Predicting consumers' intention towards seafood products: An extended theory of planned behavior

The average per capita consumption of seafood in developing countries such as Iran is low and remains below the minimum recommended consumption levels. This study aimed to investigate the determinants influencing the intention to consume seafood, using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior model. This research examined the relationship among an individual's attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, COVID-19, health involvement, psychological risk, moral obligation, and intention to consume seafood. The Structural Equation Modeling method was used to estimate the proposed model and test the hypotheses, using a survey that was conducted on a heterogeneous sample of 1121 Iranian seafood consumers. The findings demonstrated that an individual's attitude towards seafood consumption is the strongest positive determinant of consumers' seafood behavioral intention. Subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, health involvement, moral obligation, and psychological risk were other significant determinants of consumers' intention. These findings provide helpful information for public health decision-makers and seafood marketing leaders and experts.