Food Consumption Behavior of Pakistani Students Living in China: The Role of Food Safety and Health Consciousness in the Wake of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Using the Theory of Perceived Value to Determine the Willingness to Consume Foods from a Healthy Brand: The Role of Health Consciousness

Eating low amounts of healthy foods leads to high rates of diet-related diseases. How can we control and reduce the increase in these diseases? One of the recommendations is to improve nutritional competence, which means greater health consciousness. The objective of the present study is to determine the influence of health consciousness on the dimensions of perceived value and their impact on the willingness to consume foods from a healthy brand. Through a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and explanatory study, the responses of 518 participants (men and women) who confirmed being consumers of the healthy brands of food were analyzed. The study included adults aged from 18 to 58 years recruited using non-probability sampling. Data was collected using a self-report form and statistically analyzed using Smart PLS. The findings support that health awareness positively and significantly influences perceived quality value, perceived financial value, perceived social value, and perceived emotional value; contrary to this, it was detected that the perceived financial value does not influence the willingness to consume foods from healthy brands. This study contributes significantly to health science by showing how the theory of perceived value predicts the intention to consume healthy brands, with health consciousness intervening in this prediction. Therefore, it is concluded that the study population that consumes healthy foods has experienced the positive impact of perceived value and reports that the factors that comprise it influence their intention to consume healthy foods.

Does knowledge and concern regarding food supplement safety affect the behavioral intention of consumers? An experimental study on the theory of reasoned action

In recent years, health crises have led consumers to make more frequent purchases of food supplements. The global food supplement market, which reached $61.20 billion in 2020, is estimated to reach $163.12 billion by 2022 and $350.96 billion by 2032. However, many consumers still have concerns about the safety of food supplements. Within the scope of the research, firstly, the health consciousness (HC) level of food supplement consumers was determined. Secondly, food safety knowledge (FSK) and food safety concerns (FSCs) were measured. Thirdly, consumers' attitudes (ATUs), subjective norms (SNs), and behavioral intentions (BIs) toward food supplements were determined within the scope of the theory of reasoned action. The study used a convenient sampling, and 327 participants were included in the sample population. The data for the analysis was collected using the online survey method in the third quarter of 2023. The relationships between hypothesized items in the structural model were tested using the Smart-PLS. The validity and reliability of the measurement model were evaluated at the start of the structural equation modelling approach using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Regression analyses were performed in the structural model phase to evaluate overall fit and suggested relationships by way of the Smart-PLS. In light of the findings, it was determined that the interaction between HC and ATU was mediated by FSK, and the interaction between HC and the SN was mediated by FSK. Consequently, this research presents a variety of theoretical and practical implications to give clues for consumers' health regarding food supplement consumption.

Food Insecurity among International Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the measures imposed to control it have impacted food security globally, particularly among vulnerable populations. Food insecurity, in turn, has repercussions on health, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities. This scoping review maps the literature describing associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity among migrants, with a particular view toward health. A total of 909 papers were extracted through four electronic databases, and 46 studies were included. The migrant populations described originated mainly from Latin America (11/46) and were located in North America (21/46). Most studies included refugees and asylum seekers (20/46). The main challenges described were financial hardship (28/46), the effect of migrants' documentation status on using public food aid (13/46), and the suspension of or reduction in humanitarian assistance due to the economic recession (7/46). The impact of food insecurity on migrants' mental and physical health was described in 26 of the 46 studies. Authorities in all destination countries should focus their attention and efforts into ensuring nutrition security for migrants in a holistic way, including their economic and legal integration, to be better prepared for health crises in the future.

Employees buying organic food intention: An extension of the theory of planned behavior

A gradual increase in population and urbanization has increased the demand for global resources, which ultimately burdens the depletion of resources and challenges environmental sustainability worldwide. In recent decades, nature sustainability has been the biggest challenge encountered by humankind. In addition, the changing lifestyle and consumption patterns have enormously played a key role. However, the consumption pattern from the employee’s perspective suffers from the lack of research. Therefore, grounded on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this research explores the antecedents and consequences of employees’ buying intentions in the world’s emerging market (China). Data were collected using a web-based link shared via WeChat and Q.Q.; resultants into 451 valid responses and partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 have been administered for the analysis. Besides the insignificant effect of descriptive norms on buying intention and environmental concerns on purchasing behavior, other factors significantly impact purchase intention and actual buying behavior. This research witnesses a significant mediating role of buying intention. This research suggests that practitioners (i.e., marketers, government, policymakers, and environmental focus companies) develop strategies for public advertisement and launch a general message and campaigns both in urban and rural areas to prevent environmental sustainability and increases awareness related to organic consumption.

