18. FACTORS INFLUENCING SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS IN CAN THO UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is crucial for balancing societal needs with environmental sustainability. While conducting research in Vietnam, studies often focus narrowly on perceptions and attitudes. This study aimed to address this gap by developing and testing an extended model incorporating perceived behavioral control (PBC), belief in environmentally friendly products (BP), consumption attitude for community benefit (ATC), and contextual factors (CF) influencing sustainable consumption behavior among university students. Data were collected via questionnaires from 240 students across four training units at Can Tho University. Regression analysis revealed that ATC (β = 0.385), CF (β = 0.353), BP (β = 0.240), and PBC (β = -0.112) significantly predicted environmental and health protection behaviors (PB), explaining 55.5 % (R² = 0.555) of its variance. Resource and energy saving behaviors (SB) were significantly predicted by CF (β = 0.378), BP (β = 0.153), and PBC (β = 0.151), explaining 44.8 % (R² = 0.448) of its variance. Findings indicate students practice PB more frequently than SB, with significant differences observed across training units and academic years. These results offer valuable insights for designing targeted interventions to promote sustainable consumption among Can Tho University students.