Factors Influencing University Students' Intention to Purchase International Food Brands in Sabah

Kong Weng Yan; Joan Cheok Ling Lee1; Fatin Nur Irdina; Liu Yi Jiun; Tan Xin Yen; Darshinie Saravanan; Nursyahadah Yeng Yeng Marmuki; Nizhamuddina AB

doi:10.51200/jaaab.7866

Authors

Kong Weng Yan Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Joan Cheok Ling Lee1 Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Fatin Nur Irdina Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Liu Yi Jiun Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Tan Xin Yen Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Darshinie Saravanan Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Nursyahadah Yeng Yeng Marmuki Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Nizhamuddina AB

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/jaaab.7866

Keywords:

international food brands, purchase intention, Theory of Planned Behavior, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, university students in Sabah

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing university students' intention to purchase international food brands in Sabah using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study focuses on attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as predictors of purchase intention. A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied, and data were collected through an online questionnaire from 87 university students in Sabah. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling through SmartPLS 3.0. The findings show that attitude has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, followed by subjective norms. Perceived behavioral control does not show a significant effect. These results suggest that emotional evaluation, brand perception, peer influence, and social approval are more important than access or affordability in shaping students’ intention to buy international food brands. The study contributes to consumer behavior research by extending the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to young consumers in East Malaysia. It also offers practical guidance for international food brands that seek to build stronger engagement with university students through lifestyle-based positioning, peer-driven campaigns, and student-focused digital marketing.

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Ajzen, I. (2002). Perceived behavioral control, self-efficacy, locus of control, and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(4), 665-683. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb00236.x

Blackwell, R. D., Miniard, P. W., & Engel, J. F. (2012). Consumer behavior. Cengage Learning.

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2007). Business research methods (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Comrey, A. L., & Lee, H. B. (1992). A first course in factor analysis (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149-1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149

Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Addison-Wesley.

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Khaw, W.-F., Nasaruddin, N. H., Alias, N., Chan, Y. M., Tan, L. A., Cheong, S. M., Ganapathy, S. S., Mohd Yusoff, M. F., & Yong, H. Y. (2022). Socio-demographic factors and healthy lifestyle behaviours among Malaysian adults: National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16368-0

Malhotra, N. K. (2010). Marketing research: An applied orientation (6th ed.). Pearson Education.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (8th ed.). Pearson.

Solomon, M. R. (2018). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being. Pearson.

Wahlen, S., van der Horst, H., & Pothoff, R. (2016). How convenient!? Adolescents’ vistas on food competences in a convenience context. British Food Journal, 118(11), 2828-2838. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2015-0278

Yang, F., Ren, L., Sun, J., & Gu, C. (2025). A study of the purchase intention of alternative foods. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88997-1

Zhao, X., Liu, Y., Wang, J., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Consumer attitudes, trust, and intention to purchase organic food. Foods, 13(20), Article 3242. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13203242