Green purchase intention among Vietnamese university students: an extended theory of planned behavior study

Green purchase intention (GPI) is important in sustainable consumption research. However, less is known about how perceived value, environmental knowledge, social influence, social media, and green self-identity operate together among university students in Vietnam. This cross-sectional study surveyed 891 university students in Da Nang and analyzed the data using partial least squares structural equation modeling, importance-performance map analysis, and multigroup analysis. Perceived green product value, environmental knowledge, and subjective norms were significantly associated with GPI both directly and indirectly through attitude and perceived behavioral control. The model explained 84.2% of the variance in GPI. Perceived behavioral control showed the strongest direct association with GPI, whereas perceived green product value showed the highest overall importance. Importance-performance results suggest prioritizing perceived behavioral control by improving green-product affordability, availability, and accessibility, while sustaining credible communication of green product value. Social media was associated with stronger attitude-intention and perceived behavioral control-intention relationships, whereas green self-identity was associated only with a stronger attitude-intention relationship. Academic year was the main source of demographic heterogeneity. Overall, the findings suggest that GPI among Vietnamese university students is associated with perceived value, environmental knowledge, purchasing feasibility, social media context, and green self-identity.