforts must be coordinated at community locations serving Latina women to share folic acid's specific protective effects in the prevention of NTDs, the critical timing of intake, and its food and supplement sources.

Understanding choice of milk and bread for breakfast among Swedish children aged 11-15 years: an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

The present study examined the influences of attitudes, social norms, perceived control and underlying beliefs on 11 to 15-year-olds' breakfast choices of milk with different fat content and high-fibre bread. All pupils in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades in Mölndal community (N=1730), Sweden, were asked to complete a questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Two weeks later, they were asked to fill in a 7-day record of food consumed for breakfast. Consumption of milk and high-fibre bread was predicted from intentions, and for milk also by perceived behavioural control. Intentions were influenced by attitudes, perceptions of significant others' preferences, and perceived control. In addition, perception of the parents' consumption (descriptive norm) of the specific food played an important role. Attitudes, norms and perceived control predicted intentions to a similar extent in each age group. Attitudes to the consumption of milk and high fibre bread were influenced by beliefs about their sensory and health aspects. Females and the oldest children had greater knowledge about the healthier alternatives and the oldest children had a tendency to choose healthier options.

Theory of Reasoned Action predicts milk consumption in women

OBJECTIVE

To determine the factors influencing the consumption or avoidance of milk in women.

SUBJECTS/SETTING

One hundred women completed food frequency questionnaires and a milk attitudes questionnaire framed within the Theory of Reasoned Action and performed sensory evaluations of different milk samples.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Differences among milk types were assessed using 2-way analysis of variance and least-significant-difference mean comparison procedures. Correlation and multiple regression analyses, and standardized partial regression coefficients, were used to determine the contribution of each component of the model in predicting behavior.

RESULTS

Mean age of the 100 subjects was 39 years (range = 20-70 years). Milk consumption among subjects was low; 23 subjects indicated that they seldom or never drank milk. Data from the dairy frequency questionnaire showed that the primary milk for 42%, 36%, 27%, and 18% of the milk drinkers was skim, 2%, 1%, and whole, respectively (subjects could indicate more than 1 type of milk consumed). The Theory of Reasoned Action indicated that health and familiarity belief items were most associated with attitudes toward milk consumption. Skim milk had significantly lower scores for taste and texture belief items than 1%, 2%, and whole milk (P < .05), yet more subjects reported that they drank skim milk (42%) than the other milk types. Sensory evaluation demonstrated that subjects linked whole milk significantly more than skim milk (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS/APPLICATIONS

Some people continue to consume skim milk for reasons other than beliefs about taste and texture or actual sensory preference. This study identifies important factors contributing to milk consumption such as beliefs, attitudes, and sensory evaluation, which can be used to develop a specific framework in which to examine other components of milk consumption behavior.

Cognitive antecedents of consumers' willingness to purchase fish rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)

A sample of UK consumers (N = 311) was interviewed in order to identify the attitudinal, cognitive and involvement characteristics of probable early adopters of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) fed fish. Attitude to fish significantly influenced PUFA fish, premium price PUFA fish, PUFA salmon, PUFA eel and PUFA sturgeon purchase. Involvement in healthy eating influenced PUFA fish, premium price PUFA fish and PUFA salmon purchase. Cognitive style did not influence PUFA fish and premium price PUFA fish purchase; nor, contrary to earlier research, did cognitive style and involvement interact to influence intended PUFA fish purchases.