Healthy food purchasing behavior for children

Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, which was expanded with the inclusion of the self-identity construct, the purpose of this study is to identify the factors that determine the behavior of purchasing healthy foods for children. We propose a theoretical model that contemplated the constructs attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), self-identity (included in the original TPB), intention and behavior. We conducted the survey with parents of young children and had 345 respondents. We performed the data analysis by using structural equations modeling. The results indicate that the intention tends to be influenced by the self-identity and attitude constructs. Looking further into it, the intention to purchase healthy food and the PBC tend to influence the purchasing behavior. The study supports the alignment of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) adherence to health issues, extending the understanding of the behavior of purchasing healthy foods for children. These results may have relevant implications for preventive and interventional programs related to the practice of healthy eating.