Healthy Eating Practices of Russians: Age-Specific Features

Introduction: Nutrition is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle, yet daily eating practices of many people are unhealthy. Objective: To assess the attitude towards healthy eating and nutritional practices of Russians of different age groups. Materials and methods: The article is based on the results of all-Russian representative sociological surveys 1,500 respondents aged 18 and older in 30 constituent entities of the Russian Federation conducted by the Research Center for Socio-Political Monitoring of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in April 3 to 12, 2024. Result: A third or more of the respondents in each age group do not follow a healthy diet or meal timing. The main reason for that is the lack of habit, which is common for all socio-demographic groups and has become more prevalent over the past decade. Lack of time is yet another obstacle to eating healthy reported by young people and middle-aged citizens, while lack of money is more relevant for the older generation. Poor eating practices are most widespread among young people, especially those aged 18 to 24 years: 43.3 % drink carbonated sweet drinks at least several times a week, 26.0 % eat crisps with the same frequency, 19.3 % eat fast food and 10.0 % drink energy beverages on a regular basis. As people age, they start avoiding unhealthy foods and drinks and become more mindful of their diet. Conclusion: The recommendations based on the study results are related to the need to improve management decisions in raising public awareness of the principles of healthy eating and stimulating their observance, taking into account different age groups of the population, as well as creating appropriate conditions for consumption of high-quality, safe, and healthy products.