Health Consciousness as a Moderator of the Food Quality–Purchase Intention Relationship: Evidence from University Students in the Cameroonian Restaurant Industry

Abstract ―​

The restaurant industry faces persistently high failure rates globally, and a significant driver of business sustainability is the ability to attract and retain consumers. This study examines the moderating role of health consciousness on the relationship between food quality (independent variable) and purchase intention (dependent variable) among university students in the Cameroonian restaurant industry. Grounded in an integrated theoretical framework comprising the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 801 undergraduate students across four Cameroonian universities and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4. Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis (CTA) guided measurement model specification. Food quality was modelled formatively; health consciousness and purchase intention were modelled reflectively. Results confirm that food quality exerts a significant positive direct effect on purchase intention (β = 0.16, p = 0.02, f² = 0.10). Critically, health consciousness significantly moderates this relationship (β = 0.18, p = 0.01, f² = 0.21), with the interaction term carrying a moderate effect size—the most powerful explanatory mechanism in the focal model. Simple slope analysis confirms that the food quality–purchase intention relationship is substantially stronger among highly health-conscious students. These findings advance the cross-cultural applicability of PMT and SCT in sub-Saharan African restaurant research and carry significant implications for restaurant operators and public health policymakers in Cameroon.