Determinants of Consumption Intention of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable: The Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Afsaneh Nikoukar 1
Milad Aminizadeh 2
1 Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.
10.48311/jast.2026.16875
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of Iranian consumers’ intention to consume fresh fruit and vegetable. This study investigated the relationship among attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, health involvement, subjective health, and Iranian consumption intention by using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling was applied to estimate the model. The results revealed that subjective health (β= 0.463; P< 0.001) as a self-rating of overall health was an important predictor of Iranian consumers’ intention to eat fresh fruit and vegetable. Consumers’ health involvement (β= 0.198; P< 0.001) that shows the importance of health issues for individuals, had significant effect on consumption intention. Other variables such as subjective norms (β= 0.175; P< 0.001), positive attitude towards fresh fruit and vegetable consumption (β= 0.125; P< 0.01), and perceived behavioral control (β= 0.110; P< 0.001) were significant predictors of consumption intention, respectively. The results provide useful and important information about the main determinants of consumption intention for policy-makers to create effective and well-functioning public health policies aimed at increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetable.
Keywords
Fresh fruit and vegetable
Health involvement
Subjective health
Theory of planned behavior
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 28, Issue 3
May and June 2026
Pages 505-519