Individual determinants of fish consumption: application of the theory of planned behaviour

• Published in: Appetite 2005-02, Vol.44 (1), p.67-82
• Main Authors: Verbeke, Wim, Vackier, Isabelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Attitude; Belgium; Biological and medical sciences; bones; Child; children; Consumer; consumer attitudes; consumer behavior; Cross-Sectional Studies; educational status; Family Health; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Feeding Behavior - psychology; feeding frequency; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fish; food choices; food prices; food quality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habit; Health Behavior; health beliefs; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; human nutrition; Humans; Income; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Obesity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Seafood; Sex Factors; sociodemographic characteristics; socioeconomic status; taste; Taste - physiology; theory of planned behavior; Theory of planned behaviour; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2004.08.006

This study investigates individual determinants of fish consumption behaviour based on cross-sectional data collected in Belgium. Analyses show that determinants as hypothesised by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and personal characteristics influence fish consumption intention and frequency. Favourable attitude, high subjective norm and high perceived behavioural control have a positive impact on fish consumption decisions. Significant habit effects are detected when including habit as a separate regressor of behavioural intention and behaviour. Appreciation of the attribute taste emerges as the most important driver for eating fish, followed closely by health. Bones and price constitute the negative attitude factor, which, however, does not directly reduce behavioural intention. Individual determinants pertain to gender, age, children, income, education level and region. Fish consumption frequency in compliance with health recommendations is higher among women and increases with increasing age, while the presence of children in the household leads to lower fish consumption. The lowest income class has the lowest fish consumption frequency. Higher education results in a higher intention to eat fish but has no effect on the consumption frequency itself. The coastal region of West Flanders is the region with the highest consumption. Food involvement correlates positively with fish consumption intention and frequency, whereas no significant impact of food-health awareness is found.