Explaining Chinese Consumers' Green Food Purchase Intentions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour

Psychological Determinants of Healthy Food Purchase Intention: An Integrative Model Based on Health Consciousness

Background/Objectives: Health consciousness has emerged as a key driver of healthy food purchase decisions in the post-pandemic era. Despite growing interest in health-oriented products, the psychological mechanisms through which health consciousness influences purchase intentions remain understudied. This research examined how health consciousness impacts healthy food purchase intentions through multiple psychological pathways, integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior with additional constructs. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey of 573 Peruvian consumers. Healthy foods were operationalized based on their nutritional quality, including a high nutrient content, low saturated fats and added sugars levels, and minimal processing. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized relationships between health consciousness, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, self-identity, moral norms, and purchase intention. Results: Health consciousness demonstrated significant direct effects on all psychological mediators (attitudes: β = 0.643; perceived behavioral control: β = 0.593; self-identity: β = 0.638; moral norms: β = 0.613) and purchase intention (β = 0.163). However, only perceived behavioral control (β = 0.261) and self-identity (β = 0.107) significantly influenced the purchase intention, while the effects of attitudes and moral norms were non-significant. Conclusions: The findings challenge traditional assumptions about the primacy of attitudes in consumer decision making and highlight the importance of perceived behavioral control and self-identity in translating health consciousness into purchase intentions. Successfully promoting healthy food consumption requires strategies addressing both practical barriers and identity-related aspects of food choice, providing valuable insights for food marketers and public health initiatives.

Addressing concerns about sustainability and animal welfare: Investigating consumers' adoption and behavioral intention towards plant-based eggs

This study aimed to address the concerns regarding sustainability and animal welfare that have led to egg shortages. By examining consumer adoption and purchase intention towards plant-based eggs as a viable alternative, this study identifies the key factors influencing consumer interest. The study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) frameworks. Data from 239 responses were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0. The results highlight the significant impact of intrinsic food value and sensory appeal on purchase intention. Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control mediate the relationship between food value and purchase intention. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for food industry professionals by enabling them to develop targeted strategies. Moreover, this study emphasizes plant-based eggs as a sustainable and health-conscious solution to egg shortages, thereby promoting overall industry sustainability.

Low Carbon Sustainable Diet Choices-An Analysis of the Driving Factors behind Plant-Based Egg Purchasing Behavior

In the face of escalating climate change, environmental pollution, and global crises, plant-based eggs are a viable solution for environmental conservation and health promotion. This study uses an integrated framework combining value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore the factors influencing Taiwanese consumers' inclination towards plant-based eggs. Through convenience sampling, 417 questionnaires were issued and 387 valid responses were received, indicating a 92.8% valid response rate. The analysis indicates that consumers' biospheric and altruistic values significantly enhance their awareness of outcomes, which, coupled with their sense of responsibility, strengthens personal norms. From the TPB perspective, perceived behavioral control is identified as a critical driver of the intention to purchase plant-based eggs, with attitudes and subjective norms playing significant roles. Subjective norms positively impact personal norms, thereby influencing consumers' behavioral intentions. The findings confirm the integrated model's theoretical and practical validity, and offer valuable insights for businesses. By developing adept marketing strategies that consider market dynamics, this study enhances the effectiveness and value of marketing efforts by boosting consumers' engagement with plant-based eggs. These insights contribute to advancing environmental sustainability goals.

Pandemic-induced changes in household-level food diversity and diet quality in the U.S

Using household-level U.S. food-purchase data, this study investigates pandemic-induced changes in two measures of diet quality, a Berry Index that measures food diversity and a USDAScore that measures adherence to dietary guidelines. Using NielsenIQ consumer panel data and a total of XXX households that neither moved location nor left the panel from 2018 through 2020, we estimate an event-study model where each household's diet quality measures before and during the pandemic period are compared against the same households' scores one year prior. In the two-to-three months following pandemic-based school closures, which spanned the March-June 2020 period, depending on the specific U.S. state, we find modest increases in food diversity (of up to 2.6 percent compared to the prior year) for the Berry Index and larger temporary increases (of up to 8.5 percent) in diet quality as measured by the USDAScore. We also find that households with different demographic characteristics generally follow the same patters; however, households with young children, low-income households, and households that do not own a vehicle exhibit smaller increases.

