Factors influencing consumers’ decision on the use of nutraceuticals: a focus group study in Malaysian population

Introduction: There is an increasing prevalence of nutraceuticals use globally. A systematic review identifying factors influencing consumers’ decisions in taking nutraceuticals found no qualitative study in Asian countries for the general consumer population. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing consumers in taking nutraceuticals utilizing the focus group method. Methods: English-speaking Malaysian adults were recruited using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to extract relevant themes. Results: The major factors to take nutraceuticals were their perception of health benefits and friends’ and family members’ recommendations. On the other hand, the major barriers in taking nutraceuticals were the perception of nutraceuticals as artificial agents, the experience of side effects, and the high cost of nutraceuticals. Conclusion: The study found that the attitude towards the perceived health benefits and safety of nutraceuticals were the two main components which were important in determining the intention to use nutraceuticals, the use of nutraceuticals should be supported with sufficient clinical evidence.