Decoding Young Consumers’ Continued Intentions toward Sustainable Plant-Based Meals

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this study is to predict the intention to continue choosing sustainable plant-based meals (INT), a trend that has been growing strongly among young people, but still lacks a comprehensive investigation.
Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative method was applied with a survey of 256 Vietnamese consumers (25–40 years old). The data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to examine the roles of ecological concerns (EC), health benefits (HB), and religious values (RV) in shaping attitudes towards sustainable plant-based meals (AT), and their subsequent impact on INT.
Findings: The results showed that EC and HB both had a positive impact on AT, while RV directly impacts both AT and INT. Last but not least, AT plays a key role in promoting INT.
Originality/value: This study contributes to theory by simultaneously integrating environmental, health, and religious factors into a unified model for predicting INT. At the same time, the findings provide practical implications for managers in designing strategies to encourage sustainable plant-based eating behaviours.