Factors Associated with Food Waste Among University Students in Colombia

Abstract

(1) Background: Globally, millions of tons of food are wasted annually, with a significant portion occurring at the household level. This study aimed to quantify food waste generated by university students and identify key factors associated with this behavior. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community trial involving 227 Colombian university students. Participants self-reported their daily food waste (grams per person per day), as categorized by food type, which was collected through an online-based questionnaire under prior training. The data were analyzed using a binomial regression model to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (PRaj) and identify associations between food waste and demographic variables. (3) Results: Of the participants, 63% were women, with a mean age of 20.4 ± 3.8 years. Overall, 65% (n = 148) reported food wastage. The average food waste per person per day was 22.6 ± 15.5 g, increasing to 94.0 ± 5.0 g among those who reported wastage. Significant associations were found between food waste and several factors: Among those with a higher prevalence of food waste were women (PRaj = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.89); students from rural areas (PRaj = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.67); and those with higher income levels, with adjusted prevalence ratios of 1.38 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.68) for those earning 1–2 Minimum Legal Monthly Wages (LMMW) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.93) for those earning 3+ LMMW. Household size and socioeconomic status were not significantly associated with food waste (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: On average, the population generates 8.25 kg of food waste per person per year, rising to 34.31 kg among those who report wasting food. Gender, geographic location, and income were key predictors of daily food waste.