Abstract
Sustainable nutrition is the need of the hour to ensure optimal health without jeopardizing the needs of the upcoming generations. This study, conducted in 2024, investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) pertaining to sustainable nutrition among individuals in late adulthood (above the age of 50). A sample of 20 residents of Jaipur city, above the age of 50 years, was chosen and a qualitative research design was used. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the participants’ approach as well as knowledge of sustainable nutrition, their dietary habits, food purchasing decisions and the factors influencing their food choices. The study revealed that participants understand the importance and need of sustainable nutrition practices, yet they do not reflect this sense of responsibility in their choices. The discrepancy between the two owes to multiple factors including convenience, accessibility issues and a high purchasing power. The impact of this study extends beyond understanding the behavioural patterns of the individuals in their late adulthood. By identifying the knowledge gaps, efforts can be channelised towards developing educational programs that encourage wiser, more sensitive, and informed choices among this age group.
KeywordsSustainable nutritionLate adulthoodFood choicesCarbon footprintKnowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP)
The full text of this article is available as a PDF.
Download PDF- Aloysius, N., Ananda, J., Mitsis, A., & Pearson, D. (2023). Why people are bad at leftover food management? A systematic literature review and a framework to analyze household leftover food waste generation behavior. Appetite, 186, 106577.
- Baker, P., Machado, P., Santos, T., Sievert, K., Backholer, K., Hadjikakou, M., Russell, C., Huse, O., Bell, C., Scrinis, G., Worsley, A., Friel, S., & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers. Obesity Reviews, 21(12). https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13126
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/ 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
- Criss, S., Horhota, M., Wiles, K., Norton, J., Hilaire, K. J. S., Short, M. A., & Blomquist, K. K. (2020). Food cultures and aging: a qualitative study of grandparents’ food perceptions and influence of food choice on younger generations. Public Health Nutrition, 23(2), 221-230.
- García-González, Á., Achón, M., Krug, A. C., Varela-Moreiras, G., & Alonso-Aperte, E. (2020). Food sustainability knowledge and attitudes in the Spanish adult population: A cross-sectional Study. Nutrients, 12(10), 3154. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103154
- Ghanghas, B. S., Shehrawat, P. S., & Nain, M. S. (2015). Knowledge of extension professionals regarding impact of climate change in agriculture. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 51(3&4), 125-129.
- Guillaumie, L., Boiral, O., Baghdadli, A., & Mercille, G. (2020). Integrating sustainable nutrition into health-related institutions: a systematic review of the literature. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 111, 845-861.
- Gupta, N., Bhattacharjee, M., & Saha, A. (2022). Sustainability and dietary change: An analysis of Indian food consumption patterns.
- Indian Journal of Applied Economics and Business, 5(1), 85– 105.
- Hartmann, C., Lazzarini, G., Funk, A., & Siegrist, M. (2021). Measuring consumers’ knowledge of the environmental impact of foods. Appetite, 167, 105622.
- Herbes, C., Beuthner, C., & Ramme, I. (2018). Consumer attitudes towards biobased packaging–A cross-cultural comparative study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 194, 203-218.
- Jeruszka-Bielak, M., Kollajtis-Dolowy, A., Santoro, A., Ostan, R., Berendsen, A. A. M., Jennings, A., Meunier, N., Marseglia, A., Caumon, E., Gillings, R., De Groot, L. C. P. G. M., Franceschi, C., Hieke, S., & Pietruszka, B. (2018). Are nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes reflected in lifestyle and health among elderly people? A study across five European countries. Frontiers in Physiology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00994
- Kumar, G. S., Kulkarni, M., & Rathi, N. (2022). Evolving food choices among the urban Indian middle-class: A qualitative study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 844413. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fnut.2022.844413
- Kumar, A., & Saxena, S. P. (2024). Farmers’ awareness and perception about climate change in the indo-gangetic plain region of India. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 60(4), 101–106. https:/ /doi.org/10.48165/ijee.2024.60418
- Nain, M. S. (2023). Report on National Seminar 2023. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 59(3), 160-163.
- Niranjan, S., Singh, D. R., Kumar, N. R., Jha, G. K., Venkatesh, P., Nain, M. S., & Krishnakumare, B. (2023). Do information networks enhance adoption of sustainable agricultural practices? Evidence from northern dry zone of Karnataka, India. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 59(1), 86-91.
- Perignon, M., Vieux, F., Soler, L. G., Masset, G., & Darmon, N. (2017). Improving diet sustainability through evolution of food choices: Review of epidemiological studies on the environmental impact of diets. Nutrition Reviews, 75(1), 2–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/ nutrit/nuw043
- Podgórniak-Krzykacz, A., & Przywojska, J. (2025). Determinants of sustainable food purchasing behaviour in the context of the aging population in Poland. Central European Economic Journal, 12(59), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.2478/ceej-2025-0005
- Ruini, L. F., Ciati, R., Pratesi, C. A., Marino, M., Principato, L., & Vannuzzi, E. (2015). Working toward Healthy and Sustainable Diets: The “Double Pyramid Model” developed by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition to raise awareness about the environmental and nutritional impact of foods. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2015.00009
- Vasquez, A., Sherwood, N. E., Larson, N., & Story, M. (2016). Community-Supported Agriculture as a Dietary and Health Improvement Strategy: A Narrative Review. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 117(1), 83–94. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.029
- Viroli, G., Kalmpourtzidou, A., & Cena, H. (2023). Exploring benefits and barriers of plant-based diets: Health, environmental impact, food accessibility and acceptability. Nutrients, 15(22), 4723. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224723
- Zarei, F., Dehghani, A., Ratansiri, A., Ghaffari, M., Raina, S., Halimi, A., Rakhshanderou, S., Isamel, S., Amiri, P., Aminafshar, A., & Jarrahi, A. M. (2024). CHECKAP: A Checklist for Reporting a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) study. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 25(7), 2573–2577. https://doi.org/ 10.31557/apjcp.2024.25.7.2573
Looking up citing articles…

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.