Cues, perceptions, and beliefs: Decoding the driving mechanism of young people’s willingness to purchase health food online

Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory, this study integrates multiple factors including external tangible cues (price discounts, certification marks), external intangible cues (behavioral cues, electronic word-of-mouth), perceived value, and health beliefs to construct a structural equation model, aiming to explore the influence paths and action mechanisms of young people’s online purchase intention for health food. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data for empirical testing. The results indicate that price discounts have a significant inhibitory effect on purchase intention, while certification marks, behavioral cues, and electronic word-of-mouth exert significant driving effects on purchase intention. Each dimension of external cues significantly influences the perceived value. Perceived value plays a complete mediating role between external cues and purchase intention. Further, health beliefs positively moderate the relationship between the perceived value and purchase intention. This study contributes to the literature by extending the SOR framework through the integrated examination of multidimensional external cues, perceived value, and health beliefs, offering novel empirical insights into the complex mechanisms shaping young consumers’ online purchase intentions for health food.