Behavior Development Training for Sustainable Nutrition

Summary

The European Federation of Dietetic Associations (EFAD) recommends sustainable nutrition to create healthy societies. Sustainable nutrition models include the Mediterranean diet, vegetarian and vegan diets, the double pyramid model, and the Scandinavian diet.

The dilemma of food loss, waste, and hunger is one of the significant paradoxical problems faced in today's world. Food waste and wastage can become an environmental and economic problem if not managed properly.

It is stated that the difficulties in accessing animal protein will increase daily due to the increasing and continuing global population and negative environmental impacts.

A literature review revealed the lack of a randomized controlled trial on behavioral education for sustainable nutrition among university students. This study aims to educate Nutrition and Dietetics students about sustainable nutrition, food waste, and waste, to translate the information provided to students into behavioral behavior, and to contribute to the literature in this field. In this randomized controlled experimental study, the "Sustainable Nutritional Behavior Development Scale" and the "Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale" will be administered face-to-face to healthy students actively studying in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University's Faculty of Health Sciences, and their scores will be calculated.

Following the initial data collection process, students assigned to the experimental group will receive a 12-week training program based on the knowledge-attitude-behavior model (Bettinghaus, 1986). Students will be included in the Sustainable Nutritional Behavior Development Training Program, while the control group will not receive any intervention. After data collection, in accordance with ethical principles, students in the control group will receive the same training as students in the experimental group.

The collected study data will be analyzed using SPSS 20.0 statistical analysis software. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test will be used to assess data normality. Findings regarding the students' individual characteristics will be analyzed using percentages, means, and standard deviations. The relationship between the independent variables of the control and experimental groups and the anthropometric measurement results and scale scores will be examined with appropriate statistical analyses.

Conditions

• Sustainable Nutrition
• Sustainable Healthy Diet
• Sustainable Food Consumption
• Sustainable Lifestyles
• Mediterranean Diet

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

sustainable nutrition education

The educational intervention applied to the experimental group was carried out in 12 sessions. The knowledge-attitude-behavior education model was adopted in the education sessions. The education program, which was created by obtaining expert opinions, consists of five basic topics and was carried out with the interactive education method. Sessions; 1. Environmental effects during the production of animal and plant foods 2. Production and environmental effects of processed foods 3. Foods with low environmental impact and nutrition models 4. What are food losses and wastes? 5. Workshops 6. Processing and storage of foods 7. Consumption of local, regional and seasonal fruits, vegetables and fish 8. The importance of sustainable nutrition and alternative protein sources 9. Mediterranean diet model 10. Preparing a shopping list 11. Reading labels and nutritional content 12. Watching a documentary on the harms of packaged foods on living beings and the environment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University

  collaborator OTHER

• Betul Uner

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-03-01

Primary Completion

2024-09-27

Completion

2024-09-27

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations