What determines fresh fish consumption in Croatia?

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Consumer Behavior
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Fresh fish consumption in Europe is below recommended levels, despite availability.
• Economic factors influence consumer choices, with fresh fish often perceived as healthy yet expensive.
• Understanding drivers of fish consumption is crucial for public health and the food industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing fresh fish consumption using an expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour.
• To analyze the relationships between attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, moral obligation, health involvement, availability, intention, and consumption.
• To provide insights for food marketing and industry strategies.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted on 1151 Croatian fresh fish consumers.
• Structural Equation Modeling by Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis.
• The study utilized an expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour framework.

Main Results:

• Attitudes were the strongest positive predictor of intention to consume fresh fish.
• Perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, health involvement, and moral obligation also significantly predicted intention.
• Intention to consume fresh fish showed a strong positive correlation with actual consumption behavior.

Conclusions:

• Consumer attitudes and perceived behavioral control are key drivers of fresh fish consumption intention.
• Social norms, moral obligation, and health involvement further influence the intention to consume fish.
• Findings offer valuable data for food marketing professionals and the broader food industry to promote fish consumption.