The purpose of the study was to empirically investigate the extent to which consumption values influence consumers’ healthy eating choices. By using the theory of consumption values, the study also attempts to explain the role of healthy food awareness as a moderating variable in consumers’ healthy eating choices. The quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaire from 320 participants. The data were analyzed by using structured equation modeling. The results revealed that consumers’ healthy eating choices are strongly linked to emotional and epistemic values. The study also found a positive relationship between conditional value and consumers’ healthy eating choices. In addition, healthy food awareness acts as a moderator between epistemic value and healthy eating choices. This study adds to the literature on consumption values and elevates new insights of value for the health and wellness food industry. The study concluded that consumers, in general, consume healthy products for epistemic, conditional, and emotional reasons. Consumers feel good with positive emotions, such as pleasure, adding that the search for different healthy foods and discount rates or promotions encourages consumers to buy healthy foods instead of conventional foods. The moderating effect of healthy food awareness and its relation to eating choices may help food regulatory policies to improve health in different cultural contexts. The findings of this study will help food marketers and food policy makers to identify the information about consumers’ personal values and to establish awareness about healthy food.
Keywords: consumption values, eating choices, healthy food awarenessAmuna, P., & Zotor, F. B. (2008). Epidemiological and nutrition transition in developing countries: iImpact on human health and development: The epidemiological and nutrition transition in developing countries: Evolving trends and their impact in public health and human development. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 67(1), 82-–90.
Ataey, A., Jafarvand, E., Adham, D., & Moradi-Asl, E. (2020). The relationship between obesity, overweight, and the human development index in world health organization eEastern mMediterranean region countries. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 53(2), 98.
Baglione, S. L., Tucci, L. A., & Stanton, J. L. (2012). Self-reported nutritional knowledge and the acceptance of health-related food benefit claims. British Food Journal, 114(4), 453-–468.
Bei, L.-T., & Simpson, E. M. (1995). The determinants of consumers` purchase decisions for recycled products: aAn application of acquisition-transaction utility theory. ACR North American Advances.
Biswas, A., & Roy, M. (2015a). Green products: aAn exploratory study on the consumer behavior in emerging economies of the East. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 463-–468.
Biswas, A., & Roy, M. (2015b). Leveraging factors for sustained green consumption behavior based on consumption value perceptions: tTesting the structural model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 95, 332-–340.
Block, L. G., Grier, S. A., Childers, T. L., Davis, B., Ebert, J. E., Kumanyika, S., . Peracchio, L. (2011). From nutrients to nurturance: A conceptual introduction to food well-being. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 30(1), 5-–13.
Bokhari, A. (2015). GM foods: fFears and prospects. . http://www.dawn.com/news/749874/gm-food-fears-and-prospects
Bouwman, L. I., Te Molder, H., Koelen, M. M., & Van Woerkum, C. M. (2009). I eat healthfully but I am not a freak. Consumers’ everyday life perspective on healthful eating. Appetite, 53(3), 390-–398.
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sage fFocus eEditions, 154, 136-–136. Bublitz, M. G., Peracchio, L. A., Andreasen, A. R., Kees, J., Kidwell, B., Miller, E. G., . Scott, M. L. (2013). Promoting positive change: Advancing the food well-being paradigm. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1211-–1218.
Cannuscio, C. C., Hillier, A., Karpyn, A., & Glanz, K. (2014). The social dynamics of healthy food shopping and store choice in an urban environment. Social Science & Medicine, 122, 13-–20.
Carlsson-Kanyama, A., & González, A. D. (2009). Potential contributions of food consumption patterns to climate change. The American jJournal of cClinical nNutrition, 89(5), 1704S-–1709S.
Cătoiu, I., Vrânceanu, D. M., & Filip, A. (2010). Setting fair prices–—fFundamental principle of sustainable marketing. Amfiteatru Economic jJournal, 12(27), 115-–128.
Cheng, J. M.-S., Lin, J. Y.-C., & Wang, E. S.-T. (2010). Value creation through service cues: tThe case of the restaurant industry in Taiwan. Services Marketing Quarterly, 31(2), 133-–150.
Chi, Y., Yu, C., Qi, X., & Xu, H. (2018). Knowledge management in healthcare sustainability: a smart healthy diet assistant in traditional chinese medicine culture. Sustainability, 10(11), 4197.
de la Torre Díez, I., Garcia-Zapirain, B., López-Coronado, M., Rodrigues, J. J., & del Pozo Vegas, C. (2017). A new mHealth app for monitoring and awareness of healthy eating: Development and user evaluation by sSpanish users. Journal of mMedical sSystems, 41(7), 109.
