Intention and behavior toward eating whole grain pasta on a college dining campus: Theory of Planned Behavior and message framing

Abstract

The consumption of whole grains has several health benefits, however, most US consumers – including young adults – do not meet the recommended consumption intake. To understand the underlying factors affecting the intention and consumption of whole grain pasta, a survey based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was developed and administered to US college students. The effects of message interventions on the TPB measures and other variables were also examined. Participants (n = 325) received different messages on the health benefits of whole grain in the forms of gain- (treatment 1) or loss-framed (treatment 2) for four weeks, or did not receive any message (control). We evaluated variables at two time points: Time 1 (when the first message was received, week 0) and Time 2 (one month after the intervention, week 4). The results suggested that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were positively associated with intention, and intention can accurately predict young adults' behavior. The framing did not affect the TPB variables.

Keywords

• dietary fiber
• message framing
• Gain-Framed
• Loss-Framed
• Message Engagement