A qualitative study of the barriers and facilitators to adopting a sustainable diet among adolescents in Ireland

An increasing body of evidence indicates that systemic changes to the food system are necessary to mitigate ongoing environmental degradation. The adoption of sustainable dietary practices is an actionable individual-level strategy that may benefit both human health and environmental sustainability. This paper aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to adopting a sustainable diet among adolescents in Ireland. The data from this research seeks to clarify the steps needed to support this dietary transition. Data were collected from four sites, involving 48 participants aged 15-17 years in seven semi-structured focus groups. Non-probability convenience sampling was employed. Transcripts were audio-recorded, transcribed, and