The Changing Intention to Practice Healthy Eating Behaviour Among Late Adolescents During COVID-19

Pei Yew Mah1*, Mom Zee Tan1, Rong Pin Chong2

  1. Faculty of Business and Finance, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Perak
  2. Faculty of Accountancy, Finance and Business, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Penang

Journal of Business Management and Accounting 11(2) (2021) · https://doi.org/10.32890/jbma2021.11.2.4

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has generated intention among late adolescents to practice healthy eating behaviour. Although it is not new, there is limited research on this topic. To date, the pandemic has changed the behaviour of late adolescents to practice healthy eating behaviour. As such, it has tremendously grabbed the attention of scholars amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the development process from adolescence to late adolescence stage has become a serious healthrelated issue worldwide. However, most research are focused on adolescents instead of late adolescents. Late adolescence is a special group of the population who has specific health concerns. To discover more about healthy eating behaviours among late adolescence aged between 18-24 years in Malaysia, this study aims to examine the 62 Journal of Business Management and Accounting, Vol. 11, Number 2 (July) 2021, pp: 61–72 determinants that contribute to the eating behaviour in this population. Based on past and current literature reviews, a proposed research framework was developed, along with some untested assumptions which were formulated for the research purpose.

Keywords: Healthy eating behaviour, intention, theory of planned behaviour

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was introduced by Ajzen (1991); it refers to an individual’s intention to perform certain action (Ajzen, 1985). This theory originated and expanded from the theory of reasoned action (TRA). TPB is used for explaining human behaviour, which is predicted by i) attitude, ii) social norms and iii) perceived behavioural control. This study uses TPB to explain the intention to practise healthy eating. Likewise, TPB denotes individuals’ intention to practice healthy eating behaviour pertinently in human behaviour will influence the behaviour of the individual (Mamun, Hayat, & Zainol, 2020). Consumer healthy eating intention is linked with psychological factor, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control and thus linked to consumer behaviour and action.

Similarly, consumers’ intention to practice healthy eating is built through brands and products. TPB influences purchase intention and intention might lead to purchase or non-purchase (Chong, Tan, Mah, & Low, 2020). There has been rising interest among both academics and practitioners to explore healthy eating behaviour. However, there are limited empirical studies that has explored healthy eating behaviour among late adolescents (Mamun et al., 2020; Menozzi, Sogari, & Mora, 2015; Yadav & Pathak, 2015). This study tries to fill the gap by exploring the intention to practice healthy eating behaviour among young adolescents using the theory of human behaviour. Intention to Practise Healthy Eating Behaviour There are several previous studies on eating behaviour (Kolanowski & Trafialek, 2021; Korinth, Schiess & Westenhoefer, 2010; Pannicke, Kaiser, Reichenberger & Blechert, 2021; Scaglioni, Salvioni & Galimberti, 2008; Wardle, Marsland, Sheikh, Quinn, Fedoroff & Ogden, 1992; Webber, Hill, Saxton, Van Jaarsveld & Wardle, 2009). However, there are limited studies on the intention to practice healthy eating behaviour (e.g. Åstrosm & Rise, 2001; Chamroonsawasdi, Chottanapund, Pamungkas, Tunyasitthisundhorn, Sornpaisarn, & Numpaisan, 2020). Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour to fill the theoretical gap. To date, the intention to practice healthy eating behaviour among late adolescents has increasingly become an issue. The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a high level of intention in practising this behaviour. Due to this reason, it has resulted in late adolescents maintaining a healthy diet with a suitable consumption of food (such as reducing junk food, fast food and convenience food) (Di Renzo et al., 2020). Chong, Appannah, & Sulaiman, (2019) further emphasized that healthy food strengthens e individuals’ health if it contains adequate healthy ingredients. Similarly, healthy food increases health benefits such as strengthening the immune system and generating antibodies (Sued & Hussin, 2020). Particularly, knowledge of healthy foods will then turn into intention and results in practising healthy eating behaviour. Rezai, Teng, Shamsudin, Mohamed, & Stanton (2017) on the other hand, emphasized that approximately 40% of food offering are healthy foods. This implies that it is important for individuals, particularly the late adolescents have the intention to practice healthy eating behaviour.

