A Review of Research on Factors Influencing Chinese Consumers' Healthy Food Purchases

College of Medicine, Xi'an International University, Xi'an, 710077, China

^* Corresponding author: yanggao@hhu.edu.cn

Abstract

The public's health awareness has increased substantially with the progress of society, food safety incidents are frequent, and the Chinese government has introduced a number of health-related policies, so it is necessary to study the influencing factors on consumers' purchasing of healthy food. This paper investigates the influencing factors on consumers’ purchase of healthy food through literature analysis and finds that consumers’ perception of healthy food significantly influences their purchase of healthy food through different dimensions. Perceptions are correlated with education, however, when consumers perceive that the health food market in China is not sufficiently safe and secure the higher their level of concern the lower their purchase rate. Purchasing habits and preferences, income level, type of occupation, and personal and family health conditions all have an impact on the purchase of healthy foods. Among product factors high prices are a major barrier to healthy food purchases. Government regulation of the food industry and consumer protection all have a strong effect on consumer purchases of healthy food. Characteristics such as the environment, convenience, trustworthiness and price level of the place of consumption also have an impact on the purchase of health food.