Digital interventions in nutrition education: a web-based model for promoting sustainable nutrition among young adults

Abstract

Background

In light of increasing environmental problems, food safety risks and healthy living requirements, sustainable nutrition has become a priority for individuals and societies. In this context, the present study aims to develop a web-based educational program to promote sustainable dietary habits for young adults and to evaluate the effectiveness of this program.

Methods

A total of 397 young adults in Türkiye participated in a web-based sustainable nutrition education comprising eight modules: quality labels, seasonal food and avoiding food waste, animal welfare, meat reduction, healthy and balanced diet, local food, low fat, and summary module. Each education module is approximately 3–4 min long, and the total education time is 30 min. A pre-post design was used to evaluate participants before and 4 weeks after the education. Data were collected at pre-education on demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, e-Healthy Diet Literacy scale, sustainable food preferences, and Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours scale. Participants were reassessed using the sustainable food preference questions and Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours scale at post-education.

Results

Web-based education significantly increased Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours scores of participants from 3.9 ± 1.10 to 4.2 ± 1.24 (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that older age, women gender, rural living, and higher pre-education scores on Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours were significant predictors of higher post-education scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Web-based educational interventions have the potential to serve as an accessible and effective tool for promoting sustainable nutrition among young adults.

Background

According to the United Nations population projections, the world population, which is 8.2 billion in 2024, is expected to reach 10.3 billion in mid-2080 [1]. With the growth of the global population, the demand for adequate nutrition and malnutrition-related issues become increasingly profound [2]. The growing population contributes to food insecurity, health issues, and environmental degradation [3]. It is estimated that in 2023, approximately 713 to 757 million people worldwide faced hunger [4]. Yet, data from 2022 indicate that around 160 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years, and approximately 880 million adults aged 20 years and older, were reported to be obese [5].

Western-type dietary behaviours that pose a threat to health contribute to the development of obesity and other non-communicable diseases [4]. These dietary behaviours, which pose a threat to human health, accelerate global warming by increasing greenhouse gas emissions through the high environmental footprint of animal products and the energy used in irrigation, purification and distribution of water. Elevated levels of greenhouse gases have also been shown to negatively affect the nutritional quality of major food crops, particularly wheat, rice, and legumes, leading to reductions in zinc, iron, B vitamins, and protein [6, 7].

The concept of sustainability was first introduced in the report titled “Our Common Future” published by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 [8]. Sustainability refers to approaches that meet the basic needs of the current population while also protecting the basic needs of future generations [9]. Sustainable nutrition is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as nutritional models that ensure food and nutritional security for both present and future generations, support a healthy life and have a low impact on the environment [10]. For a sustainable life, sustainable nutrition models that are more equitable, have low environmental impact, and can meet adequate and balanced nutrition are needed [4, 10]. However, awareness regarding sustainable nutrition remains limited. Ersoy found that while 22.4% of adults aged 18–65 were familiar with the sustainable nutrition concept, only 10.9% could define it accurately [11]. Similarly, Pınarlı Falakacılar and Yücecan found that 51.2% of university students had never heard of the concept [12]. Therefore, nutrition and food literacy education, which equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about food choices and health, is of key importance to achieving the goal of a sustainable life [13, 14].

Nutrition education programs not only enhance knowledge of adolescents and young adults about nutrition, but also positively influence confidence in cooking skills and improve overall dietary habits [15, 16]. Technology-based approaches, particularly social media platforms, are considered effective tools for engaging younger populations [15, 17]. Adolescents and young adults actively use social media and the internet as part of socialization and information-gathering processes, making digital environments a promising platform for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours [18, 19]. Face-to-face nutrition education has been shown to significantly enhance nutritional awareness and positively influence psychosocial and behavioural outcomes, including body image, eating problems, nutrition knowledge, and dietary practices [20–22]. However, this approach faces limitations such as time constraints for participants and accessibility challenges for individuals living in remote areas. In contrast, web-based education offers advantages such as time flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and ease of access [23, 24]. The advancement of technology has further enhanced both the accessibility and effectiveness of web-based education. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the widespread adoption of such educational methods and promoted greater acceptance of online and hybrid learning models. Web-based learning enables individuals and institutions from different geographic regions to connect, allowing for more efficient use of time and financial resources. This approach provides a significant advantage, especially in critical fields such as nutrition education, by facilitating access to accurate and up-to-date information [25–27].

