The influence of health conscious on tea consumption: A case study in Ilala Municipality-Tanzania

The influence of health conscious on tea consumption: A case study in Ilala Municipality-Tanzania | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The influence of health conscious on tea consumption: A case study in Ilala Municipality-Tanzania Mwalilei Mdoe, Maliwaza Hassan, Robert Katikiro This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4575384/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: In Tanzania, tea is an essential crop that contributes significantly to export revenue, employment opportunities, and income for farmers and other stakeholders, all of which are important to the nation's socioeconomic growth. The economics of Tanzania's tea sector is impacted by the industry's challenges, including low domestic consumption and a significant reliance on export markets. This study sought to investigate the impact of health-conscious tendencies on Tanzanians' tea-drinking habits. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ilala, one of Tanzania's most urban centres. A total of 400 respondents were conveniently included in the sample. A structured questionnaire was used to gather the data, which was then analysed using descriptive statistics to determine how participants felt about drinking tea in relation to health issues. Results: The research found that only 20.4% of respondents drank tea for health benefits, indicating that most people were not aware of the benefits of this beverage. Conversely, the majority of the respondents believed that drinking tea was linked to health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, which made them prefer other drinks such as juice, soft drinks and herbal tea) over traditional tea ( Camellia sinensis ) due their perceived safety. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of understanding consumer preferences and behaviour in developing a successful marketing plan and the challenges faced by consumers so as to promote growth in the Tanzanian tea industry. Tea consumption consumer preferences health consciousness domestic market 1.0 Introduction Tea ( Camellia sinensis ) is the oldest agro-based crops widely cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical areas (Mukhopadhyay, 2017 ). It is the most consumed beverage globally, following water (Goswami, 2021 ) and is well renowned for its significant effects on the preventing and treating human diseases (Khanali et al., 2021 ). Additionally, tea is cherished as one of the oldest beverages worldwide, valued for its pleasant taste, appealing aroma and health benefits (Deebhijarn, 2016 ) Its origins can be traced back to the Orient (Njiro, 1990 ) with China being the first country to use tea as a medicine and a beverage. Tanzania is the thirteenth tea producing country in the world, which produces an average of 35,000 tons per year equivalent to 0.5% of globally produced tea (Munishi, 2017 ). Tea is considered a significant and prioritized cash crop in Tanzania, generating over US $ 60 million in export earnings. It provides direct employment for more than 30,000 smallholder tea farmers, over 40,000 workers in tea estates and factories, and over 2 million of people benefiting along tea value chain (Munishi, 2017 ). The consumption of tea on a global scale has been steadily rising in recent decades, primarily driven by economic development, and is expected to continue increasing in the near future (Guo et al., 2021 ). Due to the perception of tea as a healthy beverage, the demand for tea is likely to increase day by day. This, in turn, necessitates efforts to enhance tea production in order to meet consumer demand. While previous studies have provided valuable insights into the increasing demand for tea consumption, there is still a need for comprehensive understanding of this subject particularly in tea producing countries where consumption is reported to be declining. Empirical studies aiming to explore the associations between factors like health consciousness and tea drinking behaviour will undoubtedly illuminate policy decisions related to promoting domestic markets and enhancing the profitability of tea in these countries. The purchase intention of customers towards organic tea products is linked to the perceived health benefits and environmental concerns. Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for organic tea, even if its taste is less preferable, as long as they perceive health benefits (Ojha, 2019 ). The recent trend of urbanization and growing consumers concerns for food safety and health in recent times has resulted in a new tide in consumption of safe and healthy foods, particularly organic tea (Ghai, 2017 ). Similarly, green tea as well as herbal and fruit teas are gaining popularity in different markets, especially in Europe, due to their real or perceived health benefits (Indrani, 2018 ). Furthermore, black tea is also believed to have medicinal benefits including less problem with cancer, heart and asthma diseases, increase memory, and improve the human mental capacity among other benefits (Juma, 2019 ). Health and well-being benefits of tea are the main driving force behind the increasing demand for tea products that promote good health. The modern consumer trend of "natural, healthy, natural regression" summarizes the key qualities of tea, along with meeting modern lifestyle demands like "low calories, low sugar, and low fat (Mathai, 2020 ). Over the last few decades, extensive research has been conducted on the health benefits of tea. Studies have demonstrated its protective effects against various diseases including cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (Pan et al., 2022 ). For instance, many people choose to consume organic tea for health benefits, as it helps rejuvenate the body, reduce toxins and provide stress relief. Consequently, the European Union and the United States are actively promoting their tea industries by highlighting the health benefits associated with tea consumption, in order to compete with the rising popularity of soft drinks (FAO, 2022 ). Although the health benefits of drinking tea have been well-documented, there is a lack of studies explaining the comparatively low level of domestic tea consumption in certain tea-producing countries when compared to many other tea-producing countries worldwide. Currently, evidence regarding the association between tea drinking and health consciousness is more prevalent in developed countries, while it remains inconclusive in less developed countries, thus requiring further research. Conducting studies to explore the significant impact of health on tea consumption would be a crucial step towards expanding demand and exploring existing market opportunities for tea. In this particular study, a cross-sectional; examination was conducted to investigate the relationship between health consciousness and tea consumption among residents in Ilala district, Tanzania. Tanzania’s tea consumption is low compared to other countries, with the average of only 0.11kg/person/year since 2013 to 2020 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2024 ). Additionally, only 20% of the tea produced in the country is used for domestic consumption, suggesting low demand of tea in local market. Despite being a significant cash crop, the tea sector faces challenges such as declining production and productivity, mainly due to low international prices and lack of domestic demand. If the low domestic consumption remains unchanged, Tanzania’s tea economy will face stagnant growth in a near future (Munishi, 2017 )). This study aimed to explore the impact of health consciousness on tea consumption in Tanzania, highlighting the importance of understanding consumer preferences and behavior in developing a successful marketing plan, as well as the challenges faced by consumers so as to promote growth in the Tanzania’s tea economy. 