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Kenny TA, Woodside JV, Perry IJ, Harrington JM. Consumer attitudes and behaviors toward more sustainable diets: a scoping review. Nutr Rev 2023; 81:1665-1679. [PMID: 37014671 PMCID: PMC10639109 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to move toward more sustainable diets. Although this will require radical and systemic changes across food systems, altering consumer ideologies and practices is essential to garner support for such actions. In this scoping review, the evidence on consumers' attitudes and behaviors toward more sustainable diets is synthesized and a range of factors, considerations, and proposed strategies are presented that can contribute to building the societal-level support for urgent and systems-level changes. The findings suggest that consumers, insofar as they are interested in sustainability and have the capacity to engage with the concept, primarily approach the concept of sustainable diet from a human health perspective. However, the interconnectedness of human health and well-being with environmental health is poorly understood and under-researched in the context of consumer behaviors and attitudes toward sustainable diets. This highlights the need for (1) sustained efforts from public health professionals to encourage a realignment of the term sustainable diet with its multidimensional meaning by championing an ecological public health approach in all efforts aimed at promoting more sustainable consumption, from awareness raising to policy development; (2) a broader research lens focused on the multidimensional concept of sustainability in the literature exploring consumer attitudes and behaviors; and (3) the development of multidisciplinary, clear, and evidence-based sustainable-eating messages, including holistic sustainable dietary guidance, to address knowledge gaps, minimize conflicting narratives, and build consumer agency. The findings contribute to understanding how support can be generated for the necessary structural and system-level changes required to support behavior change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara A Kenny
- Centre for Health & Diet Research, School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jayne V Woodside
- Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan J Perry
- Centre for Health & Diet Research, School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Janas M Harrington
- Centre for Health & Diet Research, School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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2
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Fox S, Noci F, Kenny O, Dermiki M. Current Perceptions of Sustainable Diets in Ireland and the Outlook of Circular Eating Practices. Foods 2023; 12:4003. [PMID: 37959122 PMCID: PMC10648305 DOI: 10.3390/foods12214003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Encouraging sustainable dietary practices is a positive step towards alleviating the negative impact of increasing food waste. This study explores consumers' perceptions of sustainable diets and factors influencing their adoption of sustainable practices, such as circular eating. Fifteen consumers in Ireland aged 18-65+ years were recruited for a qualitative study exploring their views on sustainable diets and their opinions on the use of peels, trimmings, and other by-products from fruit and vegetables as potential new ingredients or new circular food products. Age, gender, dietary preferences and educational background were important considerations during recruitment. Online interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis managed by NVivo 12. The results highlighted two overarching themes impacting circular eating, namely, food choice motives and awareness of food waste. These were linked to the participants' knowledge of and potential adoption of sustainable diets. Daily trade-offs were evident, linked to the product and the person who was also strongly influenced by their micro-environment. Consumer education from credible sources would be required to create awareness of circular eating. Most respondents were positively disposed to the concept of circular eating, as long as food safety concerns and affordability considerations were addressed through industry transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley Fox
- Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Science, Atlantic Technological University, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland; (S.F.); (O.K.)
| | - Francesco Noci
- Department of Sports Exercise and Nutrition, School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland;
| | - Owen Kenny
- Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Science, Atlantic Technological University, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland; (S.F.); (O.K.)
| | - Maria Dermiki
- Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Science, Atlantic Technological University, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland; (S.F.); (O.K.)