Ethnocentrism and place identity in the consumption of local products

Research on the consumption of local products is essential to promote sustainability, boost local economies, and preserve cultural identity. Although a positive relationship has been demonstrated between attitude towards local products and consumption determinants, the role of the former as a mediator has not been sufficiently explored. This study examines how the attitude towards local products mediates between consumer ethnocentrism and consumption intention, as well as between place identity and consumption intention. A total of 1325 wine and cheese consumers in the Canary Islands were surveyed using a moderated mediation model, applying PLS-SEM. The results indicate that attitude towards local products mediates the aforementioned relationships but does not moderate them according to the type of local product. Consequently, marketing strategies should focus on the emotional and cultural connection that consumers establish with local products, highlighting their value in terms of identity and belonging.

How Social Identity Affects Green Food Purchase Intention: The Serial Mediation Effect of Green Perceived Value and Psychological Distance

As the global population continues to grow, the impact of environmental damage and resource depletion has been severely increased. In this context, green food gains tremendous potential as a sustainable solution. This study establishes a model framework around social identity, psychological distance, green perceived value, and purchase intention from the perspective of social identity to explore the impact the social group has on individual green food purchase intention. Data from 497 questionnaires collected in China were validated using SPSS26 and SmartPLS4. The results demonstrated that the model exhibited excellent explanatory power for psychological distance (R2 = 47.5%), green perceived value (R2 = 48.2%), and purchase intention of green food (R2 = 54.7%). Path analysis showed that social identity, psychological distance, and green perceived value significantly positively affected green food purchase intention. The results also show that social identity significantly positively affected psychological distance and green perceived value, while psychological distance has a significant positive influence on green perceived value. Additionally, it is concluded that psychological distance and green perceived value have significant mediating and serial mediating effects on social identity and green food purchase intention. These findings bridge the research gap concerning consumers' green food purchase intention from a group perspective, thereby offering great insights for the formulation of sustainable policies. Furthermore, the study provides both theoretical and practical implications for the expansion of the green food consumption market.

The influence of green finance availability to retailers on purchase intention: a consumer perspective with the moderating role of consciousness

As the global warming crisis is increasing daily, it is crucial to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint generated by activities like the production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services. This empirical study has looked at one approach through which environment-friendly production and consumption can be encouraged. The developed model has studied the relationship between retailers' access to green finance and consumer purchase intention of green products by incorporating the role of environmental, status, and future consciousness. Theoretical foundations for this model have been taken from the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and theory of reasoned action (TRA), which have extensively discussed the role of consciousness and societal norms while making purchase intentions. To gain insights about the purchasing behaviour of consumers, this study collected data from the Jiangsu province of China, where a non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to distribute a questionnaire to 400 respondents between February 2022 and August 2022. The collected data was analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS in order to study the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Results of this study show that retailers' access to green finance positively impacts consumer purchase intention towards green products, and adding a consciousness perspective in the model strengthens this relationship. Moreover, the theory of planned behaviour and the theory of reasoned action were validated through this study, providing insights for policymakers on the importance of promoting green finance to influence green product purchase intention. Overall, this study shows that policymakers should give green financing to retailers and environmental and future awareness to consumers to encourage environment-friendly behaviour.

A Study of Reasons for Self-Disclosure on Social Media among Chinese COVID-19 Patients: Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior Model

BACKGROUND

With a massive population of internet users, China has witnessed a shift in the behavior of social media users towards the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning from reticence to frequent sharing of information in response to changing circumstances and policy adjustments of the disease. This study aims to explore how perceived benefits, perceived risks, subjective norms, and self-efficacy influence the intentions of Chinese COVID-19 patients to disclose their medical history on social media, and thus to examine their actual disclosure behaviors.

