Behaviour change for better health: nutrition, hygiene and sustainability (original) (raw)
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Behaviour Change for Sustainable Consumption
Journal of Consumer Policy
The Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2100 translates into a carbon dioxide (CO 2) equivalent emission reduction from around 40 gigatons in 2020 to around 5 gigatons (Rockström et al. 2017). As part of a long-term strategy to achieve this goal, technological innovations are necessary, but not sufficient. Another necessary element is changes in consumer and household behaviours, which cannot wait for the long term. In the EU, for example, households account for nearly 20% of total CO 2 emissions (Eurostat 2017). Furthermore, there is a large variation in private households' consumption patterns, which shows that demand-side interventions targeted at private households are indeed promising (Dubois et al. 2019). The largest contributions to CO 2 emissions from private households come from personal transport, thermal energy use, electricity consumption, and accommodation as well as consumption of food and consumer goods and services (Kalbar et al. 2016; Steen-Olsen and Hertwich 2015). Private households can substantially reduce their CO 2 emissions by adopting new or altering the use of in-home and transportation-related technologies or changing consumption patterns related to food and other consumer goods (Gardner and Stern 2008). This special issue focuses on strategies to induce behaviour changes for sustainable consumption in private households and on key motivational and contextual prerequisites. The aim is to provide insights on instruments and prerequisites for radical behaviour changes, for which the included papers draw on a variety of theoretical and methodological angles and approaches. Content-wise, the papers focus on understanding motivational and contextual facilitators and impediments for changing both specific impactful behaviour and broader behaviour changes. The discussed policy interventions span from a broader policy framework
Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns a paper on Action Track 2 by
2021
Action Track 2 works to catalyse a shift in consumer behaviour that will create and build demand for sustainably produced agriand ocean food products, strengthen shorter value chains, promote circular use of food resources, helping to reduce waste and improve nutrition, especially among the most vulnerable. This Action Track recognises that current food consumption patterns, often characterised by higher levels of food waste and a transition in diets towards higher energy, more resource-intensive foods, need to be transformed. Food systems in both developed and developing countries are changing rapidly. Increasingly characterized by a high degree of vertical integration, evolutions in food systems are being driven by new technologies that are changing production processes, distribution systems, marketing strategies, and the food products that people eat. These changes offer the opportunity for system-wide change in the way in which production interacts with the environment, giving g...
Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns
2021
Action Track 2 works to catalyse a shift in consumer behaviour that will create and build demand for sustainably produced agriand ocean food products, strengthen shorter value chains, promote circular use of food resources, helping to reduce waste and improve nutrition, especially among the most vulnerable. This Action Track recognises that current food consumption patterns, often characterised by higher levels of food waste and a transition in diets towards higher energy, more resource-intensive foods, need to be transformed. At the same time we recognise that context is everything, and the perils and problems of different countries in terms of a nutrition transition will need to be evaluated and solved with an array of different solutions appropriate to their local conditions, culture and values.