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Bandelin-Franke L, Schenk L, Baer NR. To Eat or Not to Eat-A Qualitative Exploration and Typology of Restrictive Dietary Practices among Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15112466. [PMID: 37299430 DOI: 10.3390/nu15112466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Favorable diets often include restrictive practices that have proven health benefits, even if initiated later in life. The aim of this qualitative study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of Restrictive Dietary Practices (RDPs) among a sample of middle-aged and older German adults (aged 59-78 years). We conducted 24 narrative in-depth interviews and analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz). Following an inductive thematic approach, a typology was reconstructed comprising four typical RDP characteristics: I. The Holistically Restraining Type, II. The Dissonant-savoring Restraining Type, III. The Reactively Restraining Type, and IV. The Unintentionally Restraining Type. These types differed regarding the practical implementation of, e.g., restrictive food choice into everyday routines, barriers to do so, as well as with respect to attitudes and motives underlying RDPs. The major motives for adopting a RDP involved health, well-being, ethical, and ecological concerns. The most prominent barriers to a 'successful' adoption of RDPs were the enjoyment of food and the desire for spontaneity and freedom of (food) choice. Our study offers an in-depth understanding of the aspects that shape the widespread practice of dietary restriction among middle-aged and older adults. Lifeworld-related changes in RDPs and possible 'type shiftings' are discussed as well as the meaning and chances of RDPs for public health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Bandelin-Franke
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Liane Schenk
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadja-Raphaela Baer
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Mattas K, Raptou E, Alayidi A, Yener G, Baourakis G. Assessing the interlinkage between biodiversity and diet through the Mediterranean diet case. Adv Nutr 2023; 14:570-582. [PMID: 36997093 DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The adoption of healthy and sustainable diets, and the transition to sustainable food systems is of principal importance in order to counteract the double burden of climate change and non-communicable diseases. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been widely recognized as a biodiversity and healthy nutrition resource to support sustainable development and food security. This study explored biodiversity in terms of food plants species, subspecies, varieties and races, and also addressed food-plant diversity differences between the MD and western-type consumption patterns. It was funded by the EU BioValue Project, aiming to promote the integration of underutilized crops into the food value chains. Using a two-stage scheme, data were selected from MEDUSA and Euro+Med databases (including 449 species, 2,366 subspecies, varieties, and races). Furthermore, 12 countries from North Africa and Europe were classified in two groups according to their sub-regional attributes and their traditionally most prevalent dietary pattern (MD or western-type diets). Statistical analysis showed that the mean of the majorly cultivated food plants in the MD was significantly higher than its counterpart in the Western-diet. Furthermore, no statistical difference was detected in the averages of native food plants between the MD group and the Western diet group, implying that the higher diversity in food plants observed in the MD seems to be attributed to crop utilization rather than crop availability. Our findings indicated the interlinkage between biodiversity and prevailing dietary patterns, and further underlined that biodiversity could constitute a prerequisite for dietary diversity, and hence nutrition security. In addition, this study demonstrated that diets and nutrition should be approached in a broader way within the context of both agro-food and ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstadinos Mattas
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Elena Raptou
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Ahmed Alayidi
- Department of Business Economics and Management, CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
| | - Gizem Yener
- Department of Business Economics and Management, CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
| | - George Baourakis
- CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
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Lu J, Ranjan P, Floress K, Arbuckle JG, Church SP, Eanes FR, Gao Y, Gramig BM, Singh AS, Prokopy LS. A meta-analysis of agricultural conservation intentions, behaviors, and practices: Insights from 35 years of quantitative literature in the United States. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 323:116240. [PMID: 36261983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Conservation practices (CPs) are integral to maintaining the long-term viability of agro-ecological systems. Because farming systems and farmers' values and attitudes are heterogeneous, factors that consistently predict conservation behaviors remain elusive. Moreover, heterogeneity is present among studies regarding the type of CPs examined, and whether behavioral intentions or actual behaviors were measured. This study considers the characteristics of each CP, and whether a given study measured behavioral intention or actual behavior, to better understand farmers' adoption of CPs. We reviewed and analyzed 35 years (1982-2017) of quantitative conservation adoption literature in the United States. We categorized CPs based on their primary purpose, the type of benefit they provide, and whether they are operational or structural. We also examined the following five CPs: conservation tillage, buffers or borders, soil testing, grassed waterways, and cover crops. In our behavioral intention and actual behavior analysis, we found that attitudinal factors predicted both conservation intention and action (actual behavior), whereas current or previous use of practices only influenced actions, not stated conservation intentions. In our analysis focusing on CP characteristics, we found that having specific knowledge about and positive attitudes toward the CP, adoption of other CPs, seeking and using information, larger farm size, and vulnerable land predicted actual adoption across nearly all CP categorizations. Nuances emerge when comparing predictors of CPs that share a particular characteristic. For example, we found farm characteristics to be comparatively more important in predicting adoption of soil management CPs than nutrient and livestock management CPs, and farmers' stewardship identity to be more important for permanent practices than operational practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Lu
- School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University, USA
| | - Pranay Ranjan
- School of Earth & Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, USA.
