Making the decision to purchase health supplement products: a study of consumer behaviour

Health Supplement Products (HSPs), a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), have become increasingly popular in Western societies. Despite their widespread usage, the issue of why some people purchase HSPs and others do not is poorly understood. In part, this is due to limited research: few CAM studies have utilised consumer behaviour perspectives or have applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) in explaining and predicting the purchase of HSPs. A conceptual model and twelve research hypotheses were developed from the findings of preliminary qualitative research (in-depth interviews with 65 adults) and a review of the literature regarding CAM and the HBM. The criterion variable used in the conceptual model was the 'likelihood of a consumer purchasing an HSP'. The predictor variables comprise 'perceived value of HSPs', 'perceived general health threats', 'external cues to action', five personality traits, and three socio-demographic variables.