Sustainable food literacy has emerged as a critical factor in shaping both health-related and environmentally responsible dietary practices. This study investigated the relationship between sustainable food literacy and healthy eating behavior among college students in Taiwan. A total of 1,260 students from across four regions were recruited using proportional stratified sampling. Validated instruments assessed five domains of sustainable food literacy: knowledge, attitude, skills, behavioral intention, and action. Self-reported healthy eating behavior served as the primary outcome. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to identify significant predictors while controlling for demographic factors. The final sample comprised 43.25% male and 56.75% female students, with a mean age of 21.98 years (SD = 2.74). In the final regression model (Model 3), sustainable food knowledge (β = .268, p < .001), skills (β = .321, p < .001), intention (β = .090, p < .05), and action (β = .213, p < .001) were significant positive predictors of healthy eating behavior. In contrast, sustainable food attitude showed a significant negative association (β = –.135, p < .001). Model 3 explained 56.9% of the variance in healthy eating behavior (Adjusted R² = .569). These findings suggest that possessing sustainability-related values alone may be insufficient without practical competencies and behavior-oriented reinforcement. Future research should further explore the mechanisms by which sustainable food attitudes relate to healthy dietary behavior, particularly within youth populations.

Authors:
Li-Ling Liao, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
I-Ju Lai, I-Shou University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Li-Ling Liao is a Professor in the Department of Public Health at Kaohsiung Medical University. Her research focuses on health-promoting schools and nutrition literacy, with ongoing projects integrating VR technology into health education.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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