The growing trend for natural sweeteners has major implications for the food policymakers and industry, especially for beverage companies and sweetener manufacturers. Accordingly, we aim to understand the factors that drive the consumption of natural sweeteners over sugar in health-conscious individuals.
The Health Belief Model (HBM) formed a theoretical foundation to examine the effects of the perceived severity of sugar-related health risks and perceived benefits of natural sweeteners on the consumption intention of natural sweeteners. Furthermore, we analyzed cross-sectional data from 266 consumers using covariance-based structural equation modeling.
Both perceived severity and benefits strongly encourage consumers to switch toward natural sweeteners. A person's attitude also plays a key mediating role, partly explaining why perceived benefits lead to a higher consumption intention. Interestingly, we discovered that higher health literacy (appraisal and reading skills) negatively moderated these effects.
The findings provide actionable insights for marketers and policymakers. By understanding the roles of perceived severity, benefits and health literacy, marketers and policymakers can tailor their messaging to target different consumer segments effectively and foster a healthier transition from sugar to natural alternatives.
Our study contributes to the application of HBM in preventive health behavior, particularly in the adoption of natural sweeteners, which are largely unexplored. By incorporating attitude as a mediator and health literacy factors as moderators, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of how consumer perceptions influence dietary decisions.
