Assessing the factors that influence consumer’s purchase behaviour towards functional foods

Functional foods are foods that improve mental and physical well-being. Consumption of functional food has attracted much interest globally based on its benefit in the prevention of life-threatening diseases such as obesity, stroke, heart attack, diabetes


Introduction
The promotion of a healthy diet and the prevention of some diseases depends heavily on the development of functional foods (Domínguez Díaz et al., 2020).Functional foods are food items that have been altered to provide health benefits in addition to the regular nutrients they would normally contain (Wilkinson et al., 2005).The International Life Sciences Institute states that "food can be considered functional if it has been satisfactorily proven to positively influence one or more target functions in the body, beyond adequate nutritional effects, in a way that is relevant to either an improved state of health and well-being or a decreased risk of disease" (Ashwell, 2002:5).
Functional foods are thought to improve consumers' health and quality of life (Bleiel, 2010;Barauskaite et al., 2018).Functional food items are increasingly well in various nations around the world (Karelakis et al., 2019).In 2018, the global market for functional foods was valued at USD 161.49 billion, and by 2025, it is anticipated to grow to USD 275.77 billion (Grand View Research 2019).For the functional food industry to grow sustainably, it is crucial to comprehend how and why customers purchase functional foods (Sukboonyasatit, 2009).As a result, a sizable number of research studies have attempted to analyze and explain consumer acceptance of, and consumption of, functional foods (Nystrand, & Olsen 2020;Kraus, 2015).Such studies have emphasized pertinent contributing elements, such as demographic characteristics like age and gender, psychological factors like knowledge, perceived benefits, worries about health, safety, and nutrition (Bimbo et al., 2017), situational factors (Mogendi et al., 2016), and other aspects like price and availability (Siegrist et al., 2017), as well as socio-cultural factors (Pappalardo, & Lusk, 2016;Sääksjärvi et al., 2009).However, most of the earlier study has been on developed and Western nations, particularly those in Europe and North America.As a result, their conclusions might not be relevant in other socioeconomic settings, such as emerging and developing market economies (Huang et al., 2019).For instance, Huang, et.al. 2019, claim that Chinese consumers' intentions to buy functional meals are reduced by their high price, while Pappalardo, et.al., (2016), discover that Italian customers are willing to spend extra for a functional snack provided the product's health benefits meet their needs.As a result, additional research is required to shed light on how consumers behave toward functional foods in developing nations like South Africa.
Depending on a country's geography, culture, and socioeconomic conditions, several factors affect consumer purchases of functional foods.To promote knowledge, awareness, and consumption of functional foods, studies are crucial in both developed and developing nations.Therefore, the purpose of this study is to advance the literature by examining some important factors influencing South African consumers' attitudes and intentions regarding the purchase of functional foods.Sequel to the foregoing, the objectives of this study are as follows: To assess the factors that influence consumers' purchase behaviour of functional foods; To investigate the influence of demographic variables on the purchase of functional foods in the uMhlathuze municipality.

Literature review
In 1984, Japan was the first country to use the term "functional food."Food for Specific Health Uses (FOSHU), a new product category created by the Japanese government, is described as food that contains an ingredient that has specific health functions and has been given official approval to declare that it has physiological effects on humans.Japan was followed by the United States, which in the 1990s created the first health claim statute without formally defining functional food (Martirosyan, & Singh 2015).Only in the 21st century did research interest in functional foods experience a sharp increase, and this global increase in interest has had a significant impact on their market (Kaur, & Das, 2011).This was valued at USD 162 billion in 2018 and was anticipated to reach USD 280 billion by 2025 with an annual growth rate of roughly 8% (Grand View Research 2019).The term 'functional food' is used worldwide; however, it does not have a definite global official definition.The non-existence of a definite global official definition makes it difficult to differentiate between functional and conventional foods.Functional food has been defined by some national and international authorities and organizations from simple to complex (Martirosyan, et.al. 2015).According to the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board in the US, a "functional food" is: "any modified food or food ingredient that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains" (Martirosyan, et.al. 2015:5).Whereas the Functional Food Centre (FFC) of America defined Functional food as natural or processed foods that consist of bioactive compounds that can prevent as well as ameliorate chronic diseases (Martirosyan, & Pisarski, 2017).For this study, the researcher chose a definition by (Maharaj, 2019:1), which defines functional food "as food which contains ingredients that provide added health benefits beyond their nutritional value and has been actively fortified/enhanced during production".