2.0 Materials and methods The research was carried out in Ilala District. Ilala is the main commercial centre in Tanzania and has a population with high purchasing power, diverse cultures, and people from different nationalities. The district is a home to various socio-economic establishments like five-star hotels, airport, sea port, hospitals, and universities, where people can access food and drinks, including tea beverages. Additionally, Ilala has numerous industries, restaurants, cafes, malls, supermarkets, and shops. Important tea stakeholders' offices are also situated in Ilala, such as the Tea Board of Tanzania, Tanzania Smallholders Tea Development Agency, tea processing companies/factories, and tea blenders. These factors ensured the researcher to obtain the necessary data for the research. A sample size of 400 potential respondents was obtained using the convenience sampling techniques and then asked to complete the questionnaires. In this study, primary and secondary data were both used. Following collection, the raw data were edited, coded, and loaded into a computer program of statistical packages for social science (SPSS) software version 20.0. The descriptive statistical analysis was done in order to understand consumers’ tea purchasing and consumption habits as well as consumers’ perceptions regarding the association between tea drinking and health issues. On a Likert scale, which goes from 1 for strongly disagree to 5 for strongly agree, respondents indicated how they felt about the relationship between tea drinking and health issues. Standard deviations and means were employed to characterize these answers. 3.0 Results This chapter addresses data analysis and presentation. The findings highlight the significance of health consciousness in determining of tea consumption behaviour in the study area. 3.1 Socio- demographic characteristics of study participants The main socio-demographic characteristics of study participants are summarized in Table 1 . The data analysis indicates that majority of the participants were male and belonged to the age range of 18 to 35. The table also reveals that most of the participants graduated from university. Table 1 Socio-demographic profile of study participants Variables Categories N (400) Percent (%) Age 18–35 263 65.75 36–45 56 14.00 46–55 42 10.50 56+ 39 9.75 Gender Male 244 61.0 Female 156 39.00 Education level Informal 14 3.50 Primary school 49 12.25 Secondary school 60 15.00 College 69 17.25 University 208 52.00 Marital status Single 236 59.00 Married 141 35.25 Divorced 3 0.75 Widow 20 5.00 Employment Student 159 39.75 Retired 14 3.50 Employed 95 23.75 Self employed 102 25.50 Unemployed 30 7.50 Monthly income (Tshs) 1,500,000/= 9 2.25 3.2 Tea purchasing and consumption habits of respondents . The study analysed respondents’ tea purchasing and consumption habits, with the results detailed in Table 2 . Table 2 Tea purchasing and consumption habits of respondents. Item Frequency (n) Percentage (%) Beverages most frequently consumed (n = 400) Tea ( Camellia sinensis ) 113 28.25 Other beverages 287 71.75 How many times you consume tea daily? (n = 113) Once 71 62.8 Twice 17 15 Thrice + 25 21.7 How many cups do you drink per day? n = 113) One 67 59.8 Two 18 16.1 Three + 28 24.1 Types of tea preferred (n = 113) Black tea with sugar 92 81.42 Black tea without sugar 5 4.42 Green tea with sugar 11 9.73 Green tea without sugar 2 1.77 Others 3 2.66 The study reveals that 71.75% of survey participants prefer other beverages (e.g. juice and soft drinks) over tea, with 62.8% drinking tea once daily and 59.8% drinking one cup daily. The study found that the primary motivations for consuming tea in the study area were refreshment (42.5%) and traditional drink (36.3%), with the majority preferring black tea with sugar. The study found that only 20.4% of respondents consumed tea for health benefits, indicating low awareness of tea benefits. 3.3 Health concerns The study assessed the effect of health consciousness on tea consumption and the responses are summarized in Table 3 . In this study, perceived negative health effect of tea as a factor affecting tea consumption is described by the use of four items, H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5. Respondents were asked to rate their responses using Likert Scale which are 1-Strong Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree and 5-Strong Agree. Table 3 The Effect of Health Consciousness on Tea Consumption Descriptive Statistics Item code Description N Mean Std. Deviation H1 Tea consumption promotes a healthy lifestyle 400 2.45 1.638 H2 I think that tea beverage is not healthy at all. 400 4.20 1.457 H3 I believe that sugar content in tea beverage may contribute to diabetes or obesity 400 4.48 1.128 H4 I think that tea may potentially increase blood pressure. 400 4.61 .998 H5 I believe that the caffeine content in tea is detrimental to my health. 400 4.55 1.125 GRAND MEAN 4.06 The grand mean in Table 3 indicates that majority of the respondents in the study have a negative perception of the relationship between health and tea drinking, as they believe that tea contributes to health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, most of the respondents disagreed that tea consumption promote a healthy life style, indicating a preference against drinking tea due to its perceived negative health effects. Those who are aware of these potential health risks are less likely to consume tea. Furthermore when the respondents were asked the type of tea they prefer, 51% of them reported that they prefer more herbal tea than traditional tea ( Camellia sinensis ) with the reason that herbal tea (ginger tea and lemon grass tea) is safe for their health (Table 4 ). Table 4 Types of beverages mostly consumed in the study area Variable N (287) Percent (%) Traditional tea (Camellia sinensis) 113 28.25 Herbal tea 205 51.25 Other drinks 82 20.50 4.0 Discussion The present study assessed the association between consumers’ health consciousness and tea consumption behaviour. The findings from the study reveal a prevailing negative perception among respondents towards tea drinking in relation to their health. A significant majority of respondents believe that tea consumption is linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, leading them to prefer herbal tea over traditional tea for its perceived safety. Also, most respondents disagreed that tea promotes a healthy lifestyle. This suggests that they view tea as having adverse effects on health, leading to a preference against drinking it. The current findings are in line with (Guntapon, 2015 ; Hansen and Thomsen, 2018 ; Das et al., 2022 ) who reported that consumers who are health conscious are more likely to respond positively towards products with health benefits or respond negatively against products causing health problems. These results are also similar to (Ojha, 2019 ) who revealed that consumers are even willing to pay higher price to consume organic tea when they perceive significant health benefits even with non-preferable taste of organic tea product. Additionally, this study supports other findings which stated that, consumers who have concerns about the health effects or obesity due to tea drinking are less likely to purchase tea drinks, with a 22.32% decrease in the probability of consumption (Sugiarto, 2016 ). The report from a survey of the diets and lifestyles of 307 Chinese consumers in several cities of the Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces revealed that consumer health consciousness is a major predictor of the intention to purchase healthy products (Huang et al., 2022 ). Interestingly,(Guntapon, 2015 ) supports the current results by reporting that, in order to increase