Duffy, E. W., Kay, M. C., Jacquier, E. F., Catellier, D., Hampton, J., Anater, A. S., & Story, M. (2019). Trends in food consumption patterns of US infants and toddlers from Feeding Infants and Toddlers Studies (FITS) in 2002, 2008, 2016. Nutrients, 11(11), 2807.
Dutt, S., Keyte, R., Egan, H., Hussain, M., & Mantzios, M. (2019). Healthy and unhealthy eating amongst stressed students: Considering the influence of mindfulness on eating choices and consumption. Health Psychology Report, 7(2), 113-–120.
Finch, J. E. (2006). The impact of personal consumption values and beliefs on organic food purchase behavior. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 11(4), 63-–76.
Flint, D. J., Woodruff, R. B., & Gardial, S. F. (1997). Customer value change in industrial marketing relationships: a call for new strategies and research. Industrial mMarketing mManagement, 26(2), 163-–175.
Geneva. (2013). Follow-up to the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases; . Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Assembly; . Retrieved 26 January 26, 2014, from http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_R10-en.pdf.
Giampietri, E., Finco, A., & Del Giudice, T. (2016). Exploring consumers’ behavior towards short food supply chains. British Food Journal, 118(3), 618-–631.
Gonçalves, H. M., Lourenço, T. F., & Silva, G. M. (2016). Green buying behavior and the theory of consumption values: A fuzzy-set approach. Journal of Business Research, 69(4), 1484-–1491.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. . (1998). Multivariate data analysis 5.
Han, L., Wang, S., Zhao, D., & Li, J. (2017). The intention to adopt electric vehicles: Driven by functional and non-functional values. Transportation Research Part A: Policy
Practice, 103, 185-–197.
Hansen, T., Sørensen, M. I., & Eriksen, M.-L. R. (2018). How the interplay between consumer motivations and values influences organic food identity and behavior. Food Policy, 74, 39-–52.
Health, M. O. (2013). Health loss in New Zealand: A report from the New Zealand burden of diseases, injuries and risk factors study, 2006–2016. In: Ministry of Health Wellington.
Ilyas, F. (2015). Eating out: tThe fault in our food. http://tribune.com.pk/story/912988/eating-out-the-fault-in-our-food
Jafar, T., Levey, A., White, F., Gul, A., Jessani, S., Khan, A., . . . …Chaturvedi, N. (2004). Ethnic differences and determinants of diabetes and central obesity among South Asians of Pakistan. Diabetic mMedicine, 21(7), 716-–723.
Kalafatis, S. P., Pollard, M., East, R., & Tsogas, M. H. (1999). Green marketing and Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour: a A cross-market examination. Journal of cConsumer mMarketing, 16(5), 441-–460.
Kang, J., Jun, J., & Arendt, S. W. (2015). Understanding customers’ healthy food choices at casual dining restaurants: Using the Vvalue–Aattitude–Bbehavior model. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 48, 12-–21.
Kaufmann, H. R., Panni, M. F. A. K., & Orphanidou, Y. (2012). Factors affecting consumers` green purchasing behavior: An integrated conceptual framework. Amfiteatru Economic Journal, 14(31), 50-–69.
Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. jJournal of mMarketing, 57(1), 1-–22.
Khan, R. S. (2013). What Yyou Eeat. http://www.dawn.com/news/782182/watch-what-you-eat
Krystallis, A., & Chryssohoidis, G. (2005). Consumers` willingness to pay for organic food: Factors that affect it and variation per organic product type. British Food Journal, 107(5), 320-–343.
Lease, H., MacDonald, D. H., & Cox, D. (2014). Consumers’ acceptance of recycled water in meat products: The influence of tasting, attitudes and values on hedonic and emotional reactions. Food qQuality & pPreference, 37, 35-–44.
Lim, S. S., Vos, T., Flaxman, A. D., Danaei, G., Shibuya, K., Adair-Rohani, H., . . . …Andrews, K. G. (2012). A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990–2010: a A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The lLancet, 380(9859), 2224-–2260.
Lin, P.-C., & Huang, Y.-H. (2012). The influence factors on choice behavior regarding green products based on the theory of consumption values. Journal of Cleaner Production, 22(1), 11-–18.
Magnusson, M. K., Arvola, A., Hursti, U.-K. K., Åberg, L., & Sjödén, P.-O. (2003). Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Appetite, 40(2), 109-–117.
