FOOD CHOICE: MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS AMONG MALAYSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

Food consumption can have both positive and negative effects on ones’ health. As food consumption is closely related to health, the alarming statistics of the NCDs’ prevalence and its consequences in this country warrant an understanding of the population’s motivation of food choices. Therefore, this study aims to identify the importance of food choice motives and to determine the underlying factors of food choice motives among Malaysian higher education students. Data were gathered from a sample of 526 students via a non-probability samping method. The respondents rated religion (4.38 ± 1.04), sensory appeal (4.26 ± .98), and price (4.25 ± 1.00) as the top three important food choice factors whereas ethical concern (3.76 ± 1.20), familiarity (3.77 ± 1.13), and weight control (3.78 ± 1.11) as the bottom three. The exploratory factor analysis of 38 items in the food choice questionnaire suggested four factors that accounted for 70.51% of the variance in the food choice motives, labelled as balanced diet, convenience and price, comfort food, and religion. The findings of the present study are helpful in understanding the higher education students’ motivation on food choice and important to the relevant agencies in improving healthy eating campaign intervention as well as to the food industry players and marketers in offering food products that can satisfy the young adults’ food choices.