In light of the increasing global challenges related to health and environmental sustainability, there is a clear need for effective and accessible strategies to foster sustainable eating practices among young adults. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to develop a web-based educational module on sustainable nutrition for young adults and to evaluate its relationship with sustainable and healthy eating behaviours.

Methods

Study design and participants

This study, including module development, implementation/data collection, and data analysis, was conducted between January 2024 and April 2025. Data collection was carried out over a three-month period between February and April 2024 using a snowball sampling method. The study was announced through social media platforms and relevant online applications, and data were collected online via Google Forms embedded in the study website. During the data collection period, a total of 436 young adults were recruited, of whom 397 completed all phases of the web-based education module as well as both the pre-education and post-education questionnaires. As a result of the post hoc power analysis with effect size of Cohen’s d: 0.256, α: 0.05, and a total sample size of 397, the statistical power (1–β) was approximately 99.9%. Individuals aged 18 to 35 years who had internet access, owned a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and volunteered to participate were included in the study. Individuals who had prior knowledge of sustainable nutrition (such as experts, dietitians, or students of nutrition and dietetics), as well as those who did not complete all phases of the web-based education module and post-education questionnaire, were excluded from the study. All participants provided written informed consent before participation. The informed consent form included the purpose of the study, the participation process and procedures, voluntariness and the right to withdraw, privacy/confidentiality assurances, researcher contact information, and the participant's consent statement.

Development of the web-based sustainable nutrition education program

The study was conducted in two stages: development of a web-based sustainable nutrition education module and evaluation of the effectiveness of the developed module. Consisting of eight modules, the web-based sustainable nutrition education program was developed following the principles of the Social Cognitive Theory to effectively promote knowledge and awareness of sustainable nutrition [28]. The content was structured using the seven sub-scales of the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours (SHEB) scale (quality labels, seasonal food and avoiding food waste, animal welfare, meat reduction, healthy and balanced diet, local food, low fat). The SHEB scale, which has been validated and proven reliable in the country where the study was conducted, provided a pre-validated and theory-driven framework for module content [29]. The final module was designed as a “Summary Module” to reinforce key messages from the seven preceding modules. Each module lasted approximately 3–4 min, for a total education time of 30 min. The detailed structure of modules is presented in Table 1.

Table 1.

Topics, explanations, and images of web-based educational modules

Implementation of the study

Following the development stage, the program was uploaded to a dedicated website, together with the questionnaires. The pre-education questionnaire, administered before the educational modules, included demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements (body weight and height), the e-Healthy Diet Literacy Scale (e-HDL), questions related to sustainable food preferences, and the SHEB scale. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated using the formula: weight (kg) divided by height squared (m²) [30].

Immediately after completing the education modules, participants evaluated the acceptability of web-based education by answering 10 questions addressing content, sustainability, visuals, and ease of use. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1: Strongly Disagree and 5: Strongly Agree). Four weeks later, the post-education questionnaire was administered, including the SHEB scale and items on sustainable food preferences.

Sustainable and healthy eating behaviours

The Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviour Scale was developed by Zakowska-Biemans and colleagues in 2019 to assess sustainable and healthy eating behaviours among young adults. The original scale consisted of 8 factors and 34 items. Cronbach's alpha internal reliability coefficients for the factors were above the threshold value and ranged from 0.60 to 0.92 [31]. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted with 7 factors and 32 items by Köksal et al. in 2023, confirming the factor structure through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (χ²/df: 2.593, CFI: 0.915, TLI: 0.902, SRMR: 0.0754, RMSEA:0.067) and reporting excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α: 0.912 for the total scale). The scale addressed issues such as quality labels, seasonal food and avoiding food waste, animal welfare, meat reduction, healthy and balanced diet, local food, low fat. Participants are asked to score each question as 'never', 'very rarely', 'rarely', 'sometimes', 'often', 'very often' or 'always'. 'Never' is evaluated as 1 point, while 'always' is evaluated as 7 points. Factor scores are calculated by taking the average of the points given to the items in that factor. When calculating the total scale score, the average of the points given to all factors is taken [29].

e-healthy diet literacy

The e-Healthy Diet Literacy Scale was developed by Van Duong et al. in 2021. The scale consists of 15 items across five factors: finding e-healthy diet information, understanding e-healthy diet information, judging e-healthy diet information, applying e-healthy diet information, and digital healthy eating literacy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the five-factor structure, with good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: 0.64 for the total scale) [32]. The Turkish validity and reliability study of the scale was conducted by Onbaşı and Türker in 2023. The study confirmed the five-factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis (χ²/df: 4.25, AGFI: 0.91, RMSEA: 0.068) and reported reliability (Cronbach’s α: 0.77 for the total scale). Higher scores on the scale indicate a higher level of digital healthy diet literacy, with a maximum possible score of 71 [33].

