Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors and Environmental Literacy of Generations X, Y and Z with the Same Ancestral Background: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- RQ1
- Is there a relationship between sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and the environmental literacy of different generations?
- RQ2
- Which factors affect the sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and environmental literacy of different generations?
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristics | GenX (n = 127) | GenY (n = 127) | GenZ (n = 127) | p | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | n | % | n | % | ||
Gender | |||||||
Man | 23 | 18.1 | 25 | 19.7 | 40 | 31.5 | 0.022 |
Woman | 104 | 81.9 | 102 | 80.3 | 87 | 68.5 | |
Marital status | |||||||
Married | 107 | 84.3 | 60 | 47.2 | 8 | 6.3 | <0.001 |
Single | 8 | 6.3 | 64 | 50.4 | 119 | 93.7 | |
Other | 12 | 9.4 | 3 | 2.4 | 0 | 0.0 | |
Where most of life is spent | |||||||
Province | 69 | 54.3 | 83 | 65.3 | 82 | 64.6 | 0.161 |
District | 35 | 27.6 | 33 | 26.0 | 32 | 25.2 | |
Village | 23 | 18.1 | 11 | 8.7 | 13 | 10.2 | |
Education status | |||||||
Illiterate | 15 | 11.8 | 4 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.0 | <0.001 |
Primary school | 38 | 29.9 | 14 | 11.1 | 3 | 2.3 | |
Secondary school | 23 | 18.1 | 6 | 4.7 | 17 | 13.4 | |
High school | 25 | 19.7 | 23 | 18.1 | 43 | 33.9 | |
University | 21 | 16.6 | 73 | 57.5 | 64 | 50.4 | |
Postgraduate | 5 | 3.9 | 7 | 5.5 | 0 | 0.0 | |
Employment status | |||||||
Working | 40 | 31.5 | 58 | 45.7 | 11 | 8.7 | <0.001 |
Not working | 87 | 68.5 | 69 | 54.3 | 116 | 91.3 | |
Sector of employment * | |||||||
Informatics | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 5.2 | 0 | 0.0 | <0.001 |
Education | 8 | 20.0 | 14 | 24.1 | 1 | 9.1 | |
Finance | 2 | 5.0 | 5 | 8.6 | 0 | 0.0 | |
Health | 6 | 15.0 | 10 | 17.2 | 4 | 36.4 | |
Marketing | 2 | 5.0 | 6 | 10.3 | 2 | 18.1 | |
Tourism | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 6.9 | 0 | 0.0 | |
Other | 22 | 55.0 | 16 | 27.7 | 4 | 36.4 | |
Income status | |||||||
Income less than expenditure | 34 | 26.7 | 38 | 29.9 | 40 | 31.5 | 0.868 |
Income equals expenditure | 58 | 45.7 | 55 | 43.3 | 59 | 46.5 | |
Income more than expenditure | 35 | 27.6 | 34 | 26.8 | 28 | 22.0 | |
Membership to environmental organization | |||||||
Yes | 8 | 6.3 | 12 | 9.4 | 19 | 15.0 | 0.105 |
No | 119 | 93.7 | 115 | 90.6 | 108 | 85.0 | |
Parenting status | |||||||
Yes | 123 | 96.9 | 59 | 46.5 | 2 | 1.6 | <0.001 |
No | 4 | 3.1 | 68 | 53.5 | 125 | 98.4 | |
Mother’s education level | |||||||
Illiterate | 55 | 43.3 | 11 | 8.7 | 0 | 0.0 | <0.001 |
Primary school | 62 | 48.8 | 55 | 43.3 | 39 | 30.7 | |
Secondary school | 8 | 6.3 | 22 | 17.3 | 17 | 13.4 | |
High school | 1 | 0.8 | 27 | 21.2 | 42 | 33.1 | |
University | 1 | 0.8 | 12 | 9.5 | 29 | 22.8 | |
Father’s education level | |||||||
Illiterate | 23 | 18.1 | 3 | 2.4 | 0 | 0.0 | <0.001 |
Primary school | 61 | 48.1 | 29 | 22.8 | 22 | 17.3 | |
Secondary school | 13 | 10.2 | 29 | 22.8 | 26 | 20.5 | |
High school | 21 | 16.5 | 32 | 25.2 | 34 | 26.8 | |
University | 9 | 7.1 | 34 | 26.8 | 45 | 35.4 | |
Cigarette use | |||||||
Yes | 24 | 18.9 | 26 | 20.5 | 25 | 19.7 | 0.951 |
No | 103 | 81.1 | 101 | 79.5 | 102 | 80.3 | |
Alcohol use | |||||||
Yes | 2 | 1.6 | 8 | 6.3 | 7 | 5.5 | 0.374 |
No | 125 | 97.4 | 119 | 93.7 | 120 | 94.5 | |
Skipping main meals | |||||||
Yes | 61 | 48.0 | 72 | 56.7 | 82 | 64.6 | 0.101 |
No | 66 | 52.0 | 55 | 43.3 | 45 | 35.4 | |
Skipped meal | |||||||
Breakfast | 19 | 31.5 | 37 | 51.3 | 54 | 65.8 | <0.001 |
Lunch | 39 | 64.1 | 32 | 44.5 | 27 | 32.9 | |
Dinner | 3 | 4.4 | 3 | 4.2 | 1 | 1.3 | |
Chronic disease status | |||||||
Yes | 61 | 48.0 | 13 | 10.2 | 6 | 4.7 | <0.001 |
No | 66 | 52.0 | 114 | 89.8 | 121 | 95.3 | |
Regular medication use | |||||||
Yes | 59 | 46.5 | 17 | 13.4 | 6 | 4.7 | <0.001 |
No | 68 | 53.5 | 110 | 86.6 | 121 | 95.3 | |
Use of vitamin–mineral supplements | |||||||
Yes | 40 | 31.5 | 54 | 42.5 | 45 | 35.4 | 0.258 |
No | 87 | 68.5 | 73 | 57.5 | 82 | 64.6 |
Anthropometric Measurements | GenX (n = 127) | GenY (n = 127) | GenZ (n = 127) | p | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median (Min–Max) | Median (Min–Max) | Median (Min–Max) | |||||
Weight (kg) | 70 (50–110) a | 65 (45–113) b | 60 (30–105) c | <0.001 | |||
Height (cm) | 160 (145–195) a | 165 (151–198) b | 166 (134–195) b | <0.001 | |||
