TY - JOUR

T1 - Factors influencing consumers' food waste reduction behaviour at university canteens

AU - Pandey, Sujita

AU - Budhathoki, Mausam

AU - Perez-Cueto, Federico Jose Armando

AU - Thomsen, Marianne

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Understanding consumers' food waste behaviour has become increasingly crucial, given its adverse impacts on sustainability. Therefore, this study segmented consumers based on their food choice motives and investigated key factors influencing food waste reduction behaviour in university canteens employing attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy (ASE) framework extended with environmental concern, situational, and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. An online survey was conducted in Denmark among university canteen users (n = 438). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified four segments, (1) Familiarity sensitive consumers – 34.9 % of participants, (2) Unconcerned consumers – 19.9 %, (3) Food for health and mood consumers – 19.2 %, and (4) Unfamiliar consumers – 26 %. Partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis shows that attitude, self-efficacy, and environmental concern significantly influenced behavioural intention, eventually influencing food waste reduction behaviour. Social influence and situational factors did not influence behavioural intention. Sensory appeal, price, health–mood, and familiarity significantly influenced behavioural attitude, whereas familiarity and weight control significantly influenced behaviour. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors indirectly influence behavioural intention by their effects on attitudes, self-efficacy, and environmental concerns. Education, income, dietary patterns, and body mass index directly impacted food waste reduction behaviour. We suggest that improving consumers' attitudes and environmental concern while enhancing their self-efficacy might positively influence food waste reduction behaviour. Besides psychosocial factors, intervention should also consider focusing on consumers' food choice motives and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors to effectively influence food waste reduction behaviour in university canteen or similar settings.

AB - Understanding consumers' food waste behaviour has become increasingly crucial, given its adverse impacts on sustainability. Therefore, this study segmented consumers based on their food choice motives and investigated key factors influencing food waste reduction behaviour in university canteens employing attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy (ASE) framework extended with environmental concern, situational, and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. An online survey was conducted in Denmark among university canteen users (n = 438). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified four segments, (1) Familiarity sensitive consumers – 34.9 % of participants, (2) Unconcerned consumers – 19.9 %, (3) Food for health and mood consumers – 19.2 %, and (4) Unfamiliar consumers – 26 %. Partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis shows that attitude, self-efficacy, and environmental concern significantly influenced behavioural intention, eventually influencing food waste reduction behaviour. Social influence and situational factors did not influence behavioural intention. Sensory appeal, price, health–mood, and familiarity significantly influenced behavioural attitude, whereas familiarity and weight control significantly influenced behaviour. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors indirectly influence behavioural intention by their effects on attitudes, self-efficacy, and environmental concerns. Education, income, dietary patterns, and body mass index directly impacted food waste reduction behaviour. We suggest that improving consumers' attitudes and environmental concern while enhancing their self-efficacy might positively influence food waste reduction behaviour. Besides psychosocial factors, intervention should also consider focusing on consumers' food choice motives and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors to effectively influence food waste reduction behaviour in university canteen or similar settings.

KW - Attitude

KW - Consumer behaviour

KW - Environmental concern

KW - Food choice motives

KW - Food waste reduction

KW - Self-efficacy

KW - Social influence

KW - Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors

U2 - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104991

DO - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104991

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85171447728

VL - 111

JO - Food Quality and Preference

JF - Food Quality and Preference

SN - 0950-3293

M1 - 104991

ER -