tea sales and level of consumption of tea, companies must consider improving tea products to align with the trend of health consciousness and quality of products. Such actions have not yet been undertaken in the area covered by the present study. Furthermore, several initiatives and actions to promote tea consumption such as FAO’s tea group acknowledge that health and well-being benefits of tea are the key drivers of future consumption growth. In order to change the current trend of tea consumption within the study site and Tanzania in general, concerted efforts are required to revert this situation. Lack of awareness on positive health benefits of tea is a barriers to the majority of Tanzanians from spending their money in purchasing tea for consumption. In many countries such as in Nepal health benefits associated with tea drinking has been used as a tool for promotion of tea consumption. For example, in Nepal sellers promote and push the sales of organic tea by making health benefits of the product visible to the customers by the use of eco-labels highlighting health benefits effectively (Ojha, 2019 ).Tanzanians need to be sensitized on the positive health benefits of tea drink in order to increase tea consumption and this can be achieved by making the health benefits of tea drinking visible through short messages in social media, labelling tea packages and in general promotion campaigns. On the basis of the findings, this study offers important implications for Government authorities, policy makers, researchers, companies and marketers in the tea industry, as they can use this information to develop effective marketing and promotion strategies to increase tea consumption. Additionally, these insights can be incorporated into public health initiatives related to tea consumption focussing on educating consumers about the health benefits of tea and dispelling misconceptions. Finally, the findings provide a base for further researches on domestic tea consumption in Tanzania. 5.0 Conclusion Tea is an important commodity in the economy of Tanzania. It is a source of employment, ensures food security and contributes to the export earnings. More than 80 percent of Tanzania’s tea is sold in the international market because of low demand of tea in the local market. However, Tanzania needs to focus on expanding and strengthening its domestic tea market in order to enhance tea consumption and increase profit in the tea industry. The aim of this research was to contribute towards enhanced domestic tea consumption through determination of the impact of health conscious trends on consumption of tea in Tanzania. The study found that health consciousness played a significant role in lowering tea consumption, with perceived health negative effects affecting the majority's preference for tea over other beverages. A significant number of respondents associate tea consumption with health issues such as blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. This negative perception likely deters them from drinking tea. Generally the study concludes that, Tanzania needs to focus in expanding and strengthening its domestic tea market in order to increase profit and enhance tea consumption in the country. Perceived health negative effect of tea contributes to the low consumption of tea in Tanzania. Promoting the health benefits of tea can help Tanzania increase domestic tea consumption, benefiting both the economy and individual well-being. The study highlights the need for health education and accurate information about tea’s impact on health. Addressing misconceptions and promoting evidence-based knowledge can help individuals make informed choices regarding their tea consumption. In order to enhance tea consumption in the domestic market and increase the profitability of tea industry in Tanzania, the study is recommending the following: Product Diversification : Tanzania’s tea industry should diversify its tea product offerings, especially health related tea products. This strategy will enhance consumer choices and promote local consumption. Local Market Focus : Rather than relying solely on the international market, Tanzania’s tea industry should prioritize expanding its local market. By targeting domestic consumers, the industry can strengthen its position and reduce dependence on exports. Health Education : Educating tea consumers and the general public about the health benefits of tea is crucial. The government of Tanzania and other tea development partners or sellers or manufacturers should promote and push the sales of tea by making health benefits of the product visible to the customers by the use of eco-labels highlighting health benefits. Dispelling misconceptions and promoting tea’s positive impact can drive increased consumption. 6.0 Limitations In this study there are few limitations that need to be resolved in future researches. This study is limited by its sample size and locality. The study was conducted in the context of urban, Ilala district. This may affect generalization of the findings in other parts of Tanzania especially rural areas. Future research about tea consumption in Tanzania should address the limitations of this study by including a larger sample size and collecting data from other regions, such as Mbeya, Njombe, and Iringa, where tea is predominantly grown. Furthermore, the study's reliance on cross- sectional data collected at a specific time may introduce bias and affect the results of hypothesis. As a result, longitudinal studies can be carried out to gather data at various intervals and prevent typical technique variance issues. Declarations -Ethical approval We confirm that the study received the ethical approval from University of Dar es Salaam and the study did not involve the clinical trials it was survey research where a structured questionnaire was used to gather the data, which was then analysed using descriptive statistics to determine how participants felt about drinking tea in relation to health issues -Acknowledgement Authors are grateful to all survey respondents and key informants who responded to their questions. We also thank all institutions that supplied information and permission for this study. - Consent for publication We understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the Editorial process (including Editorial Manager and direct communications with the office). -Availability of data and materials We confirm that our interviews received oral consent from the interviewees; the raw data were edited, coded, and loaded into a computer program of statistical packages for social science (SPSS) software version 20.0. -Competing interests We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. -Funding The author received no financial support for the research, it was from own sources of fund. -Author’s Contribution We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. References Das, C. et al. (2022) ‘A Review of the Health Benefits of Tea: Implications of the Biochemical Properties of the Bioactive Constituents’, Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science , 10(2), pp. 458–475. doi: 10.12944/CRNFSJ.10.2.5. Deebhijarn, S. (2016) ‘The Marketing Mix Strategy Model to Influencing the Decision to Purchase Ready-to-Drink ( RTD ) Green Teas among University Students in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand’, International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR) , 29(29), pp. 90–103. FAO (2022) ‘International tea market: market situation, prospects and emerging issues’, Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations , (figure 1), pp. 1–11. Available at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0238en/. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2024) ‘COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS: Intergovernmental Group on Tea’, (January). Available at: www.fao.org. Ghai, S. (2017) ‘A STUDY OF CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND PREFERENCES TOWARDS ORGANIC TEA IN DELHI-NCR’, (July 2016). Goswami (2021) ‘Economic sustainability of organic cultivation of Assam tea produced by small-scale growers’, Sustainable Production and Consumption , 26, pp. 111–125. doi: 10.1016/j.spc.2020.09.020. Guntapon, T. (2015) ‘A Study of the Factors Influencing Purchase Decision of Ready to drink Green Tea in Bangkok’. Guo, S. et al. (2021) ‘Current understanding in conversion and application of tea waste biomass: A review’, Bioresource Technology , 338. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125530. Hansen, T. and Thomsen, T. U. (2018) ‘The influence of consumers’ interest in healthy eating, definitions of healthy eating, and personal values on perceived dietary quality’, Food Policy , 80, pp. 55–67. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.09.002. Huang, Z. et al. (2022) ‘Marketing Healthy Diets: The Impact of Health Consciousness on Chinese Consumers’ Food Choices’, Sustainability (Switzerland) , 14(4), pp. 1–11. doi: 10.3390/su14042059. Indrani (2018) ‘A Study on Customers Perception and Satisfaction towards Green Tea with Special Reference to Coimbotore City ”’, nternational Journal of Business and Management Invention , 7(3), pp. 25–28. Juma (2019) ‘The Black Tea Industry in East Africa: History, Culture, Trends, and Opportunities’, Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development , 10(6), pp. 160–170. doi: 10.7176/jesd/10-6-19. Khanali, M. et al. (2021) ‘Multi-objective optimization of energy use and environmental emissions for walnut production using imperialist competitive algorithm’, Applied Energy , 284. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116342. Mathai (2020) ‘a Study on Brand Preferences of Tea Among Consumers in Nilgiris District’, The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis , XII(2), pp. 121–138. Mukhopadhyay (2017) Cultivation , Improvement , and Environmental Impacts of Tea . Munishi (2017) ‘Exploring Factors Affecting Performance of Smallholder Tea Farmers in Tanzania’, Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN , 8(20), pp. 95–106. Available at: www.iiste.org. Njiro, E. I. (1990) ‘Effects of tea production on women’s work and labour Allocations in Embu district’. Available at: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/22588. Ojha (2019) ‘A Study on Factors Affecting Consumption of Organic Tea: Evidence from Consumers in Kathmandu Valley’, Nepalese Journal of Management Science and Research , 3(ii), pp. 14–30. doi: 10.53056/njmsr-2019.001.3. Pan, S. Y. et al. (2022) ‘Tea and tea drinking: China’s outstanding contributions to the mankind’, Chinese Medicine (United Kingdom) , 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s13020-022-00571-1. Sugiarto (2016) ‘済無No Title No Title No Title’, 4(1), pp. 1–23. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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It is the most consumed beverage globally, following water (Goswami, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) and is well renowned for its significant effects on the preventing and treating human diseases (Khanali et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, tea is cherished as one of the oldest beverages worldwide, valued for its pleasant taste, appealing aroma and health benefits (Deebhijarn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) Its origins can be traced back to the Orient (Njiro, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e) with China being the first country to use tea as a medicine and a beverage.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTanzania is the thirteenth tea producing country in the world, which produces an average of 35,000 tons per year equivalent to 0.5% of globally produced tea (Munishi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTea is considered a significant and prioritized cash crop in Tanzania, generating over US\u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e 60\u0026nbsp;million in export earnings. It provides direct employment for more than 30,000 smallholder tea farmers, over 40,000 workers in tea estates and factories, and over 2\u0026nbsp;million of people benefiting along tea value chain (Munishi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe consumption of tea on a global scale has been steadily rising in recent decades, primarily driven by economic development, and is expected to continue increasing in the near future (Guo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Due to the perception of tea as a healthy beverage, the demand for tea is likely to increase day by day. This, in turn, necessitates efforts to enhance tea production in order to meet consumer demand. While previous studies have provided valuable insights into the increasing demand for tea consumption, there is still a need for comprehensive understanding of this subject particularly in tea producing countries where consumption is reported to be declining. Empirical studies aiming to explore the associations between factors like health consciousness and tea drinking behaviour will undoubtedly illuminate policy decisions related to promoting domestic markets and enhancing the profitability of tea in these countries.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe purchase intention of customers towards organic tea products is linked to the perceived health benefits and environmental concerns. Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for organic tea, even if its taste is less preferable, as long as they perceive health benefits (Ojha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). The recent trend of urbanization and growing consumers concerns for food safety and health in recent times has resulted in a new tide in consumption of safe and healthy foods, particularly organic tea (Ghai, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, green tea as well as herbal and fruit teas are gaining popularity in different markets, especially in Europe, due to their real or perceived health benefits (Indrani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, black tea is also believed to have medicinal benefits including less problem with cancer, heart and asthma diseases, increase memory, and improve the human mental capacity among other benefits (Juma, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth and well-being benefits of tea are the main driving force behind the increasing demand for tea products that promote good health. The modern consumer trend of \"natural, healthy, natural regression\" summarizes the key qualities of tea, along with meeting modern lifestyle demands like \"low calories, low sugar, and low fat (Mathai, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Over the last few decades, extensive research has been conducted on the health benefits of tea. Studies have demonstrated its protective effects against various diseases including cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (Pan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). For instance, many people choose to consume organic tea for health benefits, as it helps rejuvenate the body, reduce toxins and provide stress relief. Consequently, the European Union and the United States are actively promoting their tea industries by highlighting the health benefits associated with tea consumption, in order to compete with the rising popularity of soft drinks (FAO, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough the health benefits of drinking tea have been well-documented, there is a lack of studies explaining the comparatively low level of domestic tea consumption in certain tea-producing countries when compared to many other tea-producing countries worldwide. Currently, evidence regarding the association between tea drinking and health consciousness is more prevalent in developed countries, while it remains inconclusive in less developed countries, thus requiring further research. Conducting studies to explore the significant impact of health on tea consumption would be a crucial step towards expanding demand and exploring existing market opportunities for tea. In this particular study, a cross-sectional; examination was conducted to investigate the relationship between health consciousness and tea consumption among residents in Ilala district, Tanzania.