Towards a Holistic Understanding: Health Consciousness and Perceived Benefit in Consumer Choices of Hydroponic Products

Hydroponic products have emerged as a popular choice, particularly among urban populations opting for healthy food alternatives. This study aims to investigate the impact of health consciousness and perceived benefits on the purchase intention of hydroponic products. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of perceived benefits, concerning the Value-Based Consumer Decision Model. The study encompasses responses from 208 participants residing in Indonesia, obtained through snowball sampling techniques. The study utilizes structural equation modelling (SEM) methodology using SmartPLS 4 software. The findings elucidate the significant roles that health consciousness β 0.294 and perceived benefits β 0.393 play in shaping the purchase intention toward hydroponic products. Health consciousness as a crucial factor for perceived benefit β 0.483. This research delves deeper by developing a model to fill existing research gaps. It explores the mediating role of perceived benefit in influencing the relationship between health consciousness on purchase intention β 0.190, the model reveals that perceived benefit successfully mediates the influence of health consciousness on purchase intention. This research is novel in its application of the value-based consumer decision model to the consumer behavior associated with hydroponic products. It offers important implications for business practitioners in the hydroponic product sector, providing invaluable insights into the shifting market dynamics driven by an increasingly health-conscious and benefit-oriented consumer base.


Introduction
The transformation of global food consumption trends has been significantly influenced by a heightened awareness towards health.Numerous studies highlight the importance of health as a principal driver in contemporary food choices [1,2].Notably, a rise in chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, has been strongly related to poor dietary habits [3,4].At this juncture, the younger generation holds the potential to shape a healthier future, with changes in their dietary preferences being 1324 (2024) 012130 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1324/1/012130 2 key to enhancing societal well-being and addressing health challenges [5].While studies are exploring the motivations behind specific food choices [4,6], a research gap exists in exploring the holistic drivers influencing these decisions.Furthermore, several scholarly investigations grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) have examined making healthy food choices [7], research examining the interaction of value-based consumer decision factors is limited [6,8].Within this framework, the complexity of food choices is undeniable.Factors ranging from personal health motivations to external determinants, like cultural norms and marketing influence [9,10], interact to shape individual healthy food selection behaviors [8,11,12].
Against the backdrop of current global demographic and environmental trajectories, the agricultural domain is undergoing significant transitions.Rapid urbanization and the realities of climate change highlight the need to switch to sustainable agricultural practices.With the evolution of urban landscapes and the decline of traditional farmland, urban agriculture, especially hydroponics, emerges as a beacon of hope.Hydroponics is an agricultural method that involves cultivating plants with essential mineral nutrients without using soil [13].Projected to increase its market value to USD 22.2 billion by 2028 [14], hydroponics offers robust solutions to food insecurity challenges exacerbated by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic.In this technique, plant roots are immersed in soil-free substances like vermiculite, perlite, or mineral nutrient solutions [15].Remarkably, hydroponic systems, which eliminate the need for soil, have showcased profound environmental benefits compared to conventional farming, driven by their ability to combat soil degradation and enhance resource efficiency [16,17].
Hydroponics can be categorized into open and closed systems [13], with the advantage of plants in hydroponics not having to compete for resources.This allows for denser and vertical planting, saving space [18].Controlled hydroponic systems with regulated lighting and temperatures result in shorter growth cycles compared to traditional soil-based cultivation, enabling multiple growth cycles with consistently high yields throughout the year.Due to the high costs associated with controlling light and temperature, the need for extensive maintenance, and the mild winter climate, most hydroponic growers in Israel and the Mediterranean region currently use uncontrolled growth systems [13].In contrast to conventional farming, soilless indoor cultivation, such as hydroponics, offers a more manageable and controlled environment that minimizes the risk of microbial contamination within the cultivation facility [19].The absence of soil and the closed nature of the cultivation facility provide significant advantages in minimizing soilborne diseases and the contamination of plants by soilborne human pathogens.Unlike soil-based cultivation, hydroponics does not involve the use of raw or partially treated animal manure, which is a known carrier of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli [20].
Research focusing on key themes frequently utilized in studies on diet foods and healthy foods, such as health consciousness and perceived benefit, is still scarce, particularly regarding the consumption of hydroponic products.There is a need for research to understand the consumption of hydroponic products based on consumer behaviour in markets, especially in Indonesia.In Indonesia, the consumption of hydroponics has vast and yet untapped potential.Perceived benefit is one of the common factors that can influence and mediate this research, especially within the framework of the value-based consumer decision model.
The primary objective of this study is to address a significant research void by investigating the impact of health consciousness on the perceived benefits of hydroponic products, as well as the combined influence of these characteristics on consumer purchase intentions within the context of Indonesia.This research also delves deeper into the mediating role of perceived benefits.By providing a more nuanced understanding of what underlies the purchase intentions of hydroponic products, this research offer valuable insights for producers and policymakers in the burgeoning hydroponic market.

