Table 3.
Mean (SD) student environmental and health behavior and perception scores, stratified by sociodemographic characteristics, for undergraduate students surveyed at universities in California (CA) (n=721) and Michigan (MI) (n=568)
| University in CA | Gendera | Race and Ethnicityb | Parental Income | Pell Grant | Food Security Status | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I try to make food and beverage choices thatc… | n | Man | Woman | n | Asian | Other | White | n | <$50,000 | $50–110,000 | ≥$110,000 | n | Yes | No | n | High & Marginal | Low | Very Low | |
| Are good for the environment | 704 | 3.5* (1.6) | 3.8* (1.7) | 721 | 3.7 (1.6) | 3.6 (1.7) | 3.9 (1.8) | 610 | 3.7 (1.6) | 3.7 (1.6) | 3.6 (1.7) | 721 | 3.5 (1.6) | 3.7 (1.6) | 721 | 3.5* (1.6) | 3.9* (1.6) | 3.9* (1.7) | |
| Reduce my impact on climate change | 704 | 3.4** (1.6) | 3.8** (1.7) | 721 | 3.6* (1.6) | 3.5* (1.7) | 3.9* (1.8) | 610 | 3.6 (1.6) | 3.6 (1.6) | 3.6 (1.7) | 721 | 3.5 (1.7) | 3.7 (1.7) | 721 | 3.5 (1.6) | 3.8 (1.6) | 3.8 (1.8) | |
| Are good for my health | 704 | 5.4 (1.2) | 5.4 (1.4) | 721 | 5.5* (1.3) | 5.2* (1.5) | 5.6* (1.2) | 610 | 5.3 (1.4) | 5.4 (1.2) | 5.6 (1.3) | 721 | 5.2 (1.6) | 5.5 (1.3) | 721 | 5.6*** (1.2) | 5.2*** (1.4) | 5.0*** (1.7) | |
| Effective way of combatting climate changed: | n | Man | Woman | n | Asian | Other | White | n | <$50,000 | $50–110,000 | ≥$110,000 | n | Yes | No | n | High & Marginal | Low | Very Low | |
| Eat local, seasonal foods | 649 | 2.9*** (0.8) | 3.2*** (0.7) | 665 | 3.1 (0.7) | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.7) | 564 | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.1 (0.7) | 3.1 (0.7) | 665 | 2.9 (0.9) | 3.1 (0.7) | 665 | 3.1 (0.7) | 3.0 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.8) | |
| Drive less | 694 | 3.3*** (0.7) | 3.5*** (0.6) | 710 | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 601 | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.6) | 710 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.4 (0.7) | 710 | 3.5 (0.6) | 3.3 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.8) | |
| Eat organic foods | 637 | 2.6*** (0.9) | 2.9*** (0.8) | 651 | 2.7 (0.9) | 2.8 (0.9) | 2.8 (0.9) | 553 | 2.8 0.9) | 2.8 (0.9) | 2.7 (0.9) | 651 | 2.9 (0.9) | 2.7 (0.9) | 651 | 2.7 (0.9) | 2.8 (0.9) | 3.0 (0.9) | |
| Use less plastic | 691 | 3.4*** (0.7) | 3.7*** (0.6) | 707 | 3.5 (0.6) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.6) | 599 | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.6) | 3.5 (0.6) | 707 | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 707 | 3.6 (0.6) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | |
| Save energy at home | 692 | 3.4** (0.7) | 3.5** (0.6) | 708 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.7) | 599 | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.7) | 708 | 3.5 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.7) | 708 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.7) | |
| Recycle | 690 | 3.3** (0.7) | 3.5** (0.7) | 706 | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.4 (0.7) | 598 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.7) | 706 | 3.6* (0.7) | 3.4* (0.7) | 706 | 3.4 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.7) | |
| Eat less meat | 653 | 3.1 (0.9) | 3.2 (0.9) | 669 | 3.1 (0.9) | 3.2 (1.0) | 3.3 (0.8) | 566 | 3.1** (1.0) | 3.0** (0.9) | 3.3** (0.8) | 669 | 3.1 (1.0) | 3.2 (0.9) | 669 | 3.2 (0.9) | 3.1 (0.9) | 3.1 (1.0) | |
| University in MI | Gendera | Race and Ethnicityb | Parental Income | Pell Grant | Food Security Status | ||||||||||||||
| I try to make food and beverage choices thatc… | n | Man | Woman | n | Asian | Other | White | n | <$50,000 | $50–100,000 | ≥$100,000 | n | Yes | No | n | High | Marg. | Low | Very Low |
| Are good for the environment | 568 | 3.7*** (1.5) | 4.2*** (1.4) | 568 | 4.0 (1.4) | 3.8 (1.5) | 4.0 (1.5) | 566 | 4.0 (1.6) | 3.9 (1.4) | 4.0 (1.5) | 568 | 3.9 (1.6) | 4.0 (1.5) | 568 | 3.9 (1.4) | 4.2 (1.6) | 4.0 (1.6) | 3.7 (1.6) |
| Reduce my impact on climate change | 568 | 3.6*** (1.6) | 4.2*** (1.5) | 568 | 3.9 (1.5) | 3.8 (1.6) | 4.0 (1.6) | 566 | 4.0 (1.7) | 3.9 (1.4) | 3.9 (1.5) | 568 | 3.9 (1.7) | 3.9 (1.5) | 568 | 3.9 (1.5) | 4.2 (1.7) | 3.9 (1.5) | 3.8 (1.8) |
| Are good for my health | 568 | 5.3* (1.2) | 5.4* (1.1) | 568 | 5.3 (1.1) | 5.4 (1.2) | 5.3 (1.2) | 566 | 5.3 (1.3) | 5.1 (1.2) | 5.4 (1.1) | 568 | 5.3 (1.2) | 5.4 (1.2) | 568 | 5.5* (1.1) | 5.2* (1.3) | 5.2* (1.2) | 4.9* (1.3) |
| Effective way of combatting climate changed: | n | Man | Woman | n | Asian | Other | White | n | <$50,000 | $50–100,000 | ≥$100,000 | n | Yes | No | n | High | Marg. | Low | Very Low |
| Eat local, seasonal foods | 517 | 3.1*** (0.8) | 3.3*** (0.7) | 517 | 3.2 (0.8) | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.8) | 516 | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.7) | 517 | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.2 (0.7) | 517 | 3.2 (0.7) | 3.2 (0.8) | 3.1 (0.8) | 3.1 (0.9) |
| Drive less | 559 | 3.3*** (0.9) | 3.6*** (0.7) | 559 | 3.5 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.9) | 3.4 (0.8) | 558 | 3.4 (0.9) | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.8) | 559 | 3.4 (0.9) | 3.5 (0.8) | 559 | 3.5* (0.7) | 3.4* (0.8) | 3.2* (1.0) | 3.6* (0.7) |
| Eat organic foods | 503 | 2.4** (1.0) | 2.6** (0.9) | 503 | 2.6 (0.9) | 2.6 (0.9) | 2.5 (0.9) | 502 | 2.5 (1.0) | 2.6 (0.9) | 2.5 (0.9) | 503 | 2.4 (1.0) | 2.5 (0.9) | 503 | 2.5 (0.9) | 2.5 (0.9) | 2.6 (0.8) | 2.8 (0.9) |
| Use less plastic | 556 | 3.5*** (0.8) | 3.7*** (0.6) | 556 | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | 554 | 3.6 (0.8) | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | 556 | 3.6 (0.8) | 3.6 (0.7) | 556 | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.8) | 3.6 (0.7) |
| Save energy at home | 554 | 3.4***(0.8) | 3.6***(0.6) | 554 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 552 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 554 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 554 | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.8) | 3.7 (0.7) |
| Recycle | 556 | 3.2 (0.9) | 3.4 (0.7) | 556 | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.3 (0.8) | 554 | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.3 (0.8) | 556 | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.3 (0.8) | 556 | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.8) |
| Eat less meat | 545 | 3.1***(1.0) | 3.5***(0.8) | 545 | 3.2 (0.9) | 3.4 (0.9) | 3.3 (0.9) | 544 | 3.1** (1.1) | 3.3** (0.9) | 3.4** (0.9) | 545 | 3.2* (1.1) | 3.3* (0.9) | 545 | 3.3 (0.9) | 3.3 (0.9) | 3.1 (1.0) | 3.3 (1.1) |
*
P-value <0.05,
**
P<0.01,
***
P<0.001 for comparison between groups using two-sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA
a
Other/nonconforming/nonbinary removed from analysis for comparison between universities
b
Asian and White categories were non-Hispanic students. Students classified as Other races and ethnicities included American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic, and Multiracial/Multiethnic participants. MENA students were classified as White at the university in CA (n=24) and Other at the university in MI (n=8).
c
Scale of 1–7, 1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree. Statements are paraphrased from questionnaire.
d
Scale of 1–4, 1= not effective at all to 4=highly effective. Statements are paraphrased from questionnaire.