Dietary Sustainability Knowledge and Practice among College-Going Students in Delhi

Abstract

Background: The current food systems are affecting the planet in an adverse manner. If people switch to sustainable diets, which are food group compositions that are good for both the health of people and the planet, they can help bring down the costs of health care and climate change. This study was conducted to assess dietary sustainability and its relation with the knowledge regarding food sustainability. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. The sample (n=131) included male and female college-going students in urban Delhi. The tools used included standardised questionnaire for knowledge assessment, 24-hour dietary recall to assess the dietary intake and World Index for Sustainability and Health (WISH) score for the assessment of dietary sustainability. Results: The participants achieved a low WISH score of only 70.8 out of 130. When assessing the knowledge, based on the survey responses, the participants were aware of terms like ‘local products’ and ‘environmental impact’ but their knowledge of 'carbon footprint' was limited. There was a positive correlation of WISH score with knowledge of sustainability terms. Also, People who understood how food groups affect the environment had higher WISH scores. Conclusion: Those who possessed greater knowledge of dietary sustainability; followed a more sustainable dietary pattern. Thus, nutrition education and behaviour change communication programs must be developed to impart knowledge regarding dietary sustainability which will create demand for more sustainable food groups to be included in the diet. This would promote the production of these foods and contribute towards transformation of food systems.