Impact of Consumer Health Awareness on Dairy Product Purchase Behavior during the COVID-19 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.

Breaking Conventional Eating Habits: Perception and Acceptance of 3D-Printed Food among Taiwanese University Students

Considering the prevalent strain on environmental resources imparted by existing food systems, prioritizing environmental sustainability is an imperative course of action. Subsequently, the shift towards sustainable production and consumption patterns engenders an escalating demand for environmentally conscious food systems. Thus, 3D-printed food technology surfaces are a promising solution noted for their efficacy in curtailing food waste, bolstering environmental sustainability, and imparting innovative strategies to the food supply chain. Herein, we amalgamate the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework with several variables, namely 'sensory appeal', 'food neophobia', 'perceived health risk', and 'environmental friendliness' to probe the behavioral intentions of Taiwanese university students' perceptions about 3D-printed food. Employing the snowball sampling method, 370 questionnaires were disseminated, out of which 319, constituting an effective retrieval rate of 86.2%, were deemed valid. Statistical analysis produced intriguing findings. Consumers' inclination to purchase 3D-printed food is substantially determined by their attitudes, subjective norms, sensory appeal, food neophobia, perceived health risks, and environmental friendliness. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, perceived behavioral control did not exhibit a significant impact on consumers' propensity to purchase 3D-printed food. Therefore, businesses should focus on magnifying the sensory appeal of 3D-printed food, coupled with precise nutritional labeling, to bolster consumer interest, enhance acceptance, and augment behavioral intentions. This study sheds light on the potential for the development of 3D-printed food in Taiwan, providing an indispensable reference for future endeavors in Taiwan's 3D-printed food industry.

A 30-year trend of dairy consumption and its determinants among income groups in Iranian households

Introduction

Milk and dairy products provide essential nutrients and have the potential to prevent chronic diseases, thus reducing healthcare costs. However, there is a lack of consistent and updated data on dairy consumption trends in Iran. This study aims to analyze the trends in dairy consumption among Iranian households from 1991 to 2021, focusing on household-level determinants across different expense groups.

Methods

The study uses data from the Iranian Household Expenditure and Income Survey conducted annually from 1991 to 2021 to analyze households' dairy consumption. The data includes values and expenses of food and non-food items purchased in the previous month, as well as demographic characteristics of household members. The households were categorized into 10 deciles based on their gross expense. The econometric model used weighted mean per capita milk, yogurt, cheese, and total dairy consumption based on milk equivalent for each decile. The model takes into account changes in income, prices, household composition, education level, occupation, and residency area using panel data. Data preparation and model estimation were performed using RStudio and STATA17 software.

Results

Based on the findings, in 1991, per capita milk, yogurt, and cheese consumption were 26.77 kg, 16.63 kg, and 2.42 kg, respectively. By 2021, these figures changed to 22.68 kg, 11.06 kg, and 3.79 kg, reflecting a decrease in milk and yogurt consumption but an increase in cheese consumption. Family size was positively correlated with yogurt consumption and head of the household spouse's job score were positively correlated with milk, yogurt and cheese consumption. Also, the presence of under five-year-old children and older adults members (over the age of 60) in the household was inversely related with yogurt and cheese consumption. Female-headed households tended to purchase more cheese, while their milk purchase level was significantly lower. Residing in urban areas was negatively related to milk, while cheese and total dairy consumption was higher in urban areas.

Discussion

The findings highlight the importance of targeted dairy subsidy interventions and educational programs to improve dairy consumption in Iranian households, especially among vulnerable groups. This will require urging policymakers and food system stakeholders for effective strategies that address macro-level factors to promote dairy consumption.

Are non-competitors greener? The effect of consumer awareness differences on green food consumption

Introduction

Green consumption plays a crucial role in mitigating environmental degradation. Governments and corporations are actively fostering the growth of green consumption. The escalating environmental issues have awakened consumers' environmental and competitive awareness, which significantly aids in increasing the probability of green food consumption.

Methods

This study, based on the Self-Consistency Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, constructs a model to analyze the effects of consumer competitive and environmental awareness on green food purchase intentions. Data from 700 consumer surveys were examined through structural equation modeling.

Results

Findings indicate that while consumer competitive awareness negatively impacts green self-efficacy and perceived control, environmental awareness has a positive effect. Green self-efficacy and perceived control both positively influence green food purchase intentions. Notably, competitive awareness has a more substantial negative impact on perceived control compared to green self-efficacy. In contrast, the positive influence of environmental awareness on green self-efficacy is stronger than on perceived control. Moreover, the effect of green self-efficacy on green food purchase intention is more pronounced than that of perceived control.

Discussion

Strategies like enhancing media publicity, educational initiatives, and improving purchase convenience can increase consumer purchase intentions. This study offers valuable insights for governments and businesses in understanding consumer psychology in green food consumption, aiding in marketing strategies for green food products.

COVID-19 epidemic lockdown-induced remarkable decrease in dairy products consumption of Iran population: does it really matter? National Food and Nutrition Surveillance

Background

The pandemic of the newly emerged coronavirus infection and its related disease, Covid-19, has influenced various aspects of human life including dietary habits. This study aimed to examine changes in dairy products consumption during Covid-19 lockdown period in a huge sample of Iranian households.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study using a web-based electronic self-administered questionnaire designed to detect any changes in the consumption frequency of dairy products in the Iranian households during Covid-19 lockdown.

Results

A total of 21,290 households were enrolled. During Covid-19 epidemic lockdown, about 29%, 26% and 7% of the households had decreased their consumption frequency of milk, yogurt and cheese, respectively. The female-headed households were 21% more likely to decrease their consumption of milk, compared with male-headed households (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05–1.4). The households residing in food insecure provinces were 29%, 20% and 45% more likely to decrease their consumption of milk, yogurt and cheese as compared with those living in the food secure provinces. About 37%, 25.3%, 19.4% of those households who reported a decrease in consumption of dairy products had fully omitted them.

Conclusion

We found considerable decrement of dairy products consumption, especially milk and yogurt, in a high proportion of the studied households. Inadequate intake and, in some households, omission of dairy products can potentially bring about serious health outcomes with heavier economic burden. Further studies to track these changes over time and to evaluate their health consequences are warranted.

The Effectiveness of Product Sustainability Claims to Mitigate Negative Electronic Word of Mouth (N-eWOM)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of negative electronic word-of-mouth (N-eWOM) messages on attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control (PBC), and the intention to purchase sustainable dairy products. This study also investigates the moderating role of product sustainability claims to reduce the effect of N-eWOM on customers. It comprises two experiments on college students (n = 120; 90) who have at least two accounts on different social media platforms. We use both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The model was developed and tested on data collected from questionnaires. The results of Study 1 suggest that N-eWOM reduces purchase intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC. High N-eWOM reduces purchase intention more than the low N-eWOM. Study 2 found that with high N-eWOM, product sustainability claims (congruent or incongruent) moderate the effect of N-eWOM on attitudes, subjective norms, PBC, and purchase intention. Purchase intention is higher when a product sustainability claim is congruent. These novel findings contribute to our understanding of ways to mitigate the impact of N-eWOM by taking preventive actions, such as making product sustainability claims.