Downs Shauna M, Merchant Emily V, Sackey Joachim, Fox Elizabeth L, Davis Claire, Fanzo Jessica
Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, Newark, NJ, USA; Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems, The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems, The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health, Newark, NJ, USA.
Appetite. 2024 Dec 1;203:107667. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107667. Epub 2024 Sep 6.
The consumption of animal-source foods, and particularly red meat from ruminants, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, and loss of biodiversity. Reducing red meat consumption has been identified as a key strategy to mitigate climate change; however, little is known about how to effectively intervene to promote its reduction in the United States (US). This study aimed to examine meat (red, unprocessed, and poultry) and seafood consumption patterns, the factors influencing their consumption (including a reduction in their consumption over time), and how these differed based on socioeconomic variables. The study was conducted through an online survey with a representative sample of the US population (n = 1224) in 2021 using KnowledgePanel®. Overall, we found that most participants reported consuming red meat (78%), processed meat (74%), or poultry (79%) 1-4 times per week, with several differences in consumption patterns based on socio-demographic characteristics. A substantial proportion of the population reported reducing their red (70%) and processed meat (64%) consumption over the previous year, which was much higher than those that reported reducing poultry (34%) or seafood (26%). Key factors influencing red meat reduction were health and price, while environmental sustainability and animal welfare were less important, particularly among certain socio-demographic groups. These findings can help provide insight into how best to frame messaging campaigns aimed at shifting red meat consumption in the US to support climate change mitigation. Focusing on the factors that resonate more with consumers is more likely to lead to shifts in consumption patterns.
动物源食品的消费，尤其是反刍动物的红肉消费，是温室气体排放、淡水使用和生物多样性丧失的主要促成因素。减少红肉消费已被确定为缓解气候变化的一项关键战略；然而，对于如何在美国有效干预以促进红肉消费减少，人们知之甚少。本研究旨在调查肉类（红肉、未加工肉和禽肉）及海鲜的消费模式、影响其消费的因素（包括随着时间推移消费的减少情况），以及这些因素如何因社会经济变量而有所不同。该研究于2021年通过在线调查开展，使用KnowledgePanel®对美国人口进行了代表性抽样（n = 1224）。总体而言，我们发现大多数参与者报告每周食用红肉（78%）、加工肉（74%）或禽肉（79%）1至4次，消费模式因社会人口特征存在若干差异。相当一部分人口报告称在过去一年中减少了红肉（70%）和加工肉（64%）的消费，这一比例远高于报告减少禽肉（34%）或海鲜（26%）消费的人群。影响减少红肉消费的关键因素是健康和价格，而环境可持续性和动物福利则不太重要，尤其是在某些社会人口群体中。这些发现有助于深入了解如何以最佳方式构建旨在改变美国红肉消费以支持缓解气候变化的宣传活动。关注那些更能引起消费者共鸣的因素更有可能导致消费模式的转变。