Psychological Factors as the Predictors of the Intention to Practise Healthy Eating Behaviour Previous studies have focused on healthy eating intention. Similarly, many studies were concerned with how attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control influence consumers’ decision to adopt healthy eating intention (Aji and Dharmmesta, 2019; Banerjee and Ho, 2019; Chen, 2007; Tarkiainen and Sundqvist, 2005). Limited studies have investigated the influence of psychological factors on healthy eating intention. According to a research conducted by Alfoukha, Hamdan-Mansour and Banihani (2019), psychological factors including self-esteem, self-image and body shape satisfaction have an important impact in developing eating behaviour. Specifically, it is an important indicator of eating disorder. In addition, it is believed that psychological factors in eating disturbances among late adolescents will have unpredictable impact on their health conditions (Alfoukha et al., 2019). Thus, the psychological factor is suitable to adopt in explaining healthy eating intention among late adolescents, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, psychological factors will be investigated in this research to determine how it could influence late adolescents’ intention towards healthy eating during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is to measure how individuals view and motivate themselves to adopt intention to eat healthily. Previous empirical studies focused on healthy eating intention, meanwhile many studies focused on how attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control influence consumer decision in healthy eating intention (Aji and Dharmmesta, 2019; Banerjee and Ho, 2019; Chen, 2007; Tarkiainen and Sundqvist, 2005). However, there are limited studies focusing on the influence of psychological factors in healthy eating intention. Hence, we provide a proposition on the relationship between psychological factors and the intention to practice healthy eating behaviour. Proposition 1: Pscychological factors will have a significant relationship with the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Attitude as the Predictor of the Intention to Practise Healthy Eating Behaviour In particular, attitude is defined as the positive or negative evaluation of an individual in performing a given behaviour (Banerjee and Ho, 2019). According to Rana and Paul (2017), consumers will have a positive attitude towards the products that provide detailed description of nutrition information. Moreover, consumers’ attitude towards healthy eating habits arises from their beliefs in its benefits. This is because consumers believe that they will have positive health effects when they practice healthy eating habits (Hossain and Lim, 2016). Therefore, the expectations and beliefs of the outcomes from the behaviour are essential factors to healthy eating intention of late adolescents (Chen, 2007). Hence, we provide a proposition on the relationship between attitude and the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Proposition 2: Attitude will have a significant relationship with the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Subjective Norms as the Predictor of the Intention to Practice Healthy Eating Behaviour Ajzen (1985) defined subjective norms (SN) as the individual’s perceived social pressure to undertake or not to undertake a behaviour. A study on vegetable consumption among young adults by Menozzi et al. (2015) found that there is a positive relationship between SN with an individual’s intention. A person who has apprehensions about health and benefits of healthy eating tend to have higher intention to consume vegetables. This research outcome is further supported by Hartman, Wadsworth, Penny and Asseme (2013). Hartman and colleagues (2013) carried out a focus group interview with twenty-nine university students in New Zealand University aged between 18-24 years old. Their study found that social influences such as roommates, parents, partners, sport coaches, and friends are among the influencers who caused an increased in fruits and vegetables consumption. Hence, we make a proposition on the relationship between subjective norms and the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Proposition 3: Subjective norms will have a significant relationship with the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Perceived Behavioural Control as the Predictors of the Intention to Practise Healthy Eating Behaviour As one of the determinants of TPB, perceived behavioural control (PBC) is linked to the ability and resources owned by an individual which allows him/her to control a particular behaviour and thus, enabling him/her to perceive how easy it is to perform a behaviour.

Ajzen (1985) defined PBC as the degree which individuals believe that they have control over a behaviour. Therefore, it is the perceived ease of doing a behaviour. The research study by Armitage and Talibudeen (2010) revealed that PBC is the most significant variable that influences individual behavioural change. This research outcome is further supported by the results of a study by Greaves, Leistner, and Stride (2013). Greaves, Zibarras, & Stride (2013) found that PBC contributes significantly to employees’ intentions to switch-off their computers in their workplace and use video-conferencing instead of travelling for meeting purpose. Menozzi et al. (2015) in their study on young adults’ vegetables consumption, revealed that PBC is the determining factor of an individual’s intention. Their study specified that perceived ease or difficulty in carrying out a behaviour impacts the intention to accomplish that behaviour. Hence, we provide a proposition on the relationship between behavioural control and the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. Proposition 4: Perceived behavioural control will have significant relationship with the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK RESEARCH FRAMEWORK Basedonon discussion a research framework proposed Based thethe discussion above,above, a research framework is proposedisand labelled asand Figure labelled as Figure 1. 1. Figure1 1 Figure Research Framework Research Framework Psychological factor

Attitude

Intention to practice healthy eating behaviour.

Subjective norm

Perceived behavioural control

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

Late adolescents account for 3.99 million or 12.31% of the Malaysian population. This population is one of the most valuable assets of our country as they are the leaders of Malaysia’s future generation. The intention of this population group to practise healthy eating behaviour is essential particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. The vulnerability of the pandemic has mitigated unhealthy eating behaviour, which causes obesity, chronic diseases, stroke and other health problems. As mentioned earlier, late adolescents are a key asset of the country and they contribute significantly to the nation. However, there are limited studies on this group in the population as previous studies are focused on adolescents alone. Hence, this study addresses the need for a study to explore the importance of psychological factors, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in the intention to practise healthy eating behaviour among late adolescents.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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