Fast-Food Consumption Intention among High School Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract Background: Intention to Fast Food Consumption among children and adolescents has been recognized as a serious health concerns globally. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify factors influencing student’s intentions toward fast food consumption. Methods: A correlational study was conducted using a convenience sampling technique. Participants included high school students in grades 9th to 10th from two selected schools. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The average age of the students was 15.32 years. The intention to consume fast food was negatively correlated with the students' age (r=-.281, p<.001) and female students had a higher intention to consume fast food (t =-5.386, p<.001). The results showed a statistically significant relationship that the higher scores of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were positively correlated with higher intention to fast food consumption (p<.05) respectively. Further analysis showed that attitude and perceived behavioral control were the significant predictors of intention to consume fast food (ꞵ=.296, p<.001), and (ꞵ=.478, p<.001) together explained 42% of the variance in the intention to consume fast food among students. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide baseline information for policymakers to develop strategies following effective health education programs to raise awareness of attitudes among students. Further studies should examine the constructive ways of changing attitudes and reasonable alternatives to alter perceived behavioral control regarding the intention to fast food consumption.