The Impact of Dietary Lifestyle on Attitudes toward Vegan Food and Purchase Intention: Moderating Effects of Age

With growing concerns about environmental pollution and climate change, veganism has emerged as a cultural trend reflecting sustainable consumption. Vegan foods, particularly plant-based and cultured meat, have expanded rapidly in both global and domestic markets, and Korean consumers are increasingly attentive to health, ethics, and environmental values. This study aims to empirically examine the effects of dietary lifestyle on attitudes toward vegan food and purchase intention, while also exploring the moderating role of age. A survey was conducted with 257 consumers residing in the Busan–Ulsan– Gyeongnam region. Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 23.0. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability testing were applied to validate the constructs, followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to verify causal relationships among lifestyle, attitude, and purchase intention. In addi- tion, multi-group analysis was used to test age-related moderating effects. Results indicate that health-oriented and trend-oriented lifestyles significantly affect attitudes toward vegan food, while safety orientation does not. Furthermore, a positive attitude toward vegan food strongly predicts purchase intention. The moderating role of age was also confirmed: younger consumers were more influenced by trend orientation, whereas older consumers exhibited a stronger link between attitude and purchase intention. These findings expand theoretical discussions of lifestyle-based consumer behavior and provide practical implications for developing differentiated marketing strategies within the vegan food industry.