The Effect of Perceived Susceptibility and Knowledge on Undergraduate Students’ Attitude towards Functional Food

Abstract

In consumers’ behavior literature, attitude towards functional foods is an essential factor that affects consumers’ acceptance. Functional food companies must ensure that their consumers have a good acceptance of their products. Increasing consumers’ acceptance can be done by improving the factors that influence their attitude. This research aims to test the impact of perceived susceptibility and knowledge on undergraduate students’ attitude towards functional foods that can prevent hypertension. This research is important since the topic is underdeveloped in the literature. This is a quantitative research using a questionnaire as the survey instrument. The respondents were 59 undergraduate students who enrolled in an executive program that belongs to the department of industrial engineering of a private university in Indonesia. The data went through two-step analyses, which were validity and reliability tests and multiple regressions tests. The results revealed that perceived susceptibility and knowledge positively and significantly affect undergraduate students’ attitude towards functional foods that can prevent hypertension.