Factors influencing consumer's purchase behaviour towards functional foods
Since consumers vary in age, taste, income, education, and other characteristics, so also the way they purchase the product is not the same.Various factors influence the purchase decision of consumers; these factors are classified into internal and external.They are also known as determinants of consumer behavior (Kotler, & Keller, 2016).Under internal influences, we have personal factors such as age, gender, income, level of education, personality and lifestyle, and psychological factors such as perception, learning, motivation, and belief and attitude.Also in external influences, we have cultural factors such as culture, sub-culture, and social class and social factors like reference group, family, role, and status (Nystrand, & Olsen, 2020;Kotler, & Keller, 2016).This implies that demographic factors, cultural, social and psychological factors can influence consumer purchase behaviour toward functional foods.Studies such as Topolska et al., (2021); Kapoor, and Munjal, (2017) have shown that psychological factors contribute to consumer behavior towards functional foods.Consumers can show a positive attitude towards functional food when they believe in their health properties, when they perceive that they are good for them and their loved ones, and when they have adequate knowledge and awareness of functional food (Szakos et al., 2020;Annunziata et al., 2016;Hur, & Jang, 2015).The relationship between sociocultural factors and functional food consumption behavior has also been shown by researchers.According to Sandmann et al., (2015) and Verbeke, (2005), having a sick family member and getting information from doctors or dieticians enhances the possibility that functional foods will be purchased.Hasnah, (2011) reported that cultural values have an impact on functional food intake.Cultures, traditions, and eating customs may also have an impact on how functional foods are purchased (Saba et al., 2010).Schnettler et al., (2015), highlighted that people from racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to purchase functional foods.Geographical location and social class were other factors that affect functional food consumption.

Demographic influence on the purchase of functional foods
The effects of demographic factors on purchase decisions are supported by empirical investigations (Chege et al., 2019).Kolbina et al., (2020); Velcovska, and Del Chiappa, (2015); Sinaga et al., (2017) and Divine and Lepisto, (2005), looked at the consumers' demographics, values, and psychographic antecedents as significant factors in determining a healthy diet and way of life.According to Bozoglu et al., (2019), urban families' willingness to pay for milk safety is significantly influenced by the socio-demographic makeup of their households and their representatives.Yu et al., (2014), argued that the youth may gain more from good health than the elderly, and as a result, they are more willing to pay for functional foods than the elderly.In addition, they believed that older people with lower household incomes were less inclined to alter their dietary routines and were less to pay for new food attributes such as functional food.This shows that socio-demographic factors influence customers' purchase behaviour towards functional foods.

Research and Methodology
The quantitative research methodology was used in the study (Sekaran, & Bougie, (2016).Data were collected from 384 consumers at the grocery stores.The study's design called for data to be gathered from grocery shoppers, which is why questionnaires were used.Due to the busy nature of the environment, the questions were closed-ended to make them quicker and simpler for the consumers to complete.Survey respondents were identified using convenience sampling techniques (Speak et al., 2018).This was done since the nature of the study required grocery store participants and it was impractical to assume that any member who visited these stores would have a known chance of getting chosen.All the respondents in this study were over the age of 18. Respondents' consent was obtained before they completed the questionnaires.Names of the respondents were not required for completing the questionnaires to maintain anonymity and confidentiality.
The survey was conducted in Richards Bay and Empangeni in uMhlathuze Municipality, of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.Richards Bay is a popular town, situated within close proximity to Empaneni.There are a variety of malls, shops, and markets in the town, which include Boardwalk Mall, Boardwalk Inkwazi Shopping Centre, and Meerensee Mall.Empangeni is apprroximately 157 kilometers north of Durban, and the major harbour town of Richards Bay is 16 Kilometers away.Some of the shopping malls and centres in Empangeni include, Sanlam Centre, Fiveways Mall, and Biyela Shopping Centre.According to the Statistics South Africa Census 2011 figure, the population for this region is 334,459 (Statistics South Africa 2011:2).According to the malls' management, the Boardwalk shopping centre in Richards Bay receives an estimated 1.2 million people on a monthly rotating basis, while the Sanlam Centre Mall in Empangeni receives about 700 000 people on a monthly rotating basis.Uma Sekaran's sampling formula stated that if the population is greater than 75 000, 384 people should be included in the sample (Sekaran, 2003).
The study location is one of the big GDP contributor in the province and is home to a large number of customers from the growing middle-class market.The researchers used SPSS version 24 to analyse data.Data analysis methods included descriptive statistics, correlation, and ANOVA.The study's objective was made explicit in the questionnaire, participation was voluntary, and confidentiality and anonymity were guaranteed for ethical reasons (UZREC 11110-030 PGM 2018/571).

