Sustainable nutrition literacy and behaviors: A cross-sectional study exploring the status of professional kitchen staff

Authors : Elif Güner, Sıla Söylemez, Sefa Merve Aydın, Dilan Yıldırım, Sevde Neslişah Çambel

Pages : 483-492

Doi:10.53601/tourismandrecreation.1730520

View : 121 | Download : 206

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Institutions that provide catering services have an important place in sustainable nutrition practices. The purpose of this study is to examine sustainable food literacy and sustainable nutrition behaviors among kitchen staff. In this cross-sectional study, a survey was conducted between March - June 2024 with personnel working in university and hospital kitchens serviced by four different catering companies. Data were collected via Sustainable Food Literacy Scale and Behaviors Scale Towards Sustainable Nutrition. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 122 participants (female= 68, male= 54) were surveyed, with 47 from university kitchens and 75 from hospital kitchens. The sustainable food literacy and sustainable nutrition behaviors of female personnel were found to be higher than those of male personnel (t=2.099; p<0.05 and t=2.365; p<0.05, respectively). Sustainable food literacy varies according to the education level of individuals (KW=10.631; p<0.05). A moderate positive correlation was found between the total scores of the Sustainable Food Literacy Scale and Behaviors Scale Towards Sustainable Nutrition (r=0.415, p<0.001). The research findings show that the sustainable nutrition literacy and behaviors of kitchen staff can be affected by factors such as gender, position in the kitchen, education level, and sustainability training. It was also determined that as sustainable nutrition literacy increases, sustainable nutrition behaviors are also positively influenced. The results provided descriptive data on staff in need of training in sustainable nutrition. Interventions need to be carried out to instill sustainable nutrition awareness and transform it into behavior among professional kitchen workers.
Keywords : Sürdürülebilir gelişme, Çevre, Davranış, Profesyonel mutfak personeli

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