Data analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version 26.0 package program. Frequency and percentage values (%) were calculated for qualitative data and mean and standard deviation (SD) values were calculated for quantitative data. Paired t-test was used to evaluate post-education changes because the data showed normal distribution. The multiple linear regression model was evaluated using age, BMI, e-HDL scale score, gender, income status, living place, educational status, web-based education acceptability score, and pre-education SHEB score as independent variables, with the post-education SHEB scale score defined as the dependent variable. In statistical tests, the confidence interval was accepted as 95.0% and p < 0.05 was evaluated as a significance level.

Results

A total of 436 people participated in the pre-education questionnaire of the study. However, the evaluation was based on the 397 participants (66% women, 34% men) who completed all stages. Descriptive information about the participants is given in Table 2. The mean age of the participants is 24.2 ± 4.42 and 81.9% are university degree or higher. Additionally, 37.8% of the participants stated that they had heard of the concept of sustainable nutrition before. The e-HDL total scale score obtained as a result of the 5 factors in the scale was found to be 39.7 ± 8.01.

Table 2.

Descriptive information about the participants

	Frequency (n: 436)	%	Frequency (n: 397)	%
Gender
Women	279	64.0	262	66.0
Men	157	36.0	135	34.0
Income status
Income less than expenses	91	20.9	84	21.1
Income equal to expenses	225	51.6	204	51.4
Income is more than expenses	120	27.5	109	27.5
Educational status
Primary school	2	0.5	2	0.5
Middle School	7	1.6	7	1.8
High school	73	16.7	63	15.9
University	333	76.4	310	78.1
Postgraduate	21	4.8	15	3.8
Living place
Urban	302	69.3	227	69.8
Rural	134	30.7	120	30.2
Presence of chronic disease
Yes	47	10.8	43	10.8
No	389	89.2	354	89.2
Heard of sustainable nutrition before
Yes	167	38.3	150	37.8
No	269	61.7	247	62.2

	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Age (year)	24.4	4.50	24.2	4.42
BMI (kg/m2)	23.6	4.17	23.6	4.23
E-Healthy Diet Literacy Scale scores	39.9	8.05	39.7	8.01
Finding e-healthy diet information	7.4	2.76	7.3	2.79
Understanding e-healthy diet information	11.3	4.80	11.2	4.80
Judging e-healthy diet information	7.5	2.27	7.5	2.29
Applying e-healthy diet information	4.2	1.96	4.3	1.96
Digital healthy eating literacy	9.5	2.87	9.5	2.88

The acceptability scores of the participants regarding the web-based education module are given in Table 3. The total acceptability score of the web-based education was found to be 4.4 ± 0.82.

Table 3.

Acceptability scores of participants regarding the web-based education module

	Mean	SD
There is useful information on the subject	4.6	0.78
There is general information on the subject	4.5	0.82
There is current information on the subject	4.5	0.89
It motivated me to eat sustainably	4.3	1.02
It made me more aware of what I eat	4.4	0.93
It increased my sensitivity to the environment	4.4	1.00
It was easy to use	4.3	1.11
It was visually appealing	4.4	1.00
I recommend it to others	4.5	0.87
It was useful training	4.4	1.02
Total acceptability score	4.4	0.82

Prior to the education, when participants were asked about self-perceived knowledge of sustainable nutrition, 38% reported "I don't know much," while 29.2% stated "I have no knowledge." Following education, a significant decrease in these proportions was observed (p < 0.05). After the education, changes in food group preferences of participants related to sustainable nutrition were identified in all groups except for vegetables, fruits, and oils (p < 0.05). Detailed information on sustainable nutrition before and after education is presented in Table 4.

Table 4.

