Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers
In the context of unsustainable food choices and consumption patterns, transition to plant-based diets is considered a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The youths, and university students in particular, represent a distinctive demographic group with great potential to follow plant-based...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1429770/full |
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| author | Coral Andersson Gladman Thondhlana |
| author_facet | Coral Andersson Gladman Thondhlana |
| author_sort | Coral Andersson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the context of unsustainable food choices and consumption patterns, transition to plant-based diets is considered a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The youths, and university students in particular, represent a distinctive demographic group with great potential to follow plant-based diets, but limited knowledge concerning the prevalence and motivations of plant-based diets exists in the Global South. The aim of this study this research was to examine the prevalence of, motivations for and barriers to plant-based diets among Rhodes University students in South Africa. A total of 300 students responded positively to an online questionnaire survey. About 31% of the survey students followed a plant-based diet but this figure dropped to 18% when flexitarians were excluded from the analysis, with more females than males reporting so. The leading motivation for following plant-based diets was animal welfare concerns, followed by environmental sustainability, personal health, influence of family and friends, taste preference, saving money and sensory issues. There was a significant positive association between values relating to the environment - respecting the earth and protecting the environment and following a plant-based diet. Key barriers to plant-based diets reported included perceived high costs and lack of knowledge on plant-based diets. Interventions for promoting plant-based diets should make explicit, links between plant-based diets and the values people consider important and focus on removing constraints to encourage uptake of plant-based diets. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-997cc5b919a8445cb369a15751b42cb7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-997cc5b919a8445cb369a15751b42cb72025-08-20T03:46:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-06-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.14297701429770Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriersCoral AnderssonGladman ThondhlanaIn the context of unsustainable food choices and consumption patterns, transition to plant-based diets is considered a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The youths, and university students in particular, represent a distinctive demographic group with great potential to follow plant-based diets, but limited knowledge concerning the prevalence and motivations of plant-based diets exists in the Global South. The aim of this study this research was to examine the prevalence of, motivations for and barriers to plant-based diets among Rhodes University students in South Africa. A total of 300 students responded positively to an online questionnaire survey. About 31% of the survey students followed a plant-based diet but this figure dropped to 18% when flexitarians were excluded from the analysis, with more females than males reporting so. The leading motivation for following plant-based diets was animal welfare concerns, followed by environmental sustainability, personal health, influence of family and friends, taste preference, saving money and sensory issues. There was a significant positive association between values relating to the environment - respecting the earth and protecting the environment and following a plant-based diet. Key barriers to plant-based diets reported included perceived high costs and lack of knowledge on plant-based diets. Interventions for promoting plant-based diets should make explicit, links between plant-based diets and the values people consider important and focus on removing constraints to encourage uptake of plant-based diets.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1429770/fullplant-based dietsuniversitiesprevalencemotivationbarriers |
| spellingShingle | Coral Andersson Gladman Thondhlana Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems plant-based diets universities prevalence motivation barriers |
| title | Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers |
| title_full | Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers |
| title_fullStr | Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers |
| title_short | Plant-based diets among students at Rhodes University, South Africa: prevalence, motivations, and barriers |
| title_sort | plant based diets among students at rhodes university south africa prevalence motivations and barriers |
| topic | plant-based diets universities prevalence motivation barriers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1429770/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT coralandersson plantbaseddietsamongstudentsatrhodesuniversitysouthafricaprevalencemotivationsandbarriers AT gladmanthondhlana plantbaseddietsamongstudentsatrhodesuniversitysouthafricaprevalencemotivationsandbarriers |