A study of the behavioral and environmental factors influencing food waste in higher education

Food waste is a growing global problem with serious social, environmental, and economic consequences. While the overall extent of food waste worldwide is well documented, research on specific population groups, such as university students, has only recently received attention. University students represent a unique demographic group. In 2024, a survey was conducted among students at the University of Debrecen, the second largest university in Hungary, to assess their knowledge and habits related to food waste. The survey was voluntary and included 133 questions in several groups of questions. After data cleaning, we prepared our study based on the responses of 618 students. The study used variable clustering and explanatory bifactor analysis to identify and create latent constructs related to food waste behavior. Differences in these constructs were examined using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests, while K-means clustering and factor analysis of mixed data were applied to analyze demographic influences. All analyses were performed in R. The results show significant differences in food waste behavior based on age, gender, and residential location. Older students (31–40 years) showed higher levels of environmental awareness and were less likely to waste food compared to younger students (under 20 years) who showed higher levels of impulse buying and carelessness, mainly influenced by promotions. Rural students showed more sustainable behaviors, likely influenced by traditional practices such as animal husbandry, while urban students showed greater susceptibility to promotions and discounts, leading to more food waste. • Age is correlated with food waste, younger students are more wasteful. • Women were more proactive in planning and more concerned about the financial aspects. • Rural students are more conscious about food waste. • Lower-educated students were less concerned about environmental issues. • The low food waste cluster constituted the largest proportion (72%).