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTanzania\u0026rsquo;s tea consumption is low compared to other countries, with the average of only 0.11kg/person/year since 2013 to 2020 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, only 20% of the tea produced in the country is used for domestic consumption, suggesting low demand of tea in local market. Despite being a significant cash crop, the tea sector faces challenges such as declining production and productivity, mainly due to low international prices and lack of domestic demand. If the low domestic consumption remains unchanged, Tanzania\u0026rsquo;s tea economy will face stagnant growth in a near future (Munishi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e)). This study aimed to explore the impact of health consciousness on tea consumption in Tanzania, highlighting the importance of understanding consumer preferences and behavior in developing a successful marketing plan, as well as the challenges faced by consumers so as to promote growth in the Tanzania\u0026rsquo;s tea economy.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2.0 Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe research was carried out in Ilala District. Ilala is the main commercial centre in Tanzania and has a population with high purchasing power, diverse cultures, and people from different nationalities. The district is a home to various socio-economic establishments like five-star hotels, airport, sea port, hospitals, and universities, where people can access food and drinks, including tea beverages. Additionally, Ilala has numerous industries, restaurants, cafes, malls, supermarkets, and shops. Important tea stakeholders' offices are also situated in Ilala, such as the Tea Board of Tanzania, Tanzania Smallholders Tea Development Agency, tea processing companies/factories, and tea blenders. These factors ensured the researcher to obtain the necessary data for the research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA sample size of 400 potential respondents was obtained using the convenience sampling techniques and then asked to complete the questionnaires. In this study, primary and secondary data were both used. Following collection, the raw data were edited, coded, and loaded into a computer program of statistical packages for social science (SPSS) software version 20.0. The descriptive statistical analysis was done in order to understand consumers\u0026rsquo; tea purchasing and consumption habits as well as consumers\u0026rsquo; perceptions regarding the association between tea drinking and health issues. On a Likert scale, which goes from 1 for strongly disagree to 5 for strongly agree, respondents indicated how they felt about the relationship between tea drinking and health issues. Standard deviations and means were employed to characterize these answers.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3.0 Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis chapter addresses data analysis and presentation. The findings highlight the significance of health consciousness in determining of tea consumption behaviour in the study area.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Socio- demographic characteristics of study participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe main socio-demographic characteristics of study participants are summarized in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data analysis indicates that majority of the participants were male and belonged to the age range of 18 to 35. The table also reveals that most of the participants graduated from university.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic profile of study participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategories\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN (400)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u0026ndash;35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e263\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u0026ndash;45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46\u0026ndash;55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56+\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e244\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e156\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducation level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInformal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollege\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniversity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e208\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e141\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWidow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e159\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRetired\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf employed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (Tshs)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;200,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e167\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e200,000-500,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e114\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e500,000-800,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e800,000\u0026ndash;1,000,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1,000,000\u0026ndash;1,500,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;1,500,000/=\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.2 Tea purchasing and consumption habits of respondents\u003c/b\u003e.\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study analysed respondents\u0026rsquo; tea purchasing and consumption habits, with the results detailed in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTea purchasing and consumption habits of respondents.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eItem\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency (n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeverages most frequently consumed (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;400)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTea (\u003cem\u003eCamellia sinensis\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther beverages\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e287\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow many times you consume tea daily? (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;113)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnce\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwice\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrice +\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow many cups do you drink per day? n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;113)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThree +\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTypes of tea preferred (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;113)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlack tea with sugar\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlack tea without sugar\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGreen tea with sugar\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGreen tea without sugar\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOthers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study reveals that 71.75% of survey participants prefer other beverages (e.g. juice and soft drinks) over tea, with 62.8% drinking tea once daily and 59.8% drinking one cup daily. The study found that the primary motivations for consuming tea in the study area were refreshment (42.5%) and traditional drink (36.3%), with the majority preferring black tea with sugar. The study found that only 20.4% of respondents consumed tea for health benefits, indicating low awareness of tea benefits.