Positive perceptions and purchase of sustainable foods is associated with higher diet quality in Australian university students
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 16 October 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand university students' perception and engagement with sustainable food practices and the relationship with diet quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey assessed Australian university students' sustainable food perceptions and purchasing behaviours, diet quality using the validated Australian Recommended Food Score and attitudes towards on campus sustainable food options.
Findings
Of respondents (n = 197; 63% female), over half (58%) perceived it was important to purchase sustainable foods. These students were eight times more likely report purchasing sustainable foods (OR: 8.1; 95%CI 4.2–15.7; SE: 0.3; p < 0.001) and had significantly higher diet quality (Beta coefficient: 2.9; 95% Confidence Intervals 0.4–5.4; Standard Error: 1.3; p = 0.024). Students who reported frequently purchasing all types of sustainable foods, except organic foods, had significantly higher diet quality. Few students perceived there were sufficient sustainable food choices on campus (19%), but most supported the development of an edible campus (80%).
Originality/value
The results highlight the potential impact of promoting sustainable food options and creating a supportive campus food environment towards improving students’ diet quality.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This research received no external funding. KC is supported by an ARC Future Fellowship (FT220100178). CEC is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Leadership (L3) Research Fellowship (APP2009340).
Author contributions: Karen Charlton and Yan Hin Siu, conceptualisation; Karen Charlton, Katherine Kent, Clare Collin and Melinda Hutchesson, methodology; Katherine Kent, formal analysis; Katherine Kent and Yan Hin Siu, writing – original draft preparation; all authors, writing – review and editing; Karen Charlton, project administration. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical approval was granted by the UOW Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC2022/143).
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Data availability statement: Data can be made available from the corresponding author with reasonable written request.
Conflicts of interest: Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Citation
Kent, K., Siu, Y.H., Hutchesson, M., Collins, C. and Charlton, K. (2024), "Positive perceptions and purchase of sustainable foods is associated with higher diet quality in Australian university students", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2024-0050
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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