Can Unveiling the Relationship between Nutritional Literacy and Sustainable Eating Behaviors Survive Our Future?

Hande Mortaş (), Semra Navruz-Varlı, Merve Esra Çıtar-Dazıroğlu and Saniye Bilici
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Hande Mortaş: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, 06490 Ankara, Turkey
Semra Navruz-Varlı: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, 06490 Ankara, Turkey
Merve Esra Çıtar-Dazıroğlu: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, 06490 Ankara, Turkey
Saniye Bilici: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, 06490 Ankara, Turkey

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between food and nutrition literacy and sustainable, healthy eating behaviors among young adults. This cross-sectional study took place in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, involving 500 participants (265 females, 235 males) whose average age was 22.6 ± 3.97 years. A questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews, covering three sections: (1) general information, (2) the food and nutrition literacy instrument (FNLI), and (3) the sustainable and healthy eating behaviors scale (SHEBS). The females exhibited a higher FNLI score (94.8 ± 10.9) compared with the males (89.9 ± 13.1), with a statistically significant difference ( p < 0.001). Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean SHEBS scores for the FNLI behavior sub-dimension among all three categories: inadequate (106.6 ± 32.7), limited (125.5 ± 23.6), and excellent (147.5 ± 28.8) ( p < 0.05). The significant correlations of the FNLI score with various factors, including seasonal foods (0.163-unit increase per unit), avoidance of food waste (0.312-unit increase per unit), reduction in meat consumption (0.750-unit increase per unit), and education status (1.399-unit increase per unit) ( p < 0.001) was revealed in the study. Based on the findings from this study, we can plan to promote sustainable resource utilization by developing educational materials in the field of nutrition.

Keywords: sustainable eating; food and nutrition literacy; eating behaviors; young adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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