ADAPTING TO WELLNESS TRENDS: A STUDY ON HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMER SELECTION TOWARD HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1145015Keywords:
Health Awareness, Health-Conscious Consumers, Healthy Food Choice Behavior, Menu Labeling, Perceived Cost and Accessibility, Perceived ValueAbstract
A growing emphasis on wellness is actively reshaping consumer preferences and the broader foodservice industry in Malaysia. This study examines how health awareness, menu labeling, perceived value and the dual constraints of cost and accessibility dictate healthy food choices among health-conscious consumers. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the investigation deployed online and offline questionnaires to secure 412 valid responses. Subsequently, multiple regression and Pearson correlation analyses were used to evaluate the structural relationships among the variables. The empirical results reveal that all proposed factors correlate positively with healthy food choice behavior. Perceived value emerged as the primary behavioral determinant, followed by cost, accessibility, and menu labeling. Crucially, although bivariate analysis links health awareness directly to dietary selection, the variable loses statistical significance within the comprehensive regression model. This divergence highlights a pronounced intention-behavior gap, confirming that internal health consciousness cannot drive sustained dietary change without supportive environmental and structural interventions.
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