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3 Health concerns\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study assessed the effect of health consciousness on tea consumption and the responses are summarized in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. In this study, perceived negative health effect of tea as a factor affecting tea consumption is described by the use of four items, H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5. Respondents were asked to rate their responses using Likert Scale which are 1-Strong Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4-Agree and 5-Strong Agree.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Effect of Health Consciousness on Tea Consumption\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive Statistics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eItem code\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd. Deviation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTea consumption promotes a healthy lifestyle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e400\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.638\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI think that tea beverage is not healthy at all.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e400\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.457\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI believe that sugar content in tea beverage may contribute to diabetes or obesity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e400\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.128\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI think that tea may potentially increase blood pressure.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e400\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.998\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI believe that the caffeine content in tea is detrimental to my health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e400\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGRAND MEAN\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4.06\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe grand mean in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicates that majority of the respondents in the study have a negative perception of the relationship between health and tea drinking, as they believe that tea contributes to health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, most of the respondents disagreed that tea consumption promote a healthy life style, indicating a preference against drinking tea due to its perceived negative health effects. Those who are aware of these potential health risks are less likely to consume tea.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore when the respondents were asked the type of tea they prefer, 51% of them reported that they prefer more herbal tea than traditional tea (\u003cem\u003eCamellia sinensis\u003c/em\u003e) with the reason that herbal tea (ginger tea and lemon grass tea) is safe for their health (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTypes of beverages mostly consumed in the study area\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN (287)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTraditional tea (Camellia sinensis)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHerbal tea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e205\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther drinks\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4.0 Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study assessed the association between consumers\u0026rsquo; health consciousness and tea consumption behaviour. The findings from the study reveal a prevailing negative perception among respondents towards tea drinking in relation to their health. A significant majority of respondents believe that tea consumption is linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, leading them to prefer herbal tea over traditional tea for its perceived safety. Also, most respondents disagreed that tea promotes a healthy lifestyle. This suggests that they view tea as having adverse effects on health, leading to a preference against drinking it.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe current findings are in line with (Guntapon, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Hansen and Thomsen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Das et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) who reported that consumers who are health conscious are more likely to respond positively towards products with health benefits or respond negatively against products causing health problems. These results are also similar to (Ojha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) who revealed that consumers are even willing to pay higher price to consume organic tea when they perceive significant health benefits even with non-preferable taste of organic tea product. Additionally, this study supports other findings which stated that, consumers who have concerns about the health effects or obesity due to tea drinking are less likely to purchase tea drinks, with a 22.32% decrease in the probability of consumption (Sugiarto, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). The report from a survey of the diets and lifestyles of 307 Chinese consumers in several cities of the Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces revealed that consumer health consciousness is a major predictor of the intention to purchase healthy products (Huang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInterestingly,(Guntapon, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) supports the current results by reporting that, in order to increase tea sales and level of consumption of tea, companies must consider improving tea products to align with the trend of health consciousness and quality of products. Such actions have not yet been undertaken in the area covered by the present study. Furthermore, several initiatives and actions to promote tea consumption such as FAO\u0026rsquo;s tea group acknowledge that health and well-being benefits of tea are the key drivers of future consumption growth. In order to change the current trend of tea consumption within the study site and Tanzania in general, concerted efforts are required to revert this situation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLack of awareness on positive health benefits of tea is a barriers to the majority of Tanzanians from spending their money in purchasing tea for consumption. In many countries such as in Nepal health benefits associated with tea drinking has been used as a tool for promotion of tea consumption. For example, in Nepal sellers promote and push the sales of organic tea by making health benefits of the product visible to the customers by the use of eco-labels highlighting health benefits effectively (Ojha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).Tanzanians need to be sensitized on the positive health benefits of tea drink in order to increase tea consumption and this can be achieved by making the health benefits of tea drinking visible through short messages in social media, labelling tea packages and in general promotion campaigns.