METHODS

Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Privacy Calculus Theory (PCT), a structural equation model was constructed to analyze the influence paths among perceived benefits, perceived risks, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions to disclose medical history on social media among Chinese COVID-19 patients. A total of 593 valid surveys were collected via a randomized internet-based survey, which constituted a representative sample. Firstly, we used SPSS 26.0 to conduct reliability and validity analyses of the questionnaire, as well as the tests of demographic differences and correlations between variables. Next, Amos 26.0 was employed to construct and test the model fit degree, identify the relationships among latent variables, and conduct path tests.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed the following: (1) There were significant gender differences in the self-disclosure behaviors of medical history on social media among Chinese COVID-19 patients. (2) Perceived benefits had a positive effect on self-disclosure behavioral intentions (β = 0.412, p < 0.001); perceived risks had a positive effect on self-disclosure behavioral intentions (β = 0.097, p < 0.05); subjective norms had a positive effect on self-disclosure behavioral intentions (β = 0.218, p < 0.001); self-efficacy had a positive effect on self-disclosure behavioral intentions (β = 0.136, p < 0.001). (3) Self-disclosure behavioral intentions had a positive effect on disclosure behaviors (β = 0.356, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study, by integrating TPB and PCT to examine the influencing factors of the self-disclosure behaviors among Chinese COVID-19 patients on social media, found that perceived risks, perceived benefits, subjective norms, and self-efficacy had a positive influence on the self-disclosure intentions of Chinese COVID-19 patients. We also found that self-disclosure intentions, in turn, positively influenced disclosure behaviors. However, we did not observe a direct influence of self-efficacy on disclosure behaviors. Our study provides a sample of the application of TPB in the context of social media self-disclosure behavior among patients. It also introduces a novel perspective and potential approach for individuals to address the feelings of fear and shame related to illness, particularly within the context of collectivist cultural values.

Factors Influencing Consumers' Organic Food Continuous Purchase Intentions during the Post-Pandemic Era: An Empirical Investigation in China

During the evolutionary phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers' eating habits and spending behaviours have progressively shifted to the pursuit of the safer and healthier food products, such as organic food. Therefore, this study investigated the factors affecting Chinese buyers' organic food continuous purchase intentions (CPI) during the post-pandemic era. To better adapt to the current consumption context in China, this study proposed a modified TPB framework (M-TPB), by replacing subjective norms with Chinese cultural variables, such as face consciousness and group conformity, and adding constructs of perceived value of organic food (PVOF), health consciousness, and the impact of COVID-19 (IOC). Convincingly, experimental results from a structural equation model analysis of 460 usable responses indicate that M-TPB has superior explanatory power (R² = 65%) compared with the TPB model (R² = 40%) for explaining organic food CPI during the post-pandemic period. The path analysis demonstrated that perceived behavioural control, attitude, face consciousness, group conformity, health consciousness, IOC, and PVOF had substantial positive effects on CPI, while subjective norms were not significantly related. Moreover, IOC exhibited a positive and significant relationship with health consciousness and PVOF. These findings can be useful for stakeholders in the Chinese organic food industry to generate timely promoting strategies during the post-pandemic period.

Environmentally Responsible Purchase Intention in Pacific Alliance Countries: Geographic and Gender Evidence in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objectives of this research were: (1) to examine the influence of environmental awareness (EA), sustainable consumption (SC) and social responsibility (SR) on the environmentally responsible purchase intention (ERPI) of consumers in the member countries of the Pacific Alliance, namely, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru; and (2) to analyze whether there is a moderating effect related to the country of residence and gender of the consumer. The study was conducted under a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of 1646 consumers: 24.4% from Peru (n = 402), 25.4% from Mexico (n = 418), 26.1% from Colombia (n = 401) and 24.1% from Chile (n = 397). Data analysis and hypothesis testing were performed using a multigroup Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results show a positive influence among environmental awareness (EA), sustainable consumption (SC) and social responsibility (SR) on environmentally responsible purchase intention (ERPI). Gender and country of residence were also shown to be moderating variables in these relationships. In conclusion, it can be affirmed that the participants of this study recognize the importance of acquiring environmentally friendly products. Among them, the female population is more aware of this issue. It is recommended new business models be created to provide products and services oriented to this market according to consumers’ tastes, desires and purchasing preferences; the proposals they have should be friendly to the environment and to society.