| | | | - J G Arbuckle
- Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Iowa State University, USA
| | - Sarah P Church
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ajay S Singh
- Department of Environmental Studies, Sacramento State University, USA
| | - Linda S Prokopy
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, USA
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Comino I, Soares P, Martínez-Milán MA, Caballero P, Davó-Blanes MC. School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme: Characteristics of Its Implementation in the European Union from 2009/10 to 2016/17. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14153069. [PMID: 35893920 PMCID: PMC9370373 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The “School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme” (SFVS) was proposed in 2009/10 as a strategy to support the consumption of Fruit and Vegetables (FV), decrease rates of obesity, improve agricultural income, stabilize markets, and ensure the current and future supply of these foods. However, there is little information about how it was carried out in the EU. Given the potential of the SFVS to support healthier, more sustainable food systems, the objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of SFVS implementation from 2009/10 to 2016/17 in the EU. A longitudinal, observational, and retrospective study was carried out based on secondary data. A total of 186 annual reports of the Member States (MS) participating in the SFVS from 2009/10 to 2016/17 were consulted: European and national budget, funds used from the EU, participating schools and students, duration of the SFVS, FV offered, and application of sustainability criteria, expenditure per student, days of the week, the quantity of FV offered per student and other indicators were calculated. The majority of MS participated in the SFVS during the study period with a heterogeneous implementation pattern in terms of funds used, coverage, duration, quantity (totals and by portion), and cost of FV distributed per student. The sustainability criteria for the FV distribution were also not applied uniformly in all the MS. Establishing minimum recommendations for SFVS implementation are recommended to maximize the benefits of the SFVS. The results may be useful for planning new strategies to help address and improve current health and environmental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Comino
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; (I.C.); (P.S.); (M.A.M.-M.); (M.C.D.-B.)
- Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Panmela Soares
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; (I.C.); (P.S.); (M.A.M.-M.); (M.C.D.-B.)
- Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - María Asunción Martínez-Milán
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; (I.C.); (P.S.); (M.A.M.-M.); (M.C.D.-B.)
| | - Pablo Caballero
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; (I.C.); (P.S.); (M.A.M.-M.); (M.C.D.-B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - María Carmen Davó-Blanes
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; (I.C.); (P.S.); (M.A.M.-M.); (M.C.D.-B.)
- Public Health Research Group, Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
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Kahambing JGS. Sustainable diet and cruciform ethics during COVID-19. J Public Health (Oxf) 2022; 44:e327-e328. [PMID: 34156083 PMCID: PMC8344486 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Health inequalities in food challenge sustainable prospects during the pandemic. Basic sustainable diet practices may address this issue, but problems of nutrition arise due to unhealthy eating habits. An inductive approach through curbing one's diet forms certain ethics, which takes into account one's sacrifices for the collective. This article proposes that cruciform ethics can introduce a reimagination of sustainable diets during coronavirus disease 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Gresil S Kahambing
- Social Science Unit, Leyte Normal University, Paterno Street, Tacloban City 6500, Philippines
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Italians’ behavior when dining out: Main drivers for restaurant selection and customers segmentation. Int J Gastron Food Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgfs.2022.100518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Dai J, Zulkefli NF, Moy FM, Humphries DL. The Importance of Sociocultural Context When Choosing to Eat Healthier. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 54:143-150. [PMID: 34952802 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore how working women in metropolitan Malaysia make food decisions. DESIGN A grounded theory approach and semistructured interviews. SETTING A large university in metropolitan Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-four female employees purposively recruited to vary in ethnicity, body mass index, age, and marital status via convenience sampling. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST Perceptions of sociocultural influences on healthy eating behavior among working women. ANALYSIS Researchers audio-recorded interviews and analyzed verbatim transcripts. RESULTS Working women shared a desire to eat a healthier, more balanced diet by reducing processed food consumption through home-cooked meals. Participants described aspects of their living situations and cultural values about food that made it seem impossible to change their diets. Living with other people limited their ability to cook the food they wanted to eat. In addition, unspoken rules about communal eating in Malaysia, such as not refusing food and not wasting food, prevented working women from practicing healthy eating. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS In this population of working women in metropolitan Malaysia, experiences of time scarcity and limited sociocultural support for behavior change were major barriers to healthy eating. Interventions could prioritize leveraging these realities about food to facilitate environments in which women feel like they have control of their own food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Dai
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
| | - Nur Fadzlina Zulkefli
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Foong Ming Moy
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Debbie L Humphries
- Department of Epidemiology of Chronic Disease, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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