Journals / Ağrı Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 3 Sayı: 3

University students’ sustainable and healthy eating behaviors, along with their environmental literacy: A cross-sectional study

Üniversite öğrencilerinin sürdürülebilir ve sağlıklı beslenme davranışları ile çevre okuryazarlığı: Kesitsel bir çalışma

Arda Borlu(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-1424-8037
Hasan Durmuş(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-5719-1475
Neslihan Öner(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6773-4963
Pages
107–114
Publication Date
2025-10-29
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusion: Promoting education on sustainable and healthy eating among university students supports both personal and environmental health, contributing to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Aim: This analytical study aimed to assess the sustainable and healthy eating (SHE) behaviors and the level of environmental literacy among first-year university students.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Materials and Methods: The study included 959 students.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Conclusion: Promoting education on sustainable and healthy eating among university students supports both personal and environmental health, contributing to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Çevre Okuryazarlığı · Öğrenciler · Sürdürülebilirlik

Abstract

Aim: This analytical study aimed to assess the sustainable and healthy eating (SHE) behaviors and the level of environmental literacy among first-year university students. Materials and Methods: The study included 959 students. Data was collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, the SHE behaviors scale, and the Environmental Literacy for Adults (ELSA) scale. Socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed using Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA, and LSD post-hoc tests. The relationship between SHE behaviors and ELSA scores was evaluated using Pearson correlation. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Only 35.8% of students reported being familiar with sustainable nutrition, and just 29.7% could accurately define it. Female students scored higher than male students on both the Sustainable and Healthy Eating (SHE) behaviors scale and the Environmental Literacy for Adults (ELSA) scale. Additionally, students who lived with their families, lived in rural areas, followed a healthy diet, and prepared their own food had higher SHE scores. Students who knew the term "sustainable nutrition" scored significantly higher on SHE behaviors. Believers in and those concerned about climate change also had higher SHE scores. A positive and significant correlation was observed between SHE behaviors and ELSA scores. Conclusion: Promoting education on sustainable and healthy eating among university students supports both personal and environmental health, contributing to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Özet

Amaç: Bu analitik çalışma, üniversite birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin sürdürülebilir ve sağlıklı beslenme (SHE) davranışlarını ve çevre okuryazarlıklarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlandı. Gereçler ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya 959 öğrenci dahil edildi. Veriler sosyo-demografik bir anket, SHE davranışları ölçeği ve Yetişkinler için Çevre Okuryazarlığı (ELSA) ölçeği kullanılarak toplandı. Sosyo-demografik özellikler Student's t-testi, tek yönlü ANOVA ve LSD post-hoc testleri ile analiz edildi. SHE davranışları ile ELSA puanları arasındaki ilişki Pearson korelasyonu kullanılarak değerlendirildi. P-değerinin <0.05 olması anlamlı kabul edildi. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin sadece %35,8'i sürdürülebilir beslenme hakkında bilgi sahibiydi ve %29,7'si bu kavramı tanımlayabiliyordu. Kız öğrenciler hem SHE davranışlarında hem de ELSA'da erkek öğrencilerden daha yüksek puan aldı. Daha yüksek SHE puanları aile ile yaşama, kırsalda ikamet etme, sağlıklı beslenme ve gıda hazırlama ile ilişkilendirildi. “Sürdürülebilir beslenme” terimini bilen öğrenciler SHE davranışlarında anlamlı derecede daha yüksek puan aldı. İklim değişikliğine inananlar ve iklim değişikliği konusunda endişe duyanlar da daha yüksek SHE puanlarına sahipti. SHE davranışları ile ELSA puanları arasında pozitif ve anlamlı bir korelasyon gözlendi. Sonuç: Üniversite öğrencileri arasında sürdürülebilir ve sağlıklı beslenme konusunda eğitimin teşvik edilmesi hem kişisel hem de çevresel sağlığı destekleyerek sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedeflerine ulaşılmasına katkıda bulunabilir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Borlu, A., Durmuş, H., Öner, N. (2025). University students’ sustainable and healthy eating behaviors, along with their environmental literacy: A cross-sectional study. Ağrı Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 3 Sayı: 3, 107–114. https://doi.org/10.61845/agrimedical.1653683

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (27)

