# Consumer Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Ultra-Processed Foods
## 3 Related Work
### Consumer Attitudes Towards Ultra-Processed Foods and Their Influence on Purchase Intentions
The objective was to develop an evaluationframework for assessing UPF consumption and demand. Using a survey-based approach, the study collected a dataset from 478 completed questionnaires. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed that the standardised factor loadings of the first-order constructs were valid and that the model fit was adequate. The study provided marketers and food companies with a validated instrument to measure the consumer acceptance and consumption of UPF products. [PERSON] et al. [35] developed a research model to examine the moderating effect of consumer value on UPF consumption in Malaysia using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The conceptual framework was based on five constructs: functional, emotional, conditional, and social values, along with UPF continuation consumption. An analysis of the dataset, which included responses from 286 university students, confirmed the research hypotheses that UPF continuance consumption directly depends on these constructs. Furthermore, AI-based recommendations were found to enhance both the emotional appeal and promotional effectiveness, potentially increasing UPF consumption. [PERSON] et al. [36] proposed and verified the effects of extrinsic (price, packaging, advertisement, brand, labelling, and word of mouth) and intrinsic (nutritional composition, taste, aroma, and texture) factors on the attitude and purchase intention towards UPFs using 375 responses from India. The conceptual model includes four key constructs and eight items per construct. The obtained results showed that the impact of extrinsic input construct on the output variables is statistically significant; however, the intrinsic factor impacts only attitude but is not significantly correlated with purchase intention. [PERSON] et al. [37] developed a research model to determine the impact of knowledge and perceptions on consumption of the Greek population. The data were collected from 1126 adults through an online questionnaire with 16 questions for knowledge and perceptions assessment. To assess consumption, the relevant data were collected through a food frequency questionnaire. The analysis of the obtained results revealed that 40% of the participants have limited to no awareness regarding the term UPFs. An inverse dependence was observed between the knowledge and perception score and the overall consumption score of UPFs. [PERSON] et al. [38] investigated the key factors influencing consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding preservatives among 515 pregnant women in China using regression analysis (RA) and SEM. In this cross-sectional study, the authors found that, while pregnant women had limited knowledge, they exhibited favourable attitudes and proactive practices toward harmful food components. The authors emphasised that improving knowledge, particularly concerning food safety, should be a focus of educational interventions. [PERSON] et al. [39] examined the relationship between consumers' subjective and objective knowledge of healthy foods and various healthy lifestyle choices among 157 South African corporate employees. SEM confirmed a significant association between subjective knowledge and most healthy lifestyle choice categories but found no such link with objective knowledge. The findings of this cross-sectional study further emphasise the need to account for consumer demographic diversity when designing health education programmes to improve their effectiveness, particularly in socially and economically diverse societies. [PERSON] at al. [40] analysed consumers' willingness to purchase prepared dishes (PDs) and the moderating role of time pressure using SEM and 403 completed questionnaires of consumers in China. The results showed that consumers' attitudes towards buying PDs, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms have a significant positive effect on purchase intention.