Applying a Combination of SEM and fsQCA to Predict Tourist Resource-Saving Behavioral Intentions in Rural Tourism: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

How to save resources and protect the environment at destinations is one of the hot issues in tourism. One effective solution is to cultivate tourist resource-saving behavioral intentions (TRSBI). Prior studies mainly use Structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore its antecedents, whereas other potential methods (i.e., fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, fsQCA for short) have been less adopted. This study combines SEM and fsQCA to examine TRSBI in a rural tourism context. Specifically, SEM is executed to investigate how environmental concern influences TRSBI based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), while fsQCA is applied to uncover the multiple configurations in the TRSBI formation. The findings from SEM indicated that (1) environmental concern positively and directly influenced TRSBI; (2) TPB constructs (i.e., attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) positively and separately mediated the associations of environmental concern with TRSBI. The fsQCA outcomes showed that three configurations result in a high level of TRSBI: (1) high attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, (2) high attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and environmental concern, and (3) high attitudes toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control, and environmental concern. The combined approaches offer a systematic and holistic solution to explore TRSBI in rural tourism.

Green-Labelled Rice versus Conventional Rice: Perception and Emotion of Chinese Consumers Based on Review Mining

The COVID-19 pandemic increased public health awareness, changing consumers' sensitivity and beliefs about food health. Food anxiety and health scares turn consumers toward safe and healthy foods to strengthen their immunity, which makes green food more popular. However, it remains unclear how to understand the gap between consumer intention to purchase green food and their actual purchasing behaviour. Taking rice as an object of study, comparing differences in consumer perceptions and emotions towards green-labelled rice and conventional rice is beneficial for understanding the components and psychological characteristics of consumer perceptions of green food. Therefore, we used topic modelling and sentiment analysis to explore consumers' focus of attention, attitudinal preferences, and sentiment tendencies based on the review (n = 77,429) from JD.com. The findings revealed that (1) consumers' concerns about green-labelled rice are increasing rapidly, and most have a positive attitude; (2) consumers of green-labelled rice are more concerned about origin, aroma, and taste than conventional rice; (3) consumers of conventional rice are more concerned about the cost-performance ratio, while consumers of green-labelled rice are also price-sensitive; (4) green label mistrust and packaging breakage during logistics are the leading causes of negative emotions among consumers of green-labelled rice. This study provides a comparative analysis of consumer perceptions and emotions between the two types of rice, thus revealing the main influencing factors of the intention-behaviour gap and providing valuable consumer insights for the promotion of green consumption and the sustainable development of the green food industry.

How does risk perception of the COVID-19 pandemic affect the consumption behavior of green food?

Attention to health is on the rise with the global pandemic of COVID-19, especially in food security. Green food is viewed as a healthy, safe, and nutritious food, which plays a significant role in enhancing immunity. This study aimed to investigate how risk perception affects the consumption behavior of green food. Risk perception and health awareness were added to the original model based on the extended theory of planned behavior. And an online survey about the influence of COVID-19 on consumers' green food consumption behavior was conducted with 612 valid respondents recruited. The results indicate that risk perception has a positive effect on both consumption intention and behavior. The mediating effect analysis shows that risk perception influences green food consumption intention by improving people's attitudes, subjective norms, and health awareness. These findings can not only help clarify the relationship between green food consumption behavior and the risk perception of COVID-19 but also provide some valuable implications for policymakers and marketers in promoting green food.