Analysis and Findings
The demographic profiles of the respondents are depicted in Table 1.

Factors that influence the purchase behaviour of functional foods
The results from Table 2 shows that the highest cultural factors mean is "I buy functional foods because that is now part of my values that I share with my family, friends, and social group" with a (mean of 3.74 and a standard deviation of 0.997).This implies that cultural and social norms are necessary for purchasing functional foods.These findings reveal that the cultural factors that influence the purchase of functional foods more are family obligation and concern.People believe and trust the information they get from their family and friends more.

Source: Research authors
The highest social factors mean is "I value the health of my children, so I buy functional foods that benefit their wellbeing" (mean 3.88 and a standard deviation of 1.159).Followed by the role of family and friends and the role of doctors with (mean of 2.93 and 2.91), standard deviation of (1.158 and 1.133) respectively.The findings revealed that the role of family, friends, and doctors influence the purchase of functional foods.
The personal factor with the highest mean is "I only buy functional foods products which I consider to be within my income levels" (mean of 4.11 and standard deviation of 0.963).Followed by a healthy lifestyle and the presence of aged people at home with (mean of 3.93 and 3.64), standard deviation of (0.893 and 1.238) respectively.This implies that price influences the purchase of functional foods.Therefore, these foods should be affordable.
The Psychological factor with the highest mean is "I know the added benefits in functional foods" with (mean of 3.95 and standard deviation of 0.910).These findings revealed that psychological factors that influence the purchase of functional foods include the knowledge and awareness of the added benefits of the foods, maintainig well-being and reduce medication consumption.The results indicate moderate to high levels of factors that influence the purchase of functional foods.

The influence of socio-demographic variables on the purchase of functional foods
Table 3 depicted the Influence of gender on the factors that influence respondents' purchase behaviour.It suggested that when subdividing based on gender, male and female, using the t-test for significance the two groups were found not to be statistically different (p > 0.05), with cultural factors (p = 0.676), social factors (p = 0.676), personal factors (p = 0.721), and psychological factors (p = 0.402).Mean and the standard deviation was computed on each of the purchase behaviour items for gender.This suggested that men and women behave similarly with regard to factors that influence their purchase behaviour.While the cultural factors mean score for males was (2.49), that for female was a bit lower (2.39).The social factors mean score for males was (2.58) and that of females was (2.54), personal factors mean score for males was (2.89), same with the female.The psychological factors mean score for males was (2.70), while that for females was higher (2.75).This implies that gender is not a strong motivating factor in the purchase of functional foods.The level of significance was assigned at 0.05% confidence level.4 is a comparison of consumers' purchase behaviour and age groups.The level of significance was at 0.05% confidence.The table revealed that there is a strong significant relationship between cultural factors as indicated by the F score of (p = 0.001) and age groups.It can also be observed that there is a weak positive (rho 0.26) significant correlation of (p = 0.001) between age group and cultural factors.These findings showed that the older a person gets the greater impact cultural factors will have on their purchase decisions.Based on the table, there is a strong significant relationship between social factors with F score (p = 0.001) and age group.It can also be observed that there is a moderate positive (rho 0.35) significant correlation (p = 0.001) between social factors and age.These findings suggested that as people increase in age, the more impact social factors will be on their purchase decisions of functional foods.

Influence of age on consumers purchase behaviour
It can also be seen from the table that there is a significant relationship between personal factors with F score of (p = 0.005) and age group, and there is a weak positive (rho 0.156) significant correlation (0.002) between age group and personal factors.This means that the older a person gets the greater impact personal factors will be on their purchasing decision.Lastly, the table revealed that there is no significant relationship between age group and psychological factors with a p-value that is greater than 0.05 (p = 0.987), and an F score of (p = 0.982), and there is no correlation (rho -0.001) between age group and psychological factors.

