Applying the theory of behavioral choice to plant-based dietary intentions

Appetite. 2024 Jun 1:197:107271. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107271. Epub 2024 Feb 19.

Abstract

Improving understanding of the intention to choose plant-based food is an important element of climate change mitigation. A cross-sectional survey of 454 North American adults was used to predict their dietary-change intentions from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the more-recently proposed theory of behavioral choice (TBC). The TPB accounted for 65 percent of the variance in intentions and the TBC accounted for a significantly greater (80 percent) proportion of variance. The strongest predictors of intention were the TBC's sense of obligation, attitude-values-affect (AVA), and habit, and the TBP's social norms. Five interactions also contributed in small but significant ways toward the accounting of the participants' food-choice intentions. Policy implications are discussed.

Keywords: Dietary choices; Theory of behavioral choice; Theory of planned behavior.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude*
  • Choice Behavior
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diet
  • Humans
  • Intention*
  • Psychological Theory
  • Surveys and Questionnaires