Predicting sustainable food consumption across borders based on the theory of planned behavior: A meta-analytic structural equation model

Interest in sustainable food consumption has gradually increased over the previous third decades. Despite substantial studies addressing various topics connected to sustainable food consumption, little research systematically evaluates which factors influence consumers’ purchase of sustainable food. We aim to integrate preliminary findings, compare four original and extended models of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the context of sustainable food consumption, and identify measurement and situational moderators using a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. The results show that attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were most strongly positively correlated with a purchase intention (PI) of sustainable food. Furthermore, the analysis of the moderating effects revealed significant differences in the relationship between PBC and purchase behavior (PB) and between SN and PI in developing and developed countries. In addition, by comparing four original and extended TPB models, this study proposes a theoretical framework to affect customers’ PI of sustainable food. The findings of this study can be used as a foundation for company marketing and government environmental protection promotion.

NAM and TPB Approach to Consumers' Decision-Making Framework in the Context of Indoor Smart Farm Restaurants

The movement toward smart farming, which has productivity and eco-friendly roles, is emerging in the foodservice industry in the form of indoor smart farm restaurants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumer decision-making processes in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants. The investigational framework was designed around the norm activation model (NAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), with the moderating role of age. In particular, this study merged NAM and TPB to assess the effect of awareness of consumption consequences on consumers' attitudes as well as the role played by subjective norms in the formation of personal norms. Data were collected from 304 respondents in South Korea. As a result of structural equation modeling, the proposed hypotheses of causal relationships were generally supported, excluding only the relationship between subjective norm and behavioral intention. The moderating role of age was identified in the relationships between (1) subjective norm and attitude, and (2) personal norm and behavioral intention. This study presents not only theoretical contributions as the first empirical study on consumer behavior in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants but also presents practical suggestions from the perspective of green marketing.

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.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavioural intention to purchase green products

This study examined the fear of COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on consumer behavioural intention to purchase green products. The data was collected from consumers of Malaysia in hypermarkets. A total of 491 respondents were analyzed using the partial least square technique. The results indicated that the fear of the COVID-19 epidemic has a significant impact on health concerns, social media information, intolerance of uncertainty, and personal relevance, which in turn affect consumers' behavioural intention to purchase green products. With a serial mediating effect the results identified that fear of COVID-19 epidemic is associated with behavioural intention to purchase the green product. The findings of this study are crucial for understanding the swings in the green product purchase behaviour due to the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19 crisis.

Can the Part Replace the Whole? A Choice Experiment on Organic and Pesticide-Free Labels

Chemical pesticides are a serious impediment to agricultural sustainability. A large-scale reduction in their use to secure food supplies requires more innovative and flexible production systems. Pesticide-free production standards bring together the strengths of all participants in the food value chain and could be the catalyst for this transition. Using a choice experiment approach and green tea as an example, this study investigated consumers’ preferences for organic and pesticide-free labels. According to the findings, organic and pesticide-free labels and brands are all major factors that affect consumers’ purchase decisions. Consumers are more willing to pay for organic labels than pesticide-free labels. There is a substitution effect between organic labels and pesticide-free labels. Complementary effects exist between organic labels and national brands, pesticide-free labels, and national brands. Consumer trust has an impact on consumers’ choice of organic labels and pesticide-free labels. The use of pesticide-free labels is an alternate approach for small- and medium-sized businesses in a specific market to lower the cost of organic certification.

An analysis of awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing behavior: A dual-path effect of approach-avoidance motivation

The spread of the COVID-19 virus shows that it is time to re-emphasize the ethical attitude of “awe of others, awe of nature, and awe of life.” It once again reveals the importance of green development. In this study, we introduce awe into the context of COVID-19 and construct an “emotion-motivation-behavior” framework, aiming to explore the relationship between the epidemic and green purchasing behavior from a psychological perspective. Study 1 demonstrates the effect of awe on green purchasing and examines the mediating role of the motivation perspective, to reveal the potential different path. Specifically, prosocial motivation mediates the effect of positive awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing; risk avoidance motivation mediates the effect of negative awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing. Study 2 examined the moderating effect of self-construal. These findings have important management implications for enterprises to correctly use emotional guidance strategies and promote green marketing practices during the COVID-19.

