The Relationship Between Knowledge and Behaviors on Sustainable Nutrition with Food Choices of Undergraduate Students: A Single Centre Study

Abstract

How to feed a growing population in a resource-limited world is a major challenge. The current food system is responsible for both increasing human-induced greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. For these reasons, sustainable nutrition is getting more and more attention. This study was planned to evaluate the behaviors and knowledge levels of undergraduate students about sustainable nutrition and to examine their relationships on food preferences. In this cross-sectional study, 355 students (268 females, 87 males) aged between 18 and 35 years who continued their undergraduate education between May 2021 and December 2021 were participated. An online questionnaire method was used to obtain the general information of students, the food choice questionnaire, behavior and knowledge levels about sustainable nutrition. It was determined that 49.3 % of the students have heard the term sustainable nutrition before. Sustainable nutrition behavior and knowledge mean scores were 66.1 ± 13.2, and 82.6 ± 8.6, respectively. It was found that as the sustainable nutrition knowledge score increased, the sustainable nutrition behavior score increased. It has been determined that the most important sustainable nutrition behavior of the students is to get as much food as they can consume on their plates. It was found that the students generally behaved towards not creating exxessive use of food source and food waste, and evaluating their leftovers. Sustainable nutrition behavior score was found to be significantly higher in women than in men (p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference between reading department and income levels (p = 0.110). Although the sustainable nutrition knowledge score was higher in women, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.135), and there was no statistically significant difference between departments and income status (p > 0.05).It was found that the sustainable nutrition behavioral score was effective on the sub-dimensions of health, mood, natural content, weight control and ethical concern in food choices, and nutrition knowledge score was effective on the sub-dimensions of convenience, price, and weight control. It has been determined that students' sustainable nutrition behavior and knowledge levels affect their food choices. Studies on sustainable nutrition are needed in larger and diverse populations (athletes, vegetarians, vegans).