What Attributes of Meat Substitutes Matter Most to Consumers? The Role of Sustainability Education and the Meat Substitutes Perceptions

Given the rising environmental, health, and food safety concerns, the advantages of meat substitutes are garnering increased attention. Applying the extended theory of planned behavior, this study explored what aspects of meat substitutes positively influence consumer purchase intention associated with attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control. In addition, the level of consumers’ education in sustainability was analyzed for its potential moderating effect within the proposed model. A total of 319 responses obtained from Korean consumers were used. The analysis results revealed that the health attributes of meat substitutes improved consumer attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control. The environmental attributes enhanced consumer attitude and behavioral control but had no significant effect on subjective norms. Further, subjective norms led to a positive attitude, and attitude and behavioral controls positively improved meat substitutes’ purchase intention. Our analysis revealed that sustainability education significantly enhanced the positive relationship between behavioral control and purchase intention. This study provides an integrative framework that allows for a systematic understanding of consumer responses regarding meat substitutes. Our model may be useful in exploring other influential attributes of meat substitutes that can lead to more positive consumer responses and ultimately enhance consumption.

COVID-19 Vaccination Behavior Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Pakistan: The Theory of Planned Behavior, Perceived Susceptibility, and Anticipated Regret

Healthcare workers in Pakistan are still fighting at the frontline to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and have been identified as the earliest beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccination by the health authorities of the country. Besides, the high vaccination rates of frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) are essential to overcome the ongoing pandemic and reduce the vaccines hesitancy among the general population. The current research employed the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination behavior among FHWs in Pakistan as well as the predictors of such behavior. Following the epidemic control and prevention policies, a sample of 680 FHWs were accessed to fill in the questionnaire evaluating the components of the TPB. Moreover, the potential role of anticipated regret (AR) and perceived susceptibility (PS) on COVID-19 vaccination behavior was also assessed. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results revealed that the TPB components, as well as the AR, have positive associations with the COVID-19 vaccination behavior. The results further confirmed that PS positively affects the anticipated regret, attitude (ATT), and subjective norm (SN) to vaccinate against SARS-CoV-2. The perceived susceptibility also has a positive association with COVID-19 vaccination behavior through the mediation of anticipated regret, ATT, and SN. Our findings highlighted the importance of COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers, which can be applied to reduce vaccine hesitancy among the general public.

Digital Technology, Knowledge Level, and Food Safety Governance: Implications for National Healthcare System

Exploring the intrinsic relationship between digital technology and the efficiency of food safety supervision contributes to a better understanding of the role of digital technology in food safety supervision and how to maximize its influence. This study employed sample data from 31 regions in China between 2015 and 2017 for an empirical analysis of the correlation between the two and to examine the moderating effects of the knowledge levels of food producers and consumers. The results show that the development of digital technology contributes to enhancing the efficiency of food safety supervision. In this process, the higher the knowledge level of consumers, the greater the positive promotional effect of digital technology. On the contrary, when the knowledge level of producers is higher, it is not conducive to enhancing the effect of digital technology on the efficiency of food safety supervision. The author holds the view that this is related to the fact that employees in the food production and manufacturing industry have insufficient moral and legal knowledge. This not only limits the effect of digital technology on enhancing the efficiency of food safety supervision, but also opens the door to illegal production for some unprincipled producers. The policy implications are that digital technology should be used to improve food safety supervision, the moral and legal knowledge of food producers should be improved, and consumers should be encouraged to use digital technology more in the pursuit of food safety. Implications for national healthcare system would be also discussed in our paper.

Investigating the Determinants of Greek Households Food Waste Prevention Behaviour

Food waste prevention is globally an urgent policy priority. Multiple studies have demonstrated that in the developed world, households are the main producers of food waste along the food supply chain, being responsible for about half of the edible food wasted. This study aims to analyse consumers’ food waste behaviour and identify the factors that influence food waste generation in Greek households. A survey of 921 Greek households was conducted using a structured questionnaire based on the explanatory framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, which is currently the most widely used cognitive model in environmental psychology. The study investigated the validity of relations between the main model parameters (attitude towards food waste, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intention, and self-reported behaviour), in addition to knowledge regarding food waste prevention, general environmental knowledge, planning and shopping habits and demographic characteristics. Results demonstrated that food waste prevention Intention and food provisioning habits are direct determinants of food waste generation Behaviour. Intention was predominantly determined by General Environmental Attitude, followed by Perceived Behavioural Control, Attitude towards Food Waste, and Consequences/Outcomes of waste prevention, while Subjective Norms did not exert a statistically significant influence, indicating that formal and informal environmental education can positively influence food waste prevention behaviour through a combination of experiential actions and instruction. The findings of the study can inform policymaking and support the development of effective campaigns for food waste prevention at the consumption stage.