Influences of Green Eating Behaviors Underlying the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior: A Study of Market Segmentation and Purchase Intention

Green food has been introduced into the market for several years. Nevertheless, most Thai consumers do not commonly purchase green food in their daily routine. This research article aims to identify the market segments and significant factors affecting green food purchase intention in Thailand based on the theory of planned behavior. It employed a sample of 458 green food consumers in five regions of Thailand. Based on the Food-Related Lifestyle model, we used cluster analysis to classify the market segments. Additionally, we employed a multi-group structural equation modeling technique to explore and compare customers’ behaviors in different segments. The results demonstrated two primary market segments for green food products, including (1) non-green consumers and (2) green consumers. The findings indicate that green consumers’ self-realization related to environmental issues positively affects their attitude and purchase intention, while non-green consumers reveal none of these relationships. Surprisingly, social norms related to green food consumption influence non-green consumers’ attitudes toward green food more than it does toward green consumers. This research paper enlarges the understanding of Thailand’s green food market regarding the market segments (non-green and green consumers). Furthermore, it points out implications on how marketing practitioners may penetrate those segments.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Nutritional Intake in Rural China: Panel Data Evidence

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced risks and challenges to global food and nutrition security. In this paper, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nutritional intake of China’s rural residents using panel data and a fixed effects model. The data were collected in 2019 and 2020 and covered nine provinces and 2631 households in rural China. The results reveal that an increase of 100 confirmed cases in a county resulted in a 1.30% (p < 0.01), 1.42% (p < 0.01), 1.65% (p < 0.01), and 1.15% (p < 0.01) decrease in per capita intake of dietary energy, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, respectively. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and negative effect on dietary macronutrient intake in the low-income group at the 5% level of significance. Our study indicates that the potential insufficient nutrition situation, nutritional imbalance, and dietary imbalance of low-income rural residents should be addressed appropriately.

E-Senses, Panel Tests and Wearable Sensors: A Teamwork for Food Quality Assessment and Prediction of Consumer’s Choices

At present, food quality is of utmost importance, not only to comply with commercial regulations, but also to meet the expectations of consumers; this aspect includes sensory features capable of triggering emotions through the citizen’s perception. To date, key parameters for food quality assessment have been sought through analytical methods alone or in combination with a panel test, but the evaluation of panelists’ reactions via psychophysiological markers is now becoming increasingly popular. As such, the present review investigates recent applications of traditional and novel methods to the specific field. These include electronic senses (e-nose, e-tongue, and e-eye), sensory analysis, and wearables for emotion recognition. Given the advantages and limitations highlighted throughout the review for each approach (both traditional and innovative ones), it was possible to conclude that a synergy between traditional and innovative approaches could be the best way to optimally manage the trade-off between the accuracy of the information and feasibility of the investigation. This evidence could help in better planning future investigations in the field of food sciences, providing more reliable, objective, and unbiased results, but it also has important implications in the field of neuromarketing related to edible compounds.

Consumers' purchase intention of wild freshwater fish during the COVID-19 pandemic

The association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildlife trade in the seafood market in Wuhan has raised public concern regarding wildlife consumption and public health safety. Considering several coronavirus transmission incidents related to aquatic products and the location of wild freshwater fish in aquatic consumption in China, the effects of COVID-19 on the purchase intention of wild freshwater fish was investigated. Based on 1163 online questionnaires from eight provinces (including two province-level municipalities) in the Yangtze River Basin, ordered logistic regression was carried out to analyze the influencing factors of purchase intention of wild freshwater fish during the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had changed consumers' perceived risk and purchase frequency of wild freshwater fish. External stimulus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had little influence on perceived risk and purchase intention. Consumer preference had a significant impact on perceived risk and purchase intention. Therefore, efforts should be put to strengthen the popularization of aquatic product knowledge, guide the public to develop scientific and civic eating habits, and improve the traceability system of aquatic products. [EconLit Citations: D12-Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis, Q22-Fishery; Aquaculture].

