Household food waste prevention behavior: the role of religious orientations, emotional intelligence, and spiritual well-being

Abstract

Household food waste contributes extensively to environmental degradation, and it accounts for half of the food wasted around the globe. This study investigates the effect of religious orientations (intrinsic and extrinsic) on household food waste prevention behavior, considering the mediating role of emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being. A questionnaire was distributed to evaluate the research variables targeting women (n = 475). Structural equation modeling has been adopted to analyze the data. Findings demonstrate that intrinsic religious orientation positively impacts household food waste prevention behavior, whereas extrinsic religious orientation negatively impacts it. Moreover, emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being play a mediating role through the effect of intrinsic religious orientation on household food waste prevention behavior. This study indicates that intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations have opposite effects on household food waste prevention behavior. Also, emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being highlight the need for different strategies to encourage food waste reduction behavior specific to an individual’s religious orientation.