Investigation of Knowledge and Behaviour of Adult Individuals in Terms of Sustainable Nutrition

Investigation of Knowledge and Behaviour of Adult Individuals in Terms of Sustainable Nutrition

The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and behaviour of individuals aged 18 years or above on the subject of sustainable nutrition. The study was conducted between April and May 2019 and involved a total of 202 adult individuals (85 female, 117 male), all of whom are resident in Istanbul and over 18 years of age. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, their knowledge on sustainable nutrition, nutritional behaviours and food preferences were determined using a questionnaire. 64,40% of the participants with an average age of 32,60 ± 13,20 had not heard of the concept of sustainable nutrition concept before. While there was no statistically significant difference between gender and being aware of the concept of sustainable nutrition, it was found that women exhibited more sustainable nutrition behaviours compared to men (p <0.05). It was observed that the participants learned the concept of sustainable nutrition mostly from health professionals (31.9%) and social media (26.3%). 39.1% of the participants responded that they agreed with the statement “I consume vegetables and fruits grown during the season” and 36,60% of them agreed with the statement “I consume fish caught during the season with appropriate methods”. Most of the respondents (44.50% and 34.60% respectively) agree with the statements “I’m careful about not wasting the food” and “I use economic foods”. 44.50% of the respondents agreed with the statement “I have less food waste”. In conclusion, studies on public awareness campaigns can be beneficial.

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