Health Consciousness
Health consciousness, according to Espinosa and Kadić-Maglajlić [21], is the awareness of one's health and the motivation to take action to promote wellness and health.Individuals concerned about their health actively seek information on improving their health.This is likely why health consciousness influences perceptions of product knowledge and thoughts about purchase intentions [22].According to Hoque et al. [22], health consciousness has a positive effect on attitude but not on purchase intent.in addition, studies by Abrar et al. [23] and Basha et al. [24], have demonstrated that health consciousness positively influences attitude and purchase intention.For example, Abrar et al. [23] show that customer views toward green textile products are shifting, and this is largely due to consumer health consciousness.Consumer behavior literature from the past has looked at the connection between consumers' health consciousness and purchase intention.For instance, it was reported in the references Asif et al. [25], Wang et al. [26], and Konuk [27] that customers' understanding of the health benefits of organic food can influence their purchasing decision.Prior research has shown that perceived susceptibility to and severity of a specific health problem, perceived benefits of the advised habits to lessen risk or severity of the health problem, and perceived barriers to implementing the behaviour all predict health behaviours, according to the Health Belief Model (HBM) [28].According to the model, behavior is likely for those people if they believe a negative health outcome will be severe, believe they are vulnerable to it, believe there are many benefits to adopting behaviors that will lessen the likelihood of that outcome, and believe there are few barriers to doing so.Therefore, the current study proposed the hypothesis as follows: H1: Health consciousness influences perceived benefit.H2: Health consciousness influences purchase intention.

Perceived Benefit
The impact of perceived benefits of healthy food on attitudes is anticipated to be positive; consumers' attitudes toward their purchase behavior are expected to be more positive the more strongly they believe that eating organic food improves their health and fosters a more sustainable world.Additionally, previous research has demonstrated that attitude influences the effect of perceived benefits of organic food on purchase intention [29].A consumer's perception of the advantage from the purchase and or use of an item is known as the perceived benefit [30].The combination of tangible and intangible, inherent and external, utilitarian and non-utilitarian, explicit and implicit, and other factors collectively contribute to the perception of benefits [31,32].Perceived benefit is an essential aspect of consumer decisions, and it varies depending on the circumstances and context of consumption.Perceived benefits influence attitudes and behavioral intentions, according to previous research [33,34].Prior studies have shown that altered feelings as a result of perceived dangers have a significant impact on behavior.Therefore, the current study proposed the hypothesis as follows: H3: Perceived Benefit influences purchase intention.H4: The influence of health consciousness on purchase intention through perceived benefit.

Purchase Intention
Purchasing intentions have a crucial role in forecasting purchasing behaviour [35].Purchase intention refers to the probability consumers will formulate or express a willingness to acquire a specific product or service later [36], as stated by Martins et al. [37], this study investigates whether customers with good buying intentions are more likely to purchase when they experience positive engagement.In other words, if a consumer has a positive intent to purchase, a positive engagement will encourage that purchase.Purchase intention is based on an examination of the relationship between a consumer's behavior and his/her intentions, making it a crucial construct for consumer research In marketing research, intention is an essential characteristic that organizations use to estimate sales of new items or repeat purchases of current products [38].In addition, it reveals the customer's propensity to purchase from the same retailer and to share their experience with others [39].

Methodology
In this study, snowball sampling was employed to distribute an online form for data collection [40], focusing specifically on respondents who had consumed hydroponic products within the last three months.Therefore, the exact population for this study is unknown.To identify respondents that met the research criteria, several measures were enacted, including the administration of screening questions and subsequent analysis of the responses received.We excluded data from participants who completed the form in less than five minutes and provided similar responses.Respondents' answers to indicator variables were measured using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7, where 1 represents "strongly disagree" and 7 represents "strongly agree." According to Hair et al. [41], minimum sample sizes can be determined based on the number of indicator objects.This study involves 10 items, hence requiring a minimum of 100 samples.However, to enhance the sample size and precision of the results, this study incorporated 208 validated respondents who had either consumed or purchased hydroponic products, as indicated by their responses to the initial survey question.This research employs the structural equation model (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 software [42].SEM is chosen for its capability to effectively measure new models and construct variables that encompass multiple items [43].Various tests were conducted in this study, including descriptive statistics, common method bias (CMB), convergent validity and reliability, as well as path analysis with bootstrapping.These tests were performed to ascertain the outcomes of the research based on inferential statistics [44].  1 provides valuable demographic data about 208 individuals who are either involved in or interested in hydroponic products and practices.Within this group, females constitute a significant majority at 66.827%, leaving males to represent the remaining 33.173%.Interestingly, a substantial 66.346% of the participants belong to Generation Z (ages 17 to 26), underscoring a marked interest in hydroponics among younger individuals.Those in the Generation Y category (ages 27 to 42) make up 32.692%, while Generation X individuals (ages 43 to 58) are minimally represented at 0.962%.Regarding education, the data unveils a varied educational landscape among participants, encompassing high school graduates (35.096%), diploma holders (24.519%),Bachelor's Degree recipients (37.5%), and individuals with postgraduate qualifications (2.885%).This diversity in educational levels suggests that hydroponics holds appeal for a broad spectrum of individuals, irrespective of their educational background.

Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics in this study are utilized to discern the measurements and tendencies of the variability in respondents' answers.Understanding these statistics in detail provides insights into the central tendencies of respondents in evaluating their answers for each item within each construct in the model.2, health consciousness (HC) pertains to the extent of individuals' awareness and consideration regarding their health when engaging with hydroponic products.The variables HC1 to HC3 may represent various facets or degrees of health consciousness.The means for these variables are diverse, ranging from 4.423 to 5.779, indicating a spectrum of health consciousness levels among individuals.The data spread is reasonable, with standard deviations between 1.2 and 1.8.The skewness and kurtosis values suggest that the data distribution for HC variables is relatively normal, albeit with a slight inclination towards higher values, especially for HC1 and HC3.Perceived benefit (PB) denotes the value or advantage potential buyers expect to derive from a hydroponic product or service.The subcategories PB1 through PB5 likely correspond to distinct aspects of perceived benefits.Each category sheds light on different advantages discerned by consumers.With mean values ranging from 5.106 to 5.519, there is a moderate to high level of perceived benefit.However, perceptions vary, as evidenced by the standard deviation values (ranging from 1.105 to 1.403).Most PB variables exhibit negative skewness, indicating a data distribution leaning towards higher values, while the near-zero excess kurtosis values suggest a fairly normal distribution with minor deviations.Purchase intention (PI) reflects the likelihood that consumers intend to buy a hydroponic product or service.The subcategories PI1 and PI2 may measure different elements of purchase intentions.Their mean values, 5.375 and 5.668, signal a moderate to high purchase intention among participants.With low standard deviations, responses tend to cluster around the mean.The negative skewness observed in both PI variables points to a trend towards higher values.Furthermore, the kurtosis values imply a distribution with thicker tails, signifying the presence of more extreme values than would be anticipated in a normal distribution.

Common Method Bias (CMB)
Common Method Bias (CMB) represents a pervasive challenge within the realm of behavioral research [45].This issue emerges when the data for predictor and criterion variables are collected from a single respondent, engendering the potential for spurious or inflated relationships between said variables due to the introduction of shared method variance.

Constructs
Inner VIF Perceived Benefit 1.305 Health Consciousness 1.307 Table 3 presents the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) values for two constructs: Perceived Benefit and Health Consciousness, with VIF values of 1.305 and 1.307 respectively.According to Kock [45], a VIF value under 3.3 is considered acceptable as it indicates a low level of multicollinearity.Due to the absence of significant multicollinearity, each construct independently explains the dependent variable without being influenced by any other constructs.

Convergent Validity and Reliability
In this study, we conducted outer loading tests to measure the extent to which indicator items can reflect constructs, primarily by measuring outer loading, Cronbach's alpha, AVE, and Fornell-Larcker criteria.4 shows the measuring model's outcomes for three crucial constructs: perceived benefit, health consciousness, and purchase intention.Regarding perceived benefit, outer loadings fall between 0.676 and 0.868, indicating a robust and significant association between the construct and its observed variables [42].The cronbach's alpha value of 0.875 reveals high internal consistency within this construct [40].With an average variance extracted (AVE) of 0.727, which is above the usual 0.5 threshold [44], there is evidence that the perceived benefit construct captures a significant amount of variance in the indicators.The fornell-larcker criterion, valued at 0.887, further underscores the construct's distinctiveness from others in the model.The outer loadings for health consciousness range from 0.650 to 0.896, indicating a reliable relationship with its observed variables.HC2 was deleted because its outer loading of 0.650 is less than 0.7.A Cronbach's Alpha of 0.731 denotes reliable internal consistency.Moreover, the AVE of 0.787 indicates the construct aptly explains a notable amount of variance in its indicators.With fornell-larcker values of 0.483 and 0.853, discriminant validity is adequately established for health consciousness.For the Purchase Intention construct, outer loadings lie between 0.934 and 0.945, showcasing a potent relationship with its observed variables.The construct displays high internal consistency with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.867, and an AVE of 0.883, signifying it accounts for significant variance in the observed variables.The fornell-larcker values for Purchase Intention 0.484, 0.535, and 0.939 affirm its discriminant validity when juxtaposed with other constructs.