Influence of level of education
Table 5 displayed the ANOVA statistics and correlation on the factors that influence consumer purchase behaviour by the level of education.The table showed that there is a strong significant relationship between social factors, personal factors and psychological factors as indicated by the F scores of (p = 0.000), (p = 0.000) and (p = 0.005) respectively.It can also be seen from the table that there is a weak significant positive (rho 0.208, 0.224, 0.140) correlation (p = 0.000, 0.000, 0.006) between social factors, personal factors, psychological factors respectively and level of education.The table also showed that there is no significant relationship indicated by the F score of (p = 0.215) between cultural factors and level of education, however, there is no correlation (rho -0.013) between cultural factors and level of education (p = 0.79).The scores above indicate that the more educated customers become the greater their purchasing decisions will be influenced by social, personal, and psychological factors.

Influence of monthly income
Table 6 showed that there is a significant relationship indicated by F score (p = 0.001) between monthly income and cultural factors and there is a weak significant positive (rho 0.19) correlation (p = 0.0001) between cultural factors and monthly income.
The table also revealed that there is a significant relationship between social, personal, and psychological factors as indicated by the F scores (p = 0.000, 0.002, 0.003) respectively and monthly income, and there is a weak significant positive (rho 0.19 0.32, 0.18, 0.17) correlation between social, personal, psychological respectively and monthly income.These findings revealed that the more income customers earn the greater their purchasing decisions will be influenced by social, personal and psychological factors.

Source: Research authors
Table 7 showed the inferential statistics on the factors that influence consumer purchase behaviour by employment status.The table presented the mean, median, mode and standard deviation, correlation test and ANOVA p-value.The table showed that there is no significant difference in the four groups of employment status indicated by F score of (p =0.8580, 0.0840, 0.5140, 0.3000) and no correlation (rho -0.016, 0.047, -0.049, 0.033) between the factors that influence consumer behaviour of functional foods and employment status.This means that employment status does not affect customers' purchase decisions.

Discussion
The study showed that the factors that influence the consumer purchase behavior of functional food can be broken down into personal, social, psychological, and cultural factors.The results revealed that personal factors that influence the purchase of functional foods according to the respondent's responses include, the income they earn, to maintain their healthy lifestyle and its suitability for the older members of the family.These findings supported the study of Vella et al., (2014), which revealed that the factors that influence consumer purchase behavior includes, the presence of older people in the house, and the health consciousness of consumers.Likewise, Huang, et.al. (2019), andNguyen, et.al. (2020) found that health consciousness influences consumers' attitudes toward functional foods.
The study findings revealed that the cultural factors that influence the purchase of functional foods more are family obligation, concern, and family influence.Respondents believe that they must take care of their family and dependents health-wise.These findings supported earlier studies of Annunziata, & Vecchio, (2013); and Barrios et al., (2008) which revealed that in a family that has children under 12 years old of age, parents feel responsible for their health, and this may encourage them to purchase more nutritional products such as functional foods.The study also showed that respondents did not agree that their cultural groups encourage them to consume functional foods, which contradicted the study by Hasnah, (2011) which suggested that functional foods consumption is influenced by cultural values and beliefs.The study findings also revealed that the most important social factors that influence the purchase of functional foods include; peer influence, conviction from friends and family and the recommendation from doctors.Our findings indicate that by utilizing the power of social influence, functional food marketers can improve consumer perceptions of the efficacy of functional food.According to our findings, consumer purchasing behavior regarding functional food is influenced by family preferences and peer pressure.These findings supported the past study of Sandmann, et al. (2015), which highlighted doctors/dieticians as the main source of information regarding functional foods.According to Barauskaite, et al. (2018), customers who purchase functional foods let their family and friends know that they are concerned about their health and happiness.Similar findings were made by Nystrand, et al. (2020), who discovered that social pressure was a significant predictor of Norwegian consumers' intention to buy functional foods.
In the present study, the findings suggested that the most psychological factors that influence the purchase of functional foods include the knowledge and awareness of the added benefits in the foods, to maintain wellbeing and to reduce taking medication.This supported an earlier study by Vecchio et al., (2016) which highlighted health benefits as the most determinant factors for consumer willingness of purchasing functional foods, to the extent that consumers are willing to compromise on taste.This showed that consumers mostly purchase functional foods to maintain their well-being and as a guard against diseases.The finding also supported previous research Huang, et al. (2019) that found a correlation between the intention to purchase functional foods and health consciousness.In addition, Jung et al., (2020) andSandmann, et al. (2015) found that consumers' intentions to consume functional foods are stronger the more conscious or concerned about their health.The study also revealed that there is no significant difference between males and females and the factors influencing them to purchase functional foods.This is contrary to the findings of past research, which indicated that female consumers tend to purchase functional foods more compared to male consumers (Verneau et al., 2019;Çakiroğlu, & Uçar, 2018;Annunziata, & Vecchio, 2013;Büyükkaragöz et al., (2014).Moreover, a study conducted by Kljusuric et al., (2015), reported that female consumers from Coastal Croatia were not willing to pay increased prices for functional foods.The study also revealed that there is a strong significant relationship between the cultural, the social factors and age groups.These findings showed that the older a person gets the greater impact cultural and social factors will have on their purchase decisions of functional foods.This supported past studies of Verneau, et al. (2019);Bornkessel, et al. (2014); Urala, and Lahteenmeaki, (2007), which highlighted that older respondents were more willing to consume functional foods on the bases that it helps in reducing the risk of contracting diseases and to counteract health issues related to aging.However, other research revealed that younger individuals had a higher interest in functional meals than their older contemporaries (Çakiroğlu, & Uçar, 2018;Rezai et al., 2012).Young people's interest in consuming functional foods was linked by Carrillo et al., (2013) to their openness and readiness to explore novel foods.
The study also showed that there is a strong significant relationship between the level of education and social, personal, and psychological factors.This indicated that the more educated customers become the greater their purchasing decisions will be influenced by social, personal, and psychological factors.This also supported past research which revealed that those with a higher level of education had a better base of knowledge, and a more positive attitude towards purchasing functional food (Szakály et al., 2019;Kraus et al., 2017;Ong et al., 2014;Herath et al., 2008).Additionally, the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between monthly income and social, personal, and psychological factors.These findings showed that the more income customers earn the greater their purchasing decisions will be influenced by social, personal and psychological factors.This supported a previous study indicating that consumers with high income tend to purchase functional foods more compared to consumers with low income (Dolgopolova, & Teuber, 2016).

