Knowledge, Awareness, and Perceived Risk in Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Purchasing Behavior Among Indonesian Gen Z Students

Introduction: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are widely consumed by Gen Z despite their well-documented health risks, including obesity, metabolic disorders, and other non-communicable diseases. The increasing availability and attractiveness of contemporary sweetened beverages may contribute to higher consumption among young consumers. Understanding the associations between psychological and cognitive factors and purchasing behaviour is important for supporting effective health promotion strategies. This study aimed to analyse the associations between knowledge, awareness, perceived risk, and SSB purchasing behaviour among Gen Z. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study involved 272 Gen Z university students in Indonesia who had consumed sweetened beverages within the past month. Respondents were recruited through a voluntary, non-probability sampling technique, and data were collected via an online structured questionnaire from mid-February to early March 2025. The questionnaire measured knowledge, awareness, perceived risk, and sweetened beverage purchasing behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to examine associations among the variables. Results: Knowledge was not significantly associated with awareness (β = −0.118; t = 1.763; p = 0.078). Knowledge was significantly associated with perceived risk (β = 0.133; t = 2.309; p = 0.021) and with beverage purchasing behaviour (β = −0.189; t = 3.000; p = 0.003). Awareness was significantly associated with perceived risk (β = 0.190; t = 3.004; p = 0.003) and with beverage purchasing behaviour (β = −0.153; t = 2.077; p = 0.038). Perceived risk was significantly associated with beverage purchasing behaviour (β = −0.377; t = 5.392; p < 0.001), showing the strongest association among the paths tested. Conclusion: Knowledge, awareness, and perceived risk were significantly associated with SSB purchasing behaviour among Gen Z. Higher levels of knowledge, awareness, and perceived risk tended to be associated with lower SSB purchasing behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of health promotion efforts related to sugar intake and the health risks associated with excessive SSB consumption.