Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Catherine Anstrom
Project Type
Departmental Honors project
Scholarship Domain(s)
Scholarship of Discovery
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Abstract
The Impact of Sustainability Education on College Students’ Meal Choices
Authors: L. Henry, C. Anstrom; Olivet Nazarene University.
Learning Outcome: Recognize sustainability education is a useful method in raising awareness of the impact of meal choices on a personal carbon footprint.
Background: Animal products are known to have a higher carbon footprint than plant-based alternatives. Although it is difficult to measure individual awareness of the environmental impact of the diet, a food frequency questionnaire is an effective tool for measuring food consumed and relating food intake to environmental sustainability. An infographic can be a useful way to relay sustainability education.
Methods: A quantitative design was used to determine if an educational infographic addressing the carbon footprint of certain foods impacted food choices, values and beliefs about food. An online survey created by Malan et al. (2020) was administered to 2,660 students, 61 completed both surveys. Data collection was completed by administering one survey two separate times, four weeks apart. Surveys were coded to match the first and second responses. The educational intervention provided at the end of the first survey used an infographic from Our World in Data displaying the carbon footprint of different foods. A paired samples t test was done to compare responses from the first and second survey.
Results: No statistical significance in the difference of students’ meal choice before and after the infographic was found. However, individuals demonstrated a decrease in green leafy vegetables consumed (M difference= .6786, SE= .1857, t(3.7), p <.001).
Discussion: Absence of statistical significance suggests that an infographic alone is not an effective educational intervention to impact the meal choice of college students. The results demonstrate a need for more in-depth educational efforts to impact meal choice, values, and beliefs about food.
Funding disclosure: none
Note: This poster was accepted to be presented at the Food and Nutrition Expo and Conference (FNCE, National Conference) in October 2022 in Orlando, Florida.
Permission Type
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The Impact of Sustainability Education on College Students' Meal Choices
Fishbowl
The Impact of Sustainability Education on College Students’ Meal Choices
Authors: L. Henry, C. Anstrom; Olivet Nazarene University.
Learning Outcome: Recognize sustainability education is a useful method in raising awareness of the impact of meal choices on a personal carbon footprint.
Background: Animal products are known to have a higher carbon footprint than plant-based alternatives. Although it is difficult to measure individual awareness of the environmental impact of the diet, a food frequency questionnaire is an effective tool for measuring food consumed and relating food intake to environmental sustainability. An infographic can be a useful way to relay sustainability education.
Methods: A quantitative design was used to determine if an educational infographic addressing the carbon footprint of certain foods impacted food choices, values and beliefs about food. An online survey created by Malan et al. (2020) was administered to 2,660 students, 61 completed both surveys. Data collection was completed by administering one survey two separate times, four weeks apart. Surveys were coded to match the first and second responses. The educational intervention provided at the end of the first survey used an infographic from Our World in Data displaying the carbon footprint of different foods. A paired samples t test was done to compare responses from the first and second survey.
Results: No statistical significance in the difference of students’ meal choice before and after the infographic was found. However, individuals demonstrated a decrease in green leafy vegetables consumed (M difference= .6786, SE= .1857, t(3.7), p <.001).
Discussion: Absence of statistical significance suggests that an infographic alone is not an effective educational intervention to impact the meal choice of college students. The results demonstrate a need for more in-depth educational efforts to impact meal choice, values, and beliefs about food.
Funding disclosure: none
Note: This poster was accepted to be presented at the Food and Nutrition Expo and Conference (FNCE, National Conference) in October 2022 in Orlando, Florida.