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the basis of the findings, this study offers important implications for Government authorities, policy makers, researchers, companies and marketers in the tea industry, as they can use this information to develop effective marketing and promotion strategies to increase tea consumption. Additionally, these insights can be incorporated into public health initiatives related to tea consumption focussing on educating consumers about the health benefits of tea and dispelling misconceptions. Finally, the findings provide a base for further researches on domestic tea consumption in Tanzania.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5.0 Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eTea is an important commodity in the economy of Tanzania. It is a source of employment, ensures food security and contributes to the export earnings. More than 80 percent of Tanzania’s tea is sold in the international market because of low demand of tea in the local market. However, Tanzania needs to focus on expanding and strengthening its domestic tea market in order to enhance tea consumption and increase profit in the tea industry. The aim of this research was to contribute towards enhanced domestic tea consumption through determination of the impact of health conscious trends on consumption of tea in Tanzania.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study found that health consciousness played a significant role in lowering tea consumption, with perceived health negative effects affecting the majority's preference for tea over other beverages.\u0026nbsp;A significant number of respondents associate tea consumption with health issues such as blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. This negative perception likely deters them from drinking tea.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenerally the study concludes that, Tanzania needs to focus in expanding and strengthening its domestic tea market in order to increase profit and enhance tea consumption in the country. Perceived health negative effect of tea contributes to the low consumption of tea in Tanzania. Promoting the health benefits of tea can help Tanzania increase domestic tea consumption,\u0026nbsp;benefiting both the economy and individual well-being.\u0026nbsp;The study highlights the need for\u0026nbsp;health education\u0026nbsp;and accurate information about tea’s impact on health. Addressing misconceptions and promoting evidence-based knowledge can help individuals make informed choices regarding their tea consumption.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to enhance tea consumption in the domestic market and increase the profitability of tea industry in Tanzania, the study is recommending the following:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct Diversification\u003c/strong\u003e: Tanzania’s tea industry should diversify its tea product offerings, especially health related tea products. This strategy will enhance consumer choices and promote local consumption.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocal Market Focus\u003c/strong\u003e: Rather than relying solely on the international market, Tanzania’s tea industry should prioritize expanding its local market. By targeting domestic consumers, the industry can strengthen its position and reduce dependence on exports.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHealth Education\u003c/strong\u003e: Educating tea consumers and the general public about the health benefits of tea is crucial. The government of Tanzania and other tea development partners or sellers or manufacturers should promote and push the sales of tea by making health benefits of the product visible to the customers by the use of eco-labels highlighting health benefits. Dispelling misconceptions and promoting tea’s positive impact can drive increased consumption.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"6.0 Limitations","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study there are few limitations that need to be resolved in future researches. This study is limited by its sample size and locality. The study was conducted in the context of urban, Ilala district. This may affect generalization of the findings in other parts of Tanzania especially rural areas. Future research about tea consumption in Tanzania should address the limitations of this study by including a larger sample size and collecting data from other regions, such as Mbeya, Njombe, and Iringa, where tea is predominantly grown. Furthermore, the study's reliance on cross- sectional data collected at a specific time may introduce bias and affect the results of hypothesis. As a result, longitudinal studies can be carried out to gather data at various intervals and prevent typical technique variance issues.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Ethical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe confirm that the study received the ethical approval from University of Dar es Salaam\u0026nbsp; and the study did not involve the clinical trials it was survey research where a structured questionnaire was used to gather the data, which was then analysed using descriptive statistics to determine how participants felt about drinking tea in relation to health issues\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Acknowledgement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthors are grateful to all survey respondents and key informants who responded to their questions. We also thank all institutions that supplied information and permission for this study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Consent for publication\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the Editorial process (including Editorial Manager and direct communications with the office).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Availability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;We confirm that our interviews received oral consent from the interviewees;\u0026nbsp;the raw data were edited, coded, and loaded into a computer program of statistical packages for social science (SPSS) software version 20.0.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Competing interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Funding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author received no financial support for the research, it was from own sources of fund.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Author’s Contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDas, C. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2022) \u0026lsquo;A Review of the Health Benefits of Tea: Implications of the Biochemical Properties of the Bioactive Constituents\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eCurrent Research in Nutrition and Food Science\u003c/em\u003e, 10(2), pp. 458\u0026ndash;475. doi: 10.12944/CRNFSJ.10.2.5.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeebhijarn, S. (2016) \u0026lsquo;The Marketing Mix Strategy Model to Influencing the Decision to Purchase Ready-to-Drink ( RTD ) Green Teas among University Students in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR)\u003c/em\u003e, 29(29), pp. 90\u0026ndash;103.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eFAO (2022) \u0026lsquo;International tea market: market situation, prospects and emerging issues\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eFood and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations\u003c/em\u003e, (figure 1), pp. 1\u0026ndash;11. Available at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0238en/.