Opinions of participants about sustainable nutrition before and after education

		Pre-education (n: 397)		Post-education (n: 397)
		Frequency	%	Frequency	%	p
Self-perceived knowledge about sustainable nutrition
I know very well		7	1.8	24	6.0	0.002
I know well		31	7.8	157	39.5
I am undecided		92	23.2	163	41.1
I don't know much		151	38.0	51	12.8
I have no knowledge		116	29.2	24	6.0
Food group preferences for sustainable nutrition
Milk and dairy products	Should be preferred	262	66.0	170	42.8	0.000
	Should be reduced	59	14.9	132	33.2
	No idea	76	19.1	95	23.9
Red meat	Should be preferred	215	54.2	90	22.7	0.005
	Should be reduced	112	28.2	284	71.5
	No idea	70	17.6	23	5.8
Chicken	Should be preferred	228	57.4	150	37.8	0.002
	Should be reduced	91	22.9	223	56.2
	No idea	78	19.6	23	6.0
Fish	Should be preferred	284	71.5	213	53.7	0.000
	Should be reduced	43	10.8	151	38.0
	No idea	70	17.6	33	8.3
Egg	Should be preferred	291	73.3	241	60.7	0.000
	Should be reduced	37	9.3	127	32.0
	No idea	69	17.4	29	7.3
Legumes	Should be preferred	266	67.0	322	81.1	0.016
	Should be reduced	46	11.6	37	9.3
	No idea	85	21.4	38	9.6
Nuts	Should be preferred	118	29.7	179	45.1	0.000
	Should be reduced	167	42.1	140	35.3
	No idea	112	28.2	78	19.6
Bread and cereals	Should be preferred	93	23.4	218	54.9	0.028
	Should be reduced	223	56.2	140	35.3
	No idea	81	20.4	39	9.8
Vegetables	Should be preferred	333	83.9	339	85.4	0.544
	Should be reduced	5	1.3	35	8.8
	No idea	59	14.9	23	5.8
Fruits	Should be preferred	319	80.4	339	85.4	0.468
	Should be reduced	20	5.0	38	9.6
	No idea	58	14.6	20	5.0
Oils	Should be preferred	53	13.4	51	12.8	0.097
	Should be reduced	253	63.7	270	68.0
	No idea	91	22.9	76	19.1

Comparison analyses were conducted on paired data from 397 participants who completed the education and both questionnaires

The scores of the 7 sub-factors and the total scores on the SHEB scale before and after the education are given in Table 5. While the total mean scores of the participants on the SHEB scale before education were 3.9 ± 1.10, after education was 4.2 ± 1.24 (p < 0.05). Following the web-based sustainable nutrition education, significant increases were observed in the scores related to quality labels, seasonal food and avoiding food waste, animal welfare, meat reduction, healthy and balanced diet, and local food factors (p < 0.05), whereas no significant change was detected in the scores related to the low fat sub-factor (p > 0.05).

Table 5.

SHEB scale scores of participants before and after education

	SHEB (Pre-education)		SHEB (Post-education)
	Mean	SD	X	Mean	p
Quality labels	3.7	1.01	4.0	1.26	0.000
Seasonal food and avoiding food waste	4.2	1.10	4.4	1.28	0.012
Animal welfare	3.7	1.45	4.3	1.45	0.000
Meat reduction	3.4	1.35	4.1	1.44	0.000
Healthy and balanced diet	4.3	1.39	4.5	1.35	0.013
Local food	3.5	1.44	4.0	1.59	0.000
Low fat	4.3	1.36	4.5	1.37	0.102
Total score	3.9	1.10	4.2	1.24	0.000

Comparison analyses were conducted on paired data from 397 participants who completed the education and both questionnaires

Table 6 shows the multiple linear regression model created to predict the SHEB scale score. In this model, older age, women gender, rural living, and higher pre-education scores on Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours were significant predictors of higher post-education scores (p < 0.05). Other variables including BMI, e-HDL, income status, educational status, and web-based education acceptability score did not show a statistically significant association with the SHEB score.

Table 6.

