Healthy eating intention: Identifying factor analysis based on generation, gender, and marital status.

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of obesity and inadequate nutrition among young individuals in Malaysia can be attributed to their eating habit and a general lack of food consciousness in contemporary society. In 2019, half of the adult population in Malaysia was classified as overweight or obese. The quantity had increased by 3.4% to reach 53.5% in 2023. Beknown to all, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are linked to an insufficient diet and the only way to obtain excellent health and vitality is through appropriate nutrition and regular physical exercise. However, a recent local report in May 2024 revealed that proper nutrition intake among Malaysian adults was noticeably low. Thus, observing the trend of Malaysians' intention towards healthy eating is crucial especially among younger generations in order to generate a healthy society. A total of 547 participants were contacted via a WhatsApp group, where they were given a hyperlink to access the online questionnaire. In addition to observing the trend of Malaysians' intention towards healthy eating, the primary objective of the present study was to validate the variables associated with healthy eating intention. This was achieved through the utilisation of principal components analysis with varimax rotations. The findings revealed several key factors, including healthy eating intention, knowledge, satisfaction, and attitude. These factors were later used to assess if there is a significant difference between the two samples in the categorical variables, specifically generation, gender, and marital status. The results indicate substantial differences in healthy eating intention scores between the Millennials and Generation Z as well as for married and single individuals. Additionally, an important difference was observed in the attitude scale scores between men and women. The policy makers might employ the findings to build strategies for educating the public about proper nutrition and encouraging the adoption of healthy eating habit.