Association between eco-anxiety, sustainable eating and consumption behaviors and the EAT-Lancet diet score among university students

Abstract

There is not much research on how actions that are good for the environment, sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and dietary patterns affect eco-anxiety, or vice versa. The goal of this study is to find out what predicts eco-anxiety or sustainable and healthy eating behaviors among university students. This study was done with 605 undergraduate students. They filled out scales including eco-anxiety, the Turkish version of sustainable and healthy eating behaviors, organic food consumption, and sustainable consumption behavior. Also, the EAT-Lancet Diet scores of the participants were calculated. Pearson correlational analysis was used in order to show the correlational coefficients between scales, and multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of both climate anxiety and sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. The mean scores of eco-anxiety, meat reduction, organic food consumption, the EAT-Lancet diet, environmental awareness, and reusability were higher among female participants. Eco-anxiety was associated with some types of pro-environmental behaviors. Lower behavioral symptoms related to eco-anxiety, greater organic food consumption, and environmental awareness were associated with higher sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. These findings suggest that eco-anxiety may be considered a motivating force for pro-environmental behaviors like environmental awareness, but behavioral symptoms related to eco-anxiety may have a negative effect on sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. In order to adopt more sustainable dietary patterns, governments should inform people about the impact of their dietary choices on the environment.