Factors influencing consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements

Nur Amelia Syakira, . and Nitty Hirawaty Kamarulzaman, . (2020) Factors influencing consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. Malaysian Journal of Agricultural Economics (Malaysia), 29 (1). pp. 1-21. ISSN 2756-8288

Dietary supplement fraud cases have become a major concern among consumers due to proven damage and effects on the health and lives of consumers. An increase in the risk of food safety might result from the high consumption of fraudulent dietary supplements. However, fraudulent activities are difficult to verify due to the lack of awareness of consumers on the safety and authenticity of active ingredients used in the dietary supplements’ production. Thus, this study was carried out to achieve the following objectives: i) to determine consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements; ii) to determine factors that influence consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. A purposive sampling method was used to select 400 respondents and a structured questionnaire was established to collect the data. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, Chi-square, factors and multiple regression analyses were employed to analyse the data. The results revealed that most of the respondents were aware of fraudulent dietary supplements. Socio-demographic profiles such as age, race, religion and education level had significant associations with consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. There was a moderate positive relationship between knowledge and attitude of consumers towards fraudulent dietary supplements. Subjective norms, awareness, attitude and perceived behavioural control were the factors that influenced consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. The study recommended that government and relevant agencies should continuously organize awareness campaigns and activities on the crime, existence and danger of food fraud especially for dietary supplements in Malaysia.

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Abstract

Dietary supplement fraud cases have become a major concern among consumers due to proven damage and effects on the health and lives of consumers. An increase in the risk of food safety might result from the high consumption of fraudulent dietary supplements. However, fraudulent activities are difficult to verify due to the lack of awareness of consumers on the safety and authenticity of active ingredients used in the dietary supplements’ production. Thus, this study was carried out to achieve the following objectives: i) to determine consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements; ii) to determine factors that influence consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. A purposive sampling method was used to select 400 respondents and a structured questionnaire was established to collect the data. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, Chi-square, factors and multiple regression analyses were employed to analyse the data. The results revealed that most of the respondents were aware of fraudulent dietary supplements. Socio-demographic profiles such as age, race, religion and education level had significant associations with consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. There was a moderate positive relationship between knowledge and attitude of consumers towards fraudulent dietary supplements. Subjective norms, awareness, attitude and perceived behavioural control were the factors that influenced consumers’ behaviour towards fraudulent dietary supplements. The study recommended that government and relevant agencies should continuously organize awareness campaigns and activities on the crime, existence and danger of food fraud especially for dietary supplements in Malaysia.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	consumer behaviour
AGROVOC Term:	food fraud
AGROVOC Term:	consumers
AGROVOC Term:	food safety
AGROVOC Term:	knowledge
AGROVOC Term:	attitudes
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Mr. Khoirul Asrimi Md Nor
Date Deposited:	21 Apr 2026 07:21
Last Modified:	21 Apr 2026 07:21
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3811

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