Nutrients, Vol. 18, Pages 1259: Do Financial Constraints, Perceived Food Insecurity, and Pro-Environmental Behavior Explain Intentions to Reduce Meat and Fat Consumption in Older Adults? A Preliminary Study

Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18081259

Authors:
Marzena Jeżewska-Zychowicz
Robert Gajda
Rafał Kubacki

Background: The consumption of meat and high-fat foods is constantly discussed, with attention to their health and environmental consequences, as well as the barriers to changing current behaviors. Objective: The study aimed to examine how pro-environmental behavior, perceived food insecurity, and financial constraints correlate with intentions to limit meat and fat consumption among older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 475 individuals aged 60 to 92 years. The questionnaire includes scales that enable the calculation of four scores: Meat Reduction, Low Fat, Perceived Food Insecurity, and Lack of Financial Support. Additionally, questions about involvement in pro-ecological behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics were included. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between perceived food insecurity, lack of financial support, and pro-environmental behaviors (independent variables) and intentions to reduce meat (Model 1) and fat (Model 2) (dependent variables). Results: Intentions to limit meat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.56, 2.69), not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51), and buying local food (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.82). Intentions to limit fat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.18) and not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.76). No relationships were found between the lack of financial support and intentions to limit meat (p = 0.069) and fat (p = 0.600). The perceived food insecurity decreased the likelihood of intentions to restrict fat (adjusted OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.83), but not meat (p = 0.387). Conclusions: To better understand why experienced financial constraints did not influence the intention to reduce consumption of meat and high-fat products, further research is needed that focuses on motivation to change and the ability to change behavior among older people. Nevertheless, the results suggest that enhancing pro-environmental behaviors beyond those directly related to meat and fat consumption may facilitate reductions in meat and fat consumption through pro-environmental behavioral spillover.