The Role of Health Consciousness in Shaping Students' Organic Food Purchase Intentions: Extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour through Attitude

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the role of health consciousness in shaping university students' organic food purchase intentions by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Specifically, it investigates the direct effects of health consciousness, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on purchase intention, while examining the mediating role of attitude in the relationship between health consciousness and purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from 400 university students using a structured questionnaire adapted from previously validated scales. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and Hayes' PROCESS Macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap samples were performed using SPSS to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings: The results revealed that health consciousness positively influenced attitude (β = .626, p < .001) and purchase intention (β = .170, p = .002). Attitude (β = .289, p < .001), subjective norms (β = .280, p < .001), and perceived behavioural control (β = .159, p < .001) also significantly predicted organic food purchase intention. Furthermore, attitude partially mediated the relationship between health consciousness and purchase intention (indirect effect = .229, 95% bootstrap CI [.144, .313]), indicating that health consciousness influences purchase intention both directly and indirectly through favourable attitudes toward organic food.
Originality/value: This study extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour by integrating health consciousness as an additional antecedent and empirically validating the mediating role of attitude in explaining university students' organic food purchase intentions. The findings contribute to the literature on sustainable food consumption by providing evidence from an emerging economy and offer practical insights for educators, policymakers, marketers, and organic food producers seeking to promote healthier and more sustainable food choices among young consumers.