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2024) \u0026lsquo;COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS: Intergovernmental Group on Tea\u0026rsquo;, (January). Available at: www.fao.org.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGhai, S. (2017) \u0026lsquo;A STUDY OF CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND PREFERENCES TOWARDS ORGANIC TEA IN DELHI-NCR\u0026rsquo;, (July 2016).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGoswami (2021) \u0026lsquo;Economic sustainability of organic cultivation of Assam tea produced by small-scale growers\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eSustainable Production and Consumption\u003c/em\u003e, 26, pp. 111\u0026ndash;125. doi: 10.1016/j.spc.2020.09.020.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGuntapon, T. (2015) \u0026lsquo;A Study of the Factors Influencing Purchase Decision of Ready to drink Green Tea in Bangkok\u0026rsquo;.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGuo, S. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2021) \u0026lsquo;Current understanding in conversion and application of tea waste biomass: A review\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eBioresource Technology\u003c/em\u003e, 338. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125530.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHansen, T. and Thomsen, T. U. (2018) \u0026lsquo;The influence of consumers\u0026rsquo; interest in healthy eating, definitions of healthy eating, and personal values on perceived dietary quality\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eFood Policy\u003c/em\u003e, 80, pp. 55\u0026ndash;67. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.09.002.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHuang, Z. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2022) \u0026lsquo;Marketing Healthy Diets: The Impact of Health Consciousness on Chinese Consumers\u0026rsquo; Food Choices\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eSustainability (Switzerland)\u003c/em\u003e, 14(4), pp. 1\u0026ndash;11. doi: 10.3390/su14042059.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eIndrani (2018) \u0026lsquo;A Study on Customers Perception and Satisfaction towards Green Tea with Special Reference to Coimbotore City \u0026rdquo;\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003enternational Journal of Business and Management Invention\u003c/em\u003e, 7(3), pp. 25\u0026ndash;28.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eJuma (2019) \u0026lsquo;The Black Tea Industry in East Africa: History, Culture, Trends, and Opportunities\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eJournal of Economics and Sustainable Development\u003c/em\u003e, 10(6), pp. 160\u0026ndash;170. doi: 10.7176/jesd/10-6-19.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKhanali, M. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2021) \u0026lsquo;Multi-objective optimization of energy use and environmental emissions for walnut production using imperialist competitive algorithm\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eApplied Energy\u003c/em\u003e, 284. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116342.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMathai (2020) \u0026lsquo;a Study on Brand Preferences of Tea Among Consumers in Nilgiris District\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eThe International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis\u003c/em\u003e, XII(2), pp. 121\u0026ndash;138.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMukhopadhyay (2017) \u003cem\u003eCultivation , Improvement , and Environmental Impacts of Tea\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMunishi (2017) \u0026lsquo;Exploring Factors Affecting Performance of Smallholder Tea Farmers in Tanzania\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eJournal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN\u003c/em\u003e, 8(20), pp. 95\u0026ndash;106. Available at: www.iiste.org.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eNjiro, E. I. (1990) \u0026lsquo;Effects of tea production on women\u0026rsquo;s work and labour Allocations in Embu district\u0026rsquo;. Available at: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/22588.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOjha (2019) \u0026lsquo;A Study on Factors Affecting Consumption of Organic Tea: Evidence from Consumers in Kathmandu Valley\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eNepalese Journal of Management Science and Research\u003c/em\u003e, 3(ii), pp. 14\u0026ndash;30. doi: 10.53056/njmsr-2019.001.3.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePan, S. Y. \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2022) \u0026lsquo;Tea and tea drinking: China\u0026rsquo;s outstanding contributions to the mankind\u0026rsquo;, \u003cem\u003eChinese Medicine (United Kingdom)\u003c/em\u003e, 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s13020-022-00571-1.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSugiarto (2016) \u0026lsquo;済無No Title No Title No Title\u0026rsquo;, 4(1), pp. 1\u0026ndash;23.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Tea consumption, consumer preferences, health consciousness, domestic market","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4575384/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4575384/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground: \u003c/strong\u003eIn Tanzania, tea is an essential crop that contributes significantly to export revenue, employment opportunities, and income for farmers and other stakeholders, all of which are important to the nation's socioeconomic growth. The economics of Tanzania's tea sector is impacted by the industry's challenges, including low domestic consumption and a significant reliance on export markets. This study sought to investigate the impact of health-conscious tendencies on Tanzanians' tea-drinking habits.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ilala, one of Tanzania's most urban centres. A total of 400 respondents were conveniently included in the sample. A structured questionnaire was used to gather the data, which was then analysed using descriptive statistics to determine how participants felt about drinking tea in relation to health issues.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e The research found that only 20.4% of respondents drank tea for health benefits, indicating that most people were not aware of the benefits of this beverage. Conversely, the majority of the respondents believed that drinking tea was linked to health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, which made them prefer other drinks such as juice, soft drinks and herbal tea) over traditional tea (\u003cem\u003eCamellia sinensis\u003c/em\u003e) due their perceived safety.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions:\u003c/strong\u003eThe findings highlight the importance of understanding consumer preferences and behaviour in developing a successful marketing plan and the challenges faced by consumers so as to promote growth in the Tanzanian tea industry.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The influence of health conscious on tea consumption: A case study in Ilala Municipality-Tanzania","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-03 11:40:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4575384/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"77578b10-1792-48c4-b3c0-6bf444019427","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 3rd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-11T05:40:48+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-03 11:40:45","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4575384","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4575384","identity":"rs-4575384","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}