Consumption Versus Sustainable Lifestyles of University Students

Abstract

Community citizens practice a range of consumption behavioural patterns to meet their daily biological, social and cultural needs. Such consumption patterns include eating, drinking, buying, handling objects and the environment. Such daily consumption patterns are linked to individual everyday life and changes in his/her society including climate changes. Communities are supposed to practice sustainable lifestyles to keep a healthy environment and face the effects of climate change. The research aimed to study the consumption patterns of university students, and to identify the frequently experienced one. University Students Behavioural Consumption Patterns Scale was built. It is formed of 38 items assessing 4 consumption areas: (1) Food, (2) Purchasing, (3) Environmental practices, (4) Energy. Subjects’ response varies between Agree/Neutral/Disagree (3/2/1).810 student of different fields of study and grades in the faculty of Education Helwan University responded to the electronic version of the Students Behavioural Consumption Patterns Scale. There was no difference in consumption patterns according to Subjects` grade or gender. Their scores indicated an average consumption pattern in 88.2% of the subjects in the research sample (weighted average = 1.95). The energy field was the highest among the four consumer areas, with an average weighted = 2.35. Many of them estimated their consumption patterns between high (44.8%) and medium (53.1%).