Factors Influencing Healthy Product Consumer Behavior: An Integrated Model of Purchase Intention

Jessica Müller¹Ángel Acevedo-Duque^2*Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas^3*Manuel Escobar-Farfán⁴Jorge Alberto Esponda Pérez⁵Elena Cachicatari-Vargas⁶Rina Álvarez-Becerra⁷Sandra Alcina De Fortoul²

• ¹Graduate Department, School of Marketing and Business, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, Barrio de Santiago, Mexico
• ²Grupo de Investigación de Estudios Organizacionales Sostenibles, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
• ³Faculty of Management Science, Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Lima 15842, Peru
• ⁴Department of Administration, Faculty of Administration and Economics, University of Santiago of Chile (USACH),, Santiago, Chile
• ⁵Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico
• ⁶Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre Grohmann, Tacna, Peru
• ⁷Graduate School, Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre Grohmann, Tacna, Peru

Introduction: Understanding consumer behavior regarding healthy food consumption is crucial for promoting sustainable and health-conscious dietary choices. While the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has emphasized the roles of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in shaping purchase intentions, the influence of additional factors—such as price sensitivity, willingness to pay, and health consciousness—remains underexplored, particularly in emerging markets. This study aims to develop a predictive model of the intention to consume healthier products, integrating core TPB variables (attitude and perceived purchase control) with factors related to sustainability, health, and nutrition. The research responds to the increasing need to better understand consumer behavior in the context of healthy and sustainable food decisions.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 703 Mexican consumers. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the relationships between variables and their influence on purchase intention and behavior.Results: The results show that willingness to pay is the strongest predictor of healthy food purchase intention (β = 0.347, p < 0.001), followed by price considerations (β = 0.325, p < 0.001). Perceived purchase control had a moderate effect (β = 0.117, p < 0.009), and attitude had a smaller but positive influence (β = 0.131, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, health consciousness showed only a marginal effect (β = 0.085, p = 0.025) with an insignificant effect size (f² = 0.007), indicating a limited role in influencing purchase intention.Conclusion: Price and willingness to pay are key drivers of healthy food purchase intention, highlighting their strategic importance in influencing consumer behavior. Although perceived purchase control and attitude play supporting roles, health consciousness appears to have a limited impact, suggesting that awareness alone may not be enough to change purchasing decisions. These findings offer valuable implications for marketers, policymakers, and health advocates aiming to encourage healthier and more sustainable food choices.