Description
Background: To move towards diets in favour of human and planetary health, it is essential to understand what such dietary behaviours entail. While various broad and complex definitions on healthy and sustainable diets have been reported, this study aimed to understand how the combination of healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour is perceived by experts in the field.Methods: As part of a broader research on determinants influencing adolescents’ dietary behaviours, an online questionnaire was distributed to an interdisciplinary panel of Dutch-speaking experts (n=33, working in research or practice in the fields of health, sustainability, nutrition and/or education) including an open question on their associations with healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour. Answers were analysed by two independent coders using thematic analysis.
Findings: Experts expressed a wide range of perceptions regarding healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour. On the one hand, experts concretely focused on what foods need to be consumed, the production and origin of foods, and dietary patterns. Besides, experts indicated consumer considerations regarding the impacts on human and planetary health, and described behavioural determinants (e.g. skills) to adopt such behaviours.
Discussion: This study showed that experts do not only associate healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour with the actual food intake that is favourable for individual and environmental health, but that they also consider consumers’ decision processes and the underlying determinants. A systems-approach to move towards more healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours was thereby emphasised. Understanding these perceptions may support further development of interventions stimulating healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours.
| Period | 23 Aug 2022 → 27 Aug 2022 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 36th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society: Creating New Territories in Health Psychology |
| Event type | Conference/symposium |
| Location | Bratislava, SlovakiaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |