Intentions to Continue Vegetarian Dietary Patterns: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
The 2013 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo will include a presentation on results stemming from a study about vegetarianism and the Theory of Planned Behavior. A total of 102 participants completed an online survey in an effort to identify factors that predict intentions to continue vegetarianism. The results touch on primary reasons for vegetarianism, influences on dietary habits, and variables affecting the decision to continue to consume a vegetarian diet in an effort to identify factors that predict
[Abstract excerpted from original source.]
“Background: Vegetarianism is growing in popularity, but vegetarians’ eating patterns are not always stable. The study objective was to examine variables that predict intentions to continue vegetarianism using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs.
Results: Respondents’ primary reasons for being vegetarian were animal welfare (57.3%), health (17.5%), and environmental concerns (12.6%). Partners and health experts influenced dietary habits more than friends, family, or colleagues (p<0.001). Stronger intentions to continue vegetarianism were associated with more positive attitudes towards vegetarian diets (r.0.568, p<0.001), higher perceived behavioral control (r.0.704, p<0.001), motivations for being vegetarian (r.-0.237, p.0.016), and practicing vegetarianism longer (r.0.263, p.0.008). Higher intentions to eat a vegetarian diet in the future were not predicted to age, education, motivations, income, attitude, or subjective norms, but were predicted by perceived behavioral control (OR 35.89, 95%CI: 2.51-541.26; z.2.64, p.0.008), practicing vegetarianism longer (OR 25.26, 95%CI: 1.81-372.70; z.2.4, p.0.016), and less use of vegetarian-related social media (OR 3.95, 95%CI: 1.29-12.40; z.2.4, p.0.016).”