Conclusions
The results revealed that the factors that influence consumer purchase behavior includes; income, the presence of older people in the house, health consciousness of consumers, cultural values and belief, the role of doctors and information from family and friends.The researcher concludes that given the crucial role that awareness and information play in influencing consumer purchasing decisions, marketing campaigns could include social influencers or functional food authorities like doctors and health advisors.Health food marketers may create marketing techniques that motivate current customers to tell their friends and family about their products in order to keep them as customers.More visibility can also raise awareness, and present more chances to communicate the perceived efficacy of functional foods and foster a favourable attitude toward them.Thus, by creating compact and portable packaging that consumers can use in public, health food marketers can raise awareness of their products among other consumers.
Furthermore, food manufacturers should highlight the health benefits of their products in marketing materials and draw attention to the government agency's approval where functional foods have shown health benefits and have been approved by the relevant government body.This will help consumers perceive the products as being more effective.Also, it's critical for manufacturers to increase their production efficiency as well as to cut the cost of the product so that consumers can afford to buy functional foods, and retailers should make every effort to lower their distribution costs.In other to encourage consumers to buy more functional foods, other programs like bundle pricing or discounts should also be used.It is suggested that future studies could be carried out in various cultural contexts to better understand the variables affecting consumers' buying behaviour for functional foods in various societies.

Table 1 :
Demographic profile of the respondents

Table 2 :
Factors that influence the purchase behaviour of functional foods(N = 384)

Table 3 :
Results of one-way ANOVA F-test and Correlation performed for variables on factors that influence consumer purchase behavior on gender (N=384)

Table 4 :
Results of one-way ANOVA F-test and Correlation performed for variables on factors that influence consumer purchase behavior in different age groups (N=384)

Table 5 :
Results of one-way ANOVA F-test and Correlation performed on variables on factors that influence purchase behavior on the level of education (N=384)

Table 6 :
Results of one-way ANOVA F-test and Correlation performed on factors that influence consumer purchase behavior by monthly income (N=384)

Table 7 :
Results of one-way ANOVA F-test and Correlation performed on factors that influence consumer purchase behaviour by Employment status (N=384)