Ng, M., Fleming, T., Robinson, M., Thomson, B., Graetz, N., Margono, C., . . . …Abera, S. F. (2014). Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The lLancet, 384(9945), 766-–781.
Padel, S., & Foster, C. (2005). Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour: Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food. British fFood jJournal, 107(8), 606-–625.
Perrea, T., Grunert, K. G., & Krystallis, A. (2015). Consumer value perceptions of food products from emerging processing technologies: A cross-cultural exploration. Food Quality & Preference, 39, 95-–108.
Perrini, F., Castaldo, S., Misani, N., & Tencati, A. (2010). The impact of corporate social responsibility associations on trust in organic products marketed by mainstream retailers: a A study of Italian consumers. JBusiness Strategy and the Environment, 19(8), 512-–526.
Pihlström, M., & Brush, G. (2008). Comparing the perceived value of information and entertainment mobile services. Psychology & Marketing, 25(8), 732-–755.
Povey, R., Conner, M., Sparks, P., James, R., & Shepherd, R. (1998). Interpretations of healthy and unhealthy eating, and implications for dietary change. Health Education Research, 13(2), 171-–183.
Qasim, H., Yan, L., Guo, R., Saeed, A., & Ashraf, B. N. (2019). The Ddefining Rrole of Eenvironmental Sself-Iidentity among Cconsumption Vvalues and Bbehavioral Iintention to Cconsume Oorganic Ffood. International jJournal of eEnvironmental rResearch and pPublic hHealth, 16(7), 1106.
Rana, J., & Paul, J. (2017). Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: A review and research agenda. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 157-–165.
Rathi, N., Riddell, L., & Worsley, A. (2017). Food consumption patterns of adolescents aged 14–16 years in Kolkata, India. Nutrition jJournal, 16(1), 1-–12.
Rex, E., & Baumann, H. (2007). Beyond ecolabels: wWhat green marketing can learn from conventional marketing. Journal of cCleaner pProduction, 15(6), 567-–576.
Saeed, M. (2015). Healthy living: Farmers markets come to Pakistan. https://tribune.com.pk/story/895366/healthy-living-farmers-markets-come-to-pakistan
Saxena, R., & Khandelwal, P. K. (2010). Can green marketing be used as a tool for sustainable growth?: A study performed on consumers in India-—An emerging economy.
Schifferstein, H. N., & Ophuis, P. A. O. (1998). Health-related determinants of organic food consumption in the Netherlands. Food qQuality & Preference, 9(3), 119-–133.
Shamdasani, P., Chon-Lin, G. O., & Richmond, D. (1993). Exploring green consumers in an oriental culture: rRole of personal and marketing mix factors. ACR North American Advances.
Sheth, J. N., Newman, B. I., & Gross, B. L. (1991). Why we buy what we buy: A theory of consumption values. Journal of bBusiness rResearch, 22(2), 159-–170.
Sonnenberg, L., Gelsomin, E., Levy, D. E., Riis, J., Barraclough, S., & Thorndike, A. N. (2013). A traffic light food labeling intervention increases consumer awareness of health and healthy choices at the point-of-purchase. Preventive mMedicine, 57(4), 253-–257.
Stevens, G. A., Singh, G. M., Lu, Y., Danaei, G., Lin, J. K., Finucane, M. M., . . . …Cowan, M. (2012). National, regional, and global trends in adult overweight and obesity prevalences. Population hHealth mMetrics, 10(1), 22.
Suki, N. M. (2016). Consumer environmental concern and green product purchase in Malaysia: sStructural effects of consumption values. Journal of Cleaner Production, 132, 204-–214.
Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. (2001). Consumer perceived value: The development of a multiple item scale. Journal of rRetailing, 77(2), 203-–220.
Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2001). Consumer perceived value: The development of a multiple item scale. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), 203-–220.
Thomé, K. M., Pinho, G. d. M., Fonseca, D. P., & Soares, A. B. P. (2016). Consumers’ luxury value perception in the Brazilian premium beer market. International jJournal of wWine bBusiness rResearch, 28(4), 369-–386.
Thomé, K. M., Pinho, G. M., & Hoppe, A. (2019). Consumption values and physical activities: cConsumers’ healthy eating choices. British Food Journal, 121(2), 590-–602.
Xiao, G., & Kim, J. O. (2009). The investigation of Chinese consumer values, consumption values, life satisfaction, and consumption behaviors. Psychology & mMarketing, 26(7), 610-–624.