BMI (kg\m2) | 27.7 (19.84–41.67) a | 23.8 (17.0–42.53) b | 21.7 (15.59–34.1) c | <0.001 | |||
BMI classification | n | % | n | % | n | % | p |
Underweight | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 5.5 | 15 | 11.8 | <0.001 |
Normal | 26 | 20.5 | 68 | 53.5 | 86 | 67.7 | |
Overweight | 63 | 49.6 | 36 | 28.4 | 19 | 15.0 | |
Obese | 38 | 29.9 | 16 | 12.6 | 7 | 5.5 |
Scores | GenX (n = 127) | GenY (n = 127) | GenZ (n = 127) | p | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median (Min–Max) | Median (Min–Max) | Median (Min–Max) | |||||
SHE Behaviors Scale | |||||||
Quality Labels * | 4.33 ± 0.94 a | 4.18 ± 0.98 a | 3.89 ± 1.00 b | 0.001 | |||
Avoiding Food Waste and Seasonal Foods | 5.14 (2.43–7) a | 4.57 (1.86–7) b | 4.43 (1–7) b | <0.001 | |||
Animal Welfare | 4.5 (1.5–7) a | 4 (1–7) b | 3.75 (1–7) b | 0.006 | |||
Meat Reduction | 4 (1–7) a | 3.67 (1–7) a | 3.33 (1–7) b | 0.011 | |||
Healthy and Balanced Nutrition | 5 (1.75–7) a | 5 (2.25–7) a | 4.5 (1–7) b | <0.001 | |||
Local Food | 4 (1–7) a | 3 (1–7) b | 3 (1–7) b | <0.001 | |||
Low Fat | 5 (2–7) a | 5 (2.33–7) a | 4.67 (1–7) b | 0.026 | |||
Total * | 4.56 ± 0.78 a | 4.27 ± 0.83 b | 4.02 ± 0.93 c | <0.001 | |||
ELSA scores | |||||||
Environmental Consciousness | 39 (25–45) a | 41 (17–45) b | 41 (24–45) a,b | 0.007 | |||
Environmental Anxiety | 26 (14–30) | 27 (12–30) | 27 (10–30) | 0.310 | |||
Environmental Awareness | 19 (10–25) | 19 (9–25) | 19 (5–25) | 0.879 | |||
Total | 84 (51–100) | 87 (44–100) | 87 (46–100) | 0.149 | |||
ELSA classification ** | |||||||
Non-high | 16 | 12.6 | 5 | 3.9 | 11 | 8.7 | 0.045 |
High | 111 | 87.4 | 122 | 96.1 | 116 | 91.3 |
Scores | GenX (n = 127) | GenY (n = 127) | GenZ (n = 127) |
---|---|---|---|
Total SHE Behavior Score | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.233 ** | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.62 | 0.221 * | 1 |
Quality Labels | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.197 * | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.232 ** | 0.251 * | 1 |
Avoiding Food Waste and Seasonal Foods | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | −0.009 | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.004 | 0.134 | 1 |
Animal Welfare | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.363 ** | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.118 | 0.269 ** | 1 |
Meat Reduction | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.353 ** | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.278 | 0.376 ** | 1 |
Healthy and Balanced Nutrition | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.177 * | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.174 * | 0.229 ** | 1 |
Local Food | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.321 ** | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.279 ** | 0.211 * | 1 |
Low Fat | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.128 | 1 | |
GenZ | −0.023 | 0.107 | 1 |
ELSA Total | |||
GenX | 1 | ||
GenY | 0.402 ** | 1 | |
GenZ | 0.396 ** | 0.417 ** | 1 |
Environmental Consciousness | |||
GenY | 1 | ||
GenZ | 0.410 ** | 11 | |
GenY | 0.369 ** | 0.362 ** | 1 |
Environmental Anxiety | |||
GenY | 1 | ||
GenZ | 0.330 ** | 1 | |
GenY | 0.326 ** | 0.396 ** | |
Environmental Awareness | |||
GenY | 1 | ||
GenZ | 0.280 ** | 1 | |
GenY | 0.335 ** | 0.330 ** | 1 |
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Share and Cite
Öner, N.; Durmuş, H.; Yaşar Fırat, Y.; Borlu, A.; Özkan, N. Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors and Environmental Literacy of Generations X, Y and Z with the Same Ancestral Background: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Sustainability 2024, 16, 2497. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062497
Öner N, Durmuş H, Yaşar Fırat Y, Borlu A, Özkan N. Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors and Environmental Literacy of Generations X, Y and Z with the Same Ancestral Background: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Sustainability. 2024; 16(6):2497. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062497
Chicago/Turabian StyleÖner, Neslihan, Hasan Durmuş, Yağmur Yaşar Fırat, Arda Borlu, and Nilüfer Özkan. 2024. "Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors and Environmental Literacy of Generations X, Y and Z with the Same Ancestral Background: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study" Sustainability 16, no. 6: 2497. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062497