Table 2 Exploratory factor analysis of 16 items of Attitudes toward functional Foods in the students

Functional foods promote my well-being (T1)

.855

Functional foods help to improve my mood (T2)

.836

My performance improves when I eat functional food (T3)

.862

I can prevent disease by eating functional foods regularly (T4)

.664

For a healthy person it is worthless to use functional foods (T5)

.329

If I do not know what is in a food, I will not try it (T7)

.668

I don’t eat things I have never had before (T8)

.851

I like to try the new food (T9)

.383

My family’s view is that eating functional foods is beneficial to health (T11)

.744

Today, most health professionals approve of functional foods (T12)

.682

Among my friends are those who eat functional foods (T13)

.576

My family encourages me to eat functional foods (T14)

.766

Most people who care about me think that eating functional foods is good for health (T15)

.783

Nutritionists recommend eating functional foods (T16)

.751

I may show food allergy by eating functional foods (T17)

.437

Functional foods are acceptable to me, even if they taste worse than conventional foods (T21)

.317