Inner Model
In our final analysis, we conducted path analysis using bootstrapping with 5000 one-tailed subsamples [42] to understand the influence of each pathway in the research model of this study (see Figure 2).The path analysis results in Figure 2 above, reveal a significant influence of health consciousness on perceived benefit in the consumer behavior context for hydroponic products, with a coefficient of 0.483 and a p-value of 0.000.This data underscores health consciousness as a crucial factor for perceived benefit.Notably, the perceived benefit has an R-square value of 23.3% and an effect size (f-square) of 0.305, demonstrating the model's substantial explanatory power for this construct.Furthermore, the roles of health consciousness and perceived benefit are proven to exert significant effects on purchase intention.The coefficient for health consciousness is 0.294 with a p-value of 0.002, while the coefficient for perceived benefit is 0.393 with a p-value of 0.000, highlighting their impactful contributions to purchase intention.This research delves deeper by developing a model to fill existing research gaps.It explores the mediating role of perceived benefit in influencing the relationship between health consciousness and purchase intention.With a coefficient of 0.190 and a p-value of 0.001, the model reveals that perceived benefit successfully mediates the influence of Health Consciousness on Purchase Intention.Additionally, for Purchase Intention, the model has an R-square value of 35.3%, signifying that it explains 35.3% of the variance in Purchase Intention.The effect size (f-square) is 0.183, and the Q-square value is 0.503.These metrics collectively indicate the strength and predictive accuracy of this research model in elucidating the Purchase Intention variable, thereby affirming its reliability and validity in the study's context.

Discussion
This study leverages the Value-Based Consumer Decision Model to deeply understand the purchase intention of Indonesia's consumers towards hydroponic products, aligning its findings with previous research in the field.In alignment with the research conducted by Hoque et al. [22], our study highlights the importance of health consciousness in shaping the intention to purchase hydroponic products.Consumers in Indonesia with a heightened sense of health consciousness actively seek products that promise health benefits, mirroring trends noted by Abrar et al. [23] in the market for green textile products.This attention to health and wellness drives consumers to recognize and value the tangible and intangible benefits associated with hydroponic products, fostering a willingness to engage in purchasing behaviors.In line with the HBM [46][47][48], our study indicates that health consciousness substantially elevates the perceived benefits of hydroponic products.As consumers in Indonesia become increasingly aware of their health, they are more likely to perceive greater value in products that align with health and sustainability goals, echoing the trends observed by Carpenter [49].This perception significantly influences their assessment of products, making them more inclined to purchase hydroponic items that they believe will contribute positively to their health and the environment.
Our findings resonate with those of Singh & Verma [29], illustrating that perceived benefits play a crucial role in steering the purchase intentions of consumers in Indonesia.There is a positive correlation between customers' perception of the benefits of hydroponic items and their likelihood to exhibit favourable attitudes and behaviours towards acquiring such products.This relationship between perceived benefit and purchase intention, as observed in prior research [8,50], is affirmed by our study in the context of hydroponic products, emphasizing its importance in the consumer decision-making process.Our study finds that perceived benefits mediate health consciousness and purchase intention, which is a crucial insight for marketers in the hydroponic product space.When consumers perceive that the benefits of hydroponic products align with their health and environmental values, they are more likely to purchase them.This mediating role of perceived benefits creates a linkage between health consciousness and purchase intentions, providing a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior, which is crucial for businesses aiming to effectively tap into the hydroponic product market in Indonesia.

Conclusion
This study provides an in-depth explanation of consumer behavior towards hydroponic products based on the Value-Based Consumer Decision Model.The outcomes of this study shed light on the roles of health consciousness and perceived benefits in influencing the purchase intention of hydroponic products.Upon further examination, perceived benefits have been proven to successfully mediate between health consciousness and purchase intention.This study is pioneering in applying the Value-Based Consumer Decision Model to consumers of hydroponic products.The implications of this study are particularly significant for business practitioners in the hydroponic product sector, providing valuable insights, especially in understanding market shifts related to consumers who are becoming more health-conscious and benefit-oriented.Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that this study is subject to certain limitations, primarily stemming from a very small sample size and geographical restriction to the vicinity of Indonesia.Future research could incorporate various other crucial factors to elucidate consumer behavior related to the consumption of hydroponic products.

Table 1 .
Table 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the demographic characteristics of the 208 survey respondents.Demographic Distribution of Survey Participants

Table 4 .
Outer Model