Key factors influencing nutraceutical purchase decisions
Author: Maria Linda Laderas
Supervisors: Edwin Rajah Yury Zhukov
22 May 2024
Laderas, M. L. (2024). Key factors influencing nutraceutical purchase decisions. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Management). Auckland International Campus, Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.6436
Abstract
This study explored how fear influences attitudes, health consciousness, and purchase intentions for the consumption of nutraceutical products in the post-COVID-19 pandemic landscape. The study involved 140 participants, 18 years old and above, who consume dietary supplements and/or functional foods in New Zealand. The study adopted an experimental methodology where participants of the study were exposed to fictional scenarios in either the high fear group or the low fear group to manipulate the independent fear variable. The survey questionnaire distributed through Qualtrics, measured 140 participants’ perceptions of the independent and dependent variables. The descriptive analysis showed a higher prevalence of nutraceutical consumption among women, middle-aged adults, and individuals with higher levels of education and income. This was consistent with previous studies. Correlation analysis demonstrated positive relationships between fear and consumer attitudes, health consciousness, and purchase intentions, aligning with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). T-test results further supported the influence of fear on attitude, health consciousness, and purchase intention with higher mean values observed in the high fear group compared to the low fear group. These findings, in both the correlations and t-tests, were consistent with customer behaviour in TPB and underscore the significance of fear in driving consumer decisions to purchase nutraceutical products. Overall, this research shed light on the interplay between fear and consumer behaviour in the nutraceutical market. It offers valuable insights for both academia and industry stakeholders.
Keywords
nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional food, fear, attitude, health consciousness, purchase intention, theory of planned behaviour
Licence
A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
