Antecedents Factors that Influence Soy Consumption: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

We propose a structural model of antecedent factors that affect the frequency of soy consumption. This model, suggests that soy-general knowledge influences perceptions about nutrition concern, health benefits of soy, soy related personal beliefs and personal attitudes toward soy. Health benefits of soy, in turn, impacts soy-related personal beliefs and personal attitudes toward soy. Additionally, soy-related personal beliefs influence personal attitudes toward soy. Finally, both nutrition concern and personal attitudes toward soy drive the frequency of soy consumption. Elaborate tests with calibration and validation samples (derived from a large and nationally representative survey) provide robust empirical support for the proposed model. Implications for consumers and food industry are discussed.