MHPSY1022 Closing date: 25 Oct 2016 Interview: 16 Nov 2016 https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=MHPSY1022 We are offering an outstanding opportunity for an expert in Behaviour change to grow and develop research in the unique context of an N8 Food consortium. Leading the ‘Improved Nutrition and Consumer Behaviours’ theme at Leeds, you will be encouraged and supported to build fresh research collaborations which can capitalise on the innovative application of behaviour change work. As a strategic, and permanent appointment in the area of Behaviour Change, you will be based in the School of Psychology, where we are ready to consolidate and grow behaviour change expertise. The role is part of the new £16 million, five-year Agri-Food Resilience Programme funded by the N8 and HEFCE, this post also offers unrivalled opportunities for cross-disciplinary relationships, spanning academia and industry across the N8 nationally and internationally. Many of these relationships are nascent, and ripe for creative growth. Potential directions for cross-disciplinary collaborations include research to change behaviour at the farm, supply chain or consumer level to increase resilience and improve nutrition with benefits for public health, reducing environmental impacts and increasing sustainability. A key partnership for the appointed candidate will be with the N8 theme lead, Professor Jason Halford at the University of Liverpool. The successful applicant will be offered Visiting Professor status at Liverpool, and similarly at other N8 partner institutions, where appropriate. You will have an international reputation in behaviour change, with clear enthusiasm and capacity for large, multi-disciplinary grant applications and for publications of international standard with potential for impact. Our behaviour change team in the School of Psychology offer support, capacity and a creative environment to keep research forward-thinking, relevant and inclusive. Demonstrating an interest and ability to deliver engaging, research-led teaching to educate and inspire students is also essential. We encourage applications from people who are seeking a supportive, ambitious research environment with exciting opportunities for the application of behaviour change within and across disciplines. You will have secured significant research income, and published extensively with a significant number of 3* and 4* REF equivalent outputs, and have a track record of excellence in teaching and leadership. The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. We will be happy to consider job share applications and are committed to flexible working for all our employees.. Informal enquiries regarding the post should be directed to Professor Louise Dye, School of Psychology, N8 Lead for Leeds, email: l.dye@leeds.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)113 343 5707 If you have any specific enquiries about your online application please contact Sue Curry, tel: +44 (0)113 343 1845; email s.e.curry@adm.leeds.ac.uk
Despite decades of effort, around 2.8 billion people still rely on solid fuels to meet domestic energy needs. There is robust evidence this causes premature death, chronic disease as well as wider economic, social and environmental problems. Behavior change interventions are effective to reduce exposure to harm such as HAP, including those using health communications approaches. This article reports the findings of a project that reviewed the effectiveness of behavior change approaches in cleaner cooking interventions in resource-poor settings. The authors synthesized evidence of the use of behavior change techniques (BCTs), along the cleaner cooking value chain, to bring positive health, economic and environmental impacts. 48 articles met the inclusion criteria, which documented 55 interventions carried out in 20 countries. The groupings of BCT most frequently used were “Shaping Knowledge” (n = 47), “Rewards and Threats” (n = 35), “Social Support” (n = 35) and “Comparisons” (n = 16). A scorecard of behavior change effectiveness was developed to analyze a selection of case study interventions. BCTs have been used effectively as part of multilevel programs. Cooking demonstrations, the right product, and understanding of the barriers and benefits along the value chain have all played a role. Often absent are theories and models of behavior change adapted to the target audience and local context. Robust research methods are needed to track and evaluate behavior change and impact, not just technology disseminated. Behavior change approaches could then play a more prominent role as the “special sauce” in cleaner cooking interventions in resource poor settings.
Supporting innovative behaviour change initiatives in the water sector
There is an urgent need for innovative behaviour change interventions that engage with the context surrounding domestic demand, rather than solely the decision-making processes of individual consumers. This research looks at potential ways to facilitate the design of such activities and support their development within the water industry. Recommendations: - Diverge: Divergent thinking blows open old assumptions and aids the development of novel ideas. To do this we need new methods and new participants involved in designing of interventions. - Incubate: New ideas need support to turn them into successful interventions. There is a need to provide sheltered and supportive spaces for novel ideas, to support their growth and to integrate them in existing practice. - Experiment: Many of innovations stem from 'risky' ideas, we need experimentation, but we also need to develop the capacity to monitor change in complex systems, and to learn from mistakes. There are various ways in which industry and academia may contribute to developing and implementing innovative interventions. Actions include recognising and incentivising the development of more sophisticated methods for monitoring change; creating a space for experimentation and reflective discussion; and encouraging a consistent approach to resource management throughout the industry.
Challenges to changing health behaviours in developing countries: A critical overview
Social Science & Medicine, 2012
This overview of recent research on health behaviour change in developing countries shows progress as well as pitfalls. In order to provide guidance to health and social scientists seeking to change common practices that contribute to illness and death, there needs to be a common approach to developing interventions and evaluating their outcomes. Strategies forming the basis of interventions and programs to change behaviour need to focus on three sources: theories of behaviour change, evidence for the success and failure of past attempts, and an in-depth understanding of one's audience. Common pitfalls are a lack of attention to the wisdom of theories that address strategies of change at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels.