Research On Fresh Vegetables Consumption Behavior And Its Influencing Factors Of Urban Residents

According to the report,nowadays death caused by chronic diseases,such as heart attract,cerebral apoplexy,neoplasm,chronic respiratory diseases,diabetes,etc.accounts for 80%of the world death in lower and middle income countries.And this trend is rapidly rising,especially among young people.In recent years,China witnesses a significant rise in the death rate of heart diseases and cancers,which not only makes Chinese household suffer economic losses,but also increases the fiscal burden of government on the health care.In fact,chronic diseases,like heart attract and cancers,to a large extent,are largely caused by the unhealthy or irregular diet.Since reform and opening-up 30 years ago,China has witnessed rapid economic development and rising resident income.And this great change has made people intake more high protein and fat foods rather than fresh vegetables.At present,average annual vegetable consumption among urban and rural residents is 11skg per capita and 90kg per capita respectively,which is far lower than that of both western countries or the standard of 300-500g vegetable consumption suggested by scientists.Also,according to relevant studies,there are rich vitamins,mineral fibers and physiochemical in vegetables,which can be effective in preventing heart diseases,cancers and other chronic diseases.Therefore,urban residents in China should increase amount of vegetable consumption to reduce incidence and death rates of cardiovascular diseases.What should we do to increase vegetable consumption of China's urban residents?To solve this problem,we must work to find answers to the following questions.Firstly,what is vegetable consumption behavior of China urban residents like?Secondly,what are factors influencing peopled consumption behavior?And thirdly,what is the mechanism affecting vegetable consumption behavior of China urban residents?The present research has focused on vegetable consumption behavior of China urban residents,reviewed research on China urban residents' vegetables consumption behavior,collected data of vegetable consumption behavior and its influencing factors by the questionnaire,and analyzed statistics using multiple regression method.The result indicates that China urban residents' vegetable consumption behavior is affected by demographic characteristics,like sex and age,daily habits,behavior attitude,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral;consumption intention of China urban residents plays a mediating role;urban residents' sense of self-efficacy moderates relationship between consunption intention and consumption behavior.The present paper consists of eight chapters.Chapter 1 is the introduction.Bases on the research backgrotnd,this chapter proposes research questions,defines research objectives and significance,identifies research ideas,content and method,and elaborates innovation and shortcomings of the research.Chapter 2 covers the theoretical foundation and literature review.Based on summarizing classical consumption theories,this chapter reviews literatures of consumer behavior,influencing factors of consumer behavior,and agricultural and vegetable consumption behaviors,and does the summary and evaluation.Chapter 3 probes into China urban residents' vegetable consumption behavior.This chapter first explains the research designing process,carries out descriptive statistical analysis of the research subject,and elaborates vegetable consumption behavior of urban residents in China.Chapter 4 focuses on the effect of demographic variables of Chinese urban resident on the vegetable consumption behavior.Based on summarizing foreign research findings,.this chapter proposes the research hypothesis and research model on effect of demographic variables on vegetable consumption behavior,verifies the research model and hypothesis with the multiple regression analysis method,and draws research conclusions and enlightenments.Chapter 5 exams the influence of living habits on China urban residents' consumption behavior.This chapter reviews foreign research on impact of living habits,like smoking and drinking,on consumption behavior,proposes research hypothesis and research model on effect of living habit of urban people on vegetable consunption behavior,verifies the research model and hypothesis using multiple regression analysis method,and draws research conclusions and enlightenments.Chapter 6 studies the consumption behavior of urban residents5 vegetable consumption behavior based on Theory of Planned Behavior.This chapter reviews Theory of Planned Behavior,proposes theoretical model and hypothesis of effect of factors of Planned Behavior Theory,like behavioral attitude,subjective norm,perceived behavioral control etc.on urban residents vegetable consumption behavior,verifies the research model and hypothesis using multiple regression analysis method,and draws research conclusions and enlightennents.Chapter 7 probes into the effect of self-efficacy in adjusting relationship between vegetable consumption intention and urban residents' vegetable consumption behavior.This chapter further studies the previous chapter,focuses on the behavior inadequacy caused by intention in Planned Behavior Theory,and proposes models hypothesis of self-efficacy in moderating relationship between consumption willingness and consumption behavior of China urban residents and verifies research model and hypothesis using multiple regression analysis method,and draws research conclusions and enlightenments..Chapter 8 is the research sumrary and prospects,which summarizes main research conclusions,research contributions,as well as inadequacy of the study,and points out possible future research directions.Possible innovations of the present paper are listed as followings.Among the research on vegetable consumption behavior,demographic features are always antecedent variables of residents' vegetable consumption behavior.However,this paper has found that demographic variables are not direct factors.Instead demographic variables have indirect impact on residents' consumption behavior through consumption willingness.Thus,the research findings have further enriched theory of vegetable consumption behavior.Previous studies have seldom analyzed residents9 vegetable consumption from aspect of living habits,and this study has thus introduced lifestyle variables and used multiple regression method to analyze how peopled living habits impact vegetable consumption habits in China.The present research findings have provided new angles and perspectives for future researchers in this area.Theory of Planned Behavior holds that personal attitude,subjective norms and perceived behavioral control indirectly affect individual behaviors through influencing individual intention,in which individual perceived behavioral control can also directly affect individual behavior.This conclusion has been verified in many individual and group behavior fields.But it is still rare to use this theory to analyze the vegetable consumption behavior of Chinese residents,especially China urban residents.Based on Theory of Planned Behavior,this paper has testified the influencing mechanism of urban residents'behavior attitude,subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on their vegetable consumption behaviors.On the one hand,in theoretical aspect,this study has further validated the universal applicability of Theory of Planned Behavior and enriches the theory in aspect of vegetables consumption behavior.In practical aspect,it can provide references for government in planning the national vegetable industry.Theory of Planned Behavior holds individual intention will be directly transformed into individual behavior.However the present research finds that the relationship between vegetable consumption intention and vegetable consumption behavior of Chinese urban resident is moderated by self-efficacy.The present research extends the conclusion that individual intention influences individual behavior in Theory of Planned Behavior,and requires researchers to consider relevant variables in adjusting the relationship between willingness and behavior in the study of vegetable consumption behavior.The research findings may also shed light on further research of residents' dietary habits.