Multiple linear regression analysis of factors predicting the SHEB (Post-education)

Independent variables	Unstandardized β	SE	Cl 95%	p	Adjusted R2
Age (year)	0.054	0.014	0.026;0.082	< 0.001	0.157
BMI (kg/m2)	0.018	0.015	−0.011;0.048	0.226
e-HDL	0.005	0.008	−0.010;0.021	0.515
Gender	0.411	0.140	0.136;0.687	0.004
Income status	0.070	0.091	−0.108;0.248	0.440
Living place	0.322	0.128	0.070;0.574	0.012
Educational status	0.022	0.113	−0.200;0.245	0.845
Education acceptability score	0.087	0.077	−0.066;0.239	0.264
SHEB (Pre-education)	0.248	0.059	0.133;0.364	< 0.001

Reference categories for categorical variables: Gender (1: Women, 2: Men), Income status (1: Income less than expenses, 2: Income equal to expenses, 3: Income is more than expenses), Living place (1: Urban, 2: Rural), Educational status (1: Primary school, 2: Middle school, 3: High school, 4: University, 5: Postgraduate)

Discussion

The current study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a web-based educational module on sustainable and healthy eating behaviours among young adults. The results showed that 37.8% of participants had previously heard of the concept of sustainable nutrition, while only 9.6% reported having good or very good self-perceived knowledge of it. The results of similar studies in the literature also confirm that concept of sustainable nutrition is not yet widely known [11, 12]. Therefore, educational programs aimed at increasing awareness of sustainable nutrition are of importance.

Web-based education has significant potential to enhance awareness of sustainable nutrition, facilitate access to information, and promote behaviour change. Various studies in literature have evaluated the effectiveness of such educational programs from different perspectives and reported diverse outcomes. Monroe et al. highlighted that a five-week web-based educational intervention targeting university students was effective in significantly promoting Green Eating behaviours [34]. Similarly, in the four-week Green Hub study conducted by Ghammachi et al., it was reported that young adults showed increased knowledge, attitudes, and motivation toward adopting more sustainable dietary patterns. Participants demonstrated a higher likelihood of consuming plant-based, seasonal, and local foods, while consumption of red meat and processed foods decreased, along with a reduction in food waste [35]. In the present study, a significant increase was observed in the number of participants who rated self-perceived knowledge of sustainable nutrition as "very well" or "well" following the web-based education program. Additionally, SHEB scores of participants increased from 3.9 ± 1.10 to 4.2 ± 1.24. Furthermore, significant improvements were found in several SHEB sub-factors, including preferences for quality labels, seasonal food and avoiding food waste, animal welfare, meat reduction, healthy and balanced diet, and local food. These results suggest that web-based sustainable nutrition education programs may be an effective method for promoting more environmentally friendly and healthier dietary habits among individuals.

Web-based nutrition education programs have been shown to significantly influence not only dietary habits but also food group preferences. These programs particularly promote an increase in the consumption of plant-based foods while reducing the intake of red meat and processed foods. For instance, in the Green Hub study conducted by Ghammachi et al., it was found that following the educational intervention, a greater proportion of participants believed that the consumption of red meat (from 73.3% to 90%) and poultry (from 60 to 80%) should be limited. Additionally, there was a strengthened consensus that whole grains and legumes (from 66.7% to 90–100%) should be consumed as part of an environmentally friendly diet [35]. The web-based nutrition and physical activity education program developed by Franko et al. demonstrated a daily increase of 0.33 servings in fruit and vegetable consumption of participants [36]. On the other hand, in the 6-week sustainable nutrition course conducted face-to-face by Pınarlı Falakacılar and Yücecan, it was determined that the consumption of vegetables and fruits increased, while the consumption of red meat and processed meat products decreased [12]. After education, the majority of participants indicated that consumption of red meat (from 28.2% to 71.5%) and chicken (from 22.9% to 56.2%) should be reduced. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the proportion of participants who believed that legumes (from 67.0% to 81.1%) and bread/cereals (from 23.4% to 54.9%) should be preferred. While significant changes were observed in perceptions of most food groups after education, unlike other studies, no significant differences were observed for fruits and vegetables [12, 36]. These results may be related to the already high pre-education rates for vegetables (83.9%) and fruits (80.4%). Similar to face-to-face educational interventions, web-based education appears to be effective in increasing sustainable food group preferences. Including more information in educational content on food groups with lower levels of accurate knowledge and designing educational content specifically for groups may contribute to positive changes in food preferences.