  1. Harris F, Moss C, Joy EJM, Quinn R, Scheelbeek PFD, Dangour AD, et al. The water footprint of diets: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(2):375-86.
  2. Yüksel A, Önal Yılmaz H. Evaluation of university students’ knowledge of and practices for sustainable nutrition. Int J Agric Environ Food Sci. 2021;5(2):146-56.
  3. Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, Springmann M, Lang T, Vermeulen S, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-92.
  4. Marlow HJ, Hayes WK, Soret S, Carter RL, Schwab ER, Sabaté J. Diet and the environment: does what you eat matter? Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(5):1699s-703s.
  5. Dagevos H, Voordouw J. Sustainability and meat consumption: is reduction realistic? Sustain Sci Pract Policy. 2013;9(2):60-9.
  6. Mirón IJ, Linares C, Díaz J. The influence of climate change on food production and food safety. Environ Res. 2023;216:114674.
  7. van Dooren C, Marinussen M, Blonk H, Aiking H, Vellinga P. Exploring dietary guidelines based on ecological and nutritional values: A comparison of six dietary patterns. Food Policy. 2014;44:36-46.
  8. Shri GU, Tiwari RR. Environmental Literacy among College Students. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2021;25(3):128-32.
  9. Johnston JL, Fanzo JC, Cogill B. Understanding sustainable diets: a descriptive analysis of the determinants and processes that influence diets and their impact on health, food security, and environmental sustainability. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(4):418-29.
  10. Dornhoff M, Hörnschemeyer A, Fiebelkorn F. Students’ Conceptions of Sustainable Nutrition. Sustainability. 2020;12(13):5242.
  11. Foley JA, Ramankutty N, Brauman KA, Cassidy ES, Gerber JS, Johnston M, et al. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature. 2011;478(7369):337-42.
  12. Innes S, Shephard K, Furnari M, Harraway J, Jowett T, Lovelock B, et al. Greening the Curriculum to Foster Environmental Literacy in Tertiary Students Studying Human Nutrition. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2018;13(2):192-204.
  13. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Buchner A, Lang A-G. Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav Res Methods. 2009;41(4):1149-60.
  14. Żakowska-Biemans S, Pieniak Z, Kostyra E, Gutkowska K. Searching for a Measure Integrating Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors. Nutrients. 2019;11(1).
  15. Köksal E, Bilici S, Çitar Daziroğlu ME, Erdoğan Gövez N. Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors Scale. Br J Nutr. 2022:1-20.
  16. Atabek-Yiğit E, Köklükaya N, Yavuz M, Demirhan E. Development and validation of environmental literacy scale for adults (ELSA). J Balt Sci Educ. 2014;13(3):425-35.
  17. Yolcuoğlu İZ, Kızıltan G. Effect of nutrition education on diet quality, sustainable nutrition and eating behaviors among university students. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2022;41(7):713-19.
  18. Özkaya PT, Dağbağlı S. Usage of Natural Colour Indicators in Packaging Materials for Monitorization of Meat Freshness. Turk J Agric Food Sci Technol. 2021;9(10):1869-75.
  19. Whitnall T, Pitts N. Global trends in meat consumption. Agric Commodities. 2019;9(1):96-9.
  20. UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021. Available from: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021
  21. Salihoglu G, Salihoglu NK, Ucaroglu S, Banar M. Food loss and waste management in Turkey. Bioresour Technol. 2018;248:88-99.
  22. Yildirim H, Capone R, Karanlik A, Bottalico F, Debs P, Bilali HE. Food Wastage in Turkey: An Exploratory Survey on Household Food Waste. J Food Nutr Res. 2016;4(8):483-9.
  23. Sollid K, Webster AD, Paipongna M, Smith K. Food Perceptions, Beliefs, and Behaviors Amid a Global Pandemic: Results of the International Food Information Council 2021 Food & Health Survey. Nutr Today. 2022;57(1):26-33.
  24. Vermeulen SJ, Campbell BM, Ingram JSI. Climate Change and Food Systems. Annu Rev Environ Resour. 2012;37(1):195-222.
  25. Akay G LSD. Health Sciences Students Sustainable Nutrition and Environmental Knowledge Levels and Adherence to Mediterranean Diet. Mevlana Med Sci. 2022;2(1):1-6.
  26. Bloodhart B, Swim JK. Sustainability and Consumption: What's Gender Got to Do with It? J Soc Issues. 2020;76(1):101-13.
  27. Burkhart S, Verdonck M, Ashford T, Maher J. Sustainability: Nutrition and dietetic students’ perceptions. Sustainability. 2020;12(3):1072.