How Collectivism Affects Organic Food Purchase Intention and Behavior: A Study with Norwegian and Portuguese Young Consumers

Organic food purchase behavior is attracting increasing attention from researchers and managers. However, there is a need to further explore differences among groups of consumers, namely with regards to cultural dimensions. To help fill this gap, this article aims to examine the impact of collectivism on the determinants of organic food purchase intention and behavior. Building on the theory of planned behavior, this article suggests its extension by considering an additional set of explanatory variables that are shown to be relevant to explain consumer behavior. It includes a quantitative study conducted with young consumers from two European countries, Norway (n = 468) and Portugal (n = 448). Structural equation modelling allowed to conclude that collectivism positively impacts attitude, subjective norm, perceived price, and environmental concern towards organic food. The expected positive impacts of collectivism on product availability and health concerns were not supported by the study. Furthermore, the positive impact of attitude, subjective norm, perceived price, health consciousness, and environmental concerns on intention to purchase organic food were also confirmed, even though availability had an insignificant impact on intentions. Finally, and aligned with extant literature, this study also found a positive impact of intention to purchase behavior on organic food. Interestingly, the positive relationship between Collectivism and Availability, and between Availability and Purchase Intention, was only significant for Portugal. The study confirms the relevance of considering cultural dimensions, particularly collectivism/individualism, to further understand consumer behaviors toward organic food. Based on the findings, implications for both managers and researchers are highlighted.

Pull the Emotional Trigger or the Rational String? A Multi-Group Analysis of Organic Food Consumption

The organic food industry in China has been developing fast with the increasing consumer demand for healthier, safer, and more nutritious foods since the epidemic outbreak. It is of great significance to understand the psychological preference of consumers for organic food and adjust the marketing strategy accordingly. In this study, we adopted the multi-group structural equation model (SEM) to analyze 571 questionnaire data and explored the effects of consumers’ perception on the sensory appeal of organic food, perception on promotional stimulation, positive emotion, and perceived social value on the purchase intention of organic food. Based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model, this study divides the route affecting organic consumption behavior into the rational route and emotional route. It was proved that the emotional route (positive emotion) has a greater impact on the purchase intention of organic food than the rational route (perceived social value). In addition, there are different purchase intentions among different product types. Specifically, compared with organic tea, positive emotion has a greater effect on the purchase intention for organic rice. This study provides an important reference for the organic food-marketing strategy of enterprises.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Consumption and Dietary Quality of Rural Households in China

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the food supply chain and thus threatened the food security of many people, while the impact of the pandemic on food consumption of people living in rural areas is still unknown. This study filled in the research gaps by employing a three-wave food consumption survey from 2019 to 2021 conducted in rural China. We adopted a random effect model and Poisson regression to quantify the short-run and long-run impacts of COVID-19 on rural households' food consumption and dietary quality. We found that rural households increased the consumption of vegetables, aquaculture products and legumes in the short-run, and these changes in consumption behavior even lasted 1 year after lockdown was lifted. However, the positive impact was much smaller in households not engaged in agricultural production. In addition, our results showed that COVID-19 decreased dietary diversity but increased dietary quality for households still engaged in food-related agriculture production. Our study indicated that COVID-19 did not threaten the food security status of rural families in China. On the contrary, rural families, particularly those still engaged in agricultural production, increased the consumption of several foods to strengthen their resistance against the virus.

Exploring the Antecedents of Organic Food Purchase Intention: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Worldwide organic food consumption has registered a consistent rise in recent years. Despite the relevant body of literature on the topic, it is necessary to further understand the antecedents of purchase intention. This article aims to identify the factors that influence the consumer’s intention to purchase organic food. It extends the theory of planned behavior model by including environmental concerns, health concerns, and perceived quality as determinants of attitude toward organic food products. Additionally, it considers the effect of product availability on consumers’ perceived behavioral control. This article includes a quantitative study that was conducted in Portugal in 2020 (n = 206). Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed set of research hypotheses. In line with extant literature, this study confirmed that attitude toward organic food is the main determinant of purchase intention. Additionally, it demonstrates that health concerns and perceived quality have a significant impact on attitude toward organic food. The impact of environmental concerns on attitude was not confirmed by this study. Based on these findings, it is recommended that managers stress health benefits and quality of organic food in order to foster positive attitudes and consequently leverage purchase intention.

Exploring Key Factors Determining US Consumer Preferences for Growing over Buying Fruit in Pre-Covidian and Covidian Times

This study provides insights for managers in the food retail sector, the horticultural industry, actors involved in community gardening and farmers’ markets. It proposes a model that investigates key factors determining US consumer preferences for growing fruit over buying it in pre-Covidian and Covidian times. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample of 383 US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that subjective knowledge about fruit and the perceived impact of COVID-19 are the most important drivers of preferences for growing over buying in Covidian times. The impact of COVID-19 had no relevance for the pre-Covidian times. For both scenarios, only age and gender as socio-demographic factors were found to influence subjective knowledge and the perceived impact of COVID-19. Other sociodemographic factors were not found to have any impact.

The Impact of the Fear of COVID-19 on Purchase Behavior of Dietary Supplements: Integration of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Protection Motivation Theory

This study aimed at assessing the impacts of the fear of COVID-19 on consumer buying behavior toward dietary supplements. This investigation was a cross-sectional study in which literate adults regardless of gender over the age of 20 were recruited from three pharmacies in three different districts of Wuhan City, China. A total of 598 questionnaires were analyzed after excluding 10 with incomplete information. The current study demonstrated that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control had a positive impact on the intention of purchasing dietary supplements. Fear of COVID-19 was related to an enhanced purchase intention toward dietary supplements. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significant factors that mediated the association between the fear of COVID-19 and the purchase intention of dietary supplements. This study helps provide practical advice for stakeholders in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries to tailor appropriate strategies for improving product promotion or healthcare-related interventions.

Exploring Chinese Consumers' Online Purchase Intentions toward Certified Food Products during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly increased consumers' demands for online groceries, as well as healthy, safe, and better-quality food products. In China, certified food products are commonly perceived as safe and good-quality products. Therefore, this study investigated potential factors that influenced Chinese consumers' online shopping intentions toward certified food during the COVID-19 crisis. An integrated model was proposed by combining the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with the impact of COVID-19 (IOC). The empirical results of structural equation modelling analysis with 491 usable responses revealed that the proposed model showed a good model fit and satisfactory explanatory power (R2 = 53%) regarding consumers' certified online food shopping intentions during the pandemic. The path analysis demonstrated that attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived usefulness (PU), and IOC significantly affected consumers' online purchase intentions of certified food. PU and perceived ease of use (PEOU) were important drivers of attitudes, and PEOU significantly influenced PU. Moreover, the IOC was significantly related to most factors, except subjective norms. These findings can be useful for detecting changes in consumer behaviour, and providing suitable strategic implications for stakeholders in the Chinese certified food sector during the current and post-pandemic eras.

An Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Predict Local Wine Consumption Intention and Behaviour

The consumption of local agricultural products boosts the regional economy and employment whilst preserving the rural landscape and environment. In this research, the background of local wine consumption behaviour will be studied, using an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS–SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The study was conducted in the Canary Islands with a sample of 762 people. The results confirmed a relationship between intention and perceived behavioural control. Furthermore, the ethnocentric personality was found to have a positive influence and the cosmopolitan personality a negative influence. The personal norm and place identity were also confirmed to be related to attitudes towards such behaviour. This study contributes to the literature by adding constructs to this theory that are relevant to local wine consumption. It also addresses the implications for those involved in the marketing of local products.

Sustainable Moviegoer Intention to Attend Cinemas Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

The present research aims to determine which factors of the theory of planned behavior most influence the intention to watch Mexican movies, and, at the same time, to measure the impact of eWOM and the level of audience involvement in the intention. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied through social networks, obtaining a sample of 334 Mexican people over 18 years old. The data were analyzed using a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). The results confirmed that the variables that explained the intention to watch Mexican movies were attitude, perceived purchase control, and involvement, with the latter being the attitude variable the one that contributed the most to intention. The present research contributes to the literature on movie consumption in Mexico with an empirical perspective from the marketing field.