Nutrition behaviour is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon shaped by various psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors. In this study, age, gender, living place, and pre-education SHEB scores were identified as significant predictors of post-education SHEB. This result can be explained by increasing health awareness and life experiences with age, and it parallels results showing a tendency towards more conscious choices in eating habits with age [37]. Similarly, the significant predictor of gender aligns with the literature reporting that women have higher sustainable food literacy scores [38] and consume more foods classified as sustainable than men [39]. Individuals living in rural areas have been reported to have lower health literacy [40]. This may reflect differences in living place, access to healthcare professionals, sociodemographic differences, and cultural norms between urban and rural areas. In the current study, pre-education SHEB scores were identified as a significant predictor of post-education SHEB. Individuals who already demonstrated higher levels of SHEB scale score before the education were found to maintain higher scores afterward. Rather than suggesting that those with higher baseline scores benefited more from the program, this result reflects the persistence of nutrition behaviours, consistent with theory emphasizing the role of prior experience and self-efficacy in shaping new behaviours [28]. This result suggests that baseline behavioural levels should be considered when designing educations and that individuals with lower baseline SHEB scores may require more targeted or intensive strategies to achieve significant improvements. In the multiple regression model, variables such as BMI, e-HDL, income status, educational status, and education acceptability score were found to be positive but non-significant predictors of the post-education SHEB score. These results contradict some studies in the literature. For example, Sandri and colleagues report that income status and education level significantly affect healthy eating habits [41]. Furthermore, there are studies emphasizing that high healthy nutrition literacy positively influences food choices and encourages sustainable and healthy eating behaviours [42, 43]. In particular, e-HDL was not found to be a significant predictor of post-education SHEB scores. Previous studies have highlighted that higher levels of e-health literacy are associated with healthier dietary behaviours, increased environmentally responsible food choices, and better use of nutrition-related online resources [44–46]. The lack of a significant association in the present study may be explained by the characteristics of the study sample, the short follow-up period, or differences in measurement tools and study methodology. Finally, the acceptability score of web-based nutrition education appears to be a positive, though not significant, predictor of the SHEB score. In this study, the overall acceptability score was determined to be 4.4 ± 0.82, with higher acceptability scores particularly in categories such as "useful information," "current information," and "recommend to others." This high acceptability score indicates that the web-based education was well-received by users. However, interactive content that allows participants to be involved in the process can increase the effectiveness of the education.

This study provides promising results regarding the use of short education time and low-cost digital education approaches for sustainable and healthy nutrition. However, there are certain limitations in the study. The two-phase study process, conducted before and after the education, led to difficulties in reaching participants again after education and resulted in data losses (attrition rate 9.8%). Another limiting factor is the fact that the participant profile was predominantly composed of women, which restricts the generalizability of the results. Additionally, the evaluation conducted in the fourth week after education and the lack of assessment of the long-term of the program pose limitations regarding lifelong sustainability.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the web-based nutrition education program developed for sustainable nutrition was associated with short-term improvements in sustainable nutrition-related knowledge. Results highlight the importance of personalized and goal-oriented educational approaches in promoting sustainable eating behaviours. In this context, it is believed that education programs designed with consideration of demographic characteristics and current knowledge levels of individuals will be more effective in disseminating sustainable eating habits. Consequently, web-based education programs have the potential to serve as a supportive tool for promoting sustainable nutrition and can make significant contributions to public health. For future research, long-term follow-up and controlled studies are essential to evaluate the sustainability of the behavioural changes observed. Moreover, balanced demographic distribution, the integration of interactive and engaging content, and the inclusion of detailed dietary behaviour measures such as food frequency questionnaires should be considered to strengthen the evidence base.

Abbreviations

SHEB

Sustainable and healthy eating behaviours

e-HDL

E-healthy diet literacy scale

BMI

Body mass index

Authors’ contributions

FGB conceptualized and designed the research, developed the methodology, performed the investigation and formal analysis, curated the data, created the visualizations, developed the model, and drafted the manuscript. ÖNÇ, RB, and SD contributed to the development of the methodology, conducted the investigation and formal analysis, curated the data, and drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Funding

None.

Data availability

Data can be provided upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval for the involvement of human subjects in this study was granted by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee, reference number GO 2024/38, dated 01/03/2024. Consent was obtained prior to survey completion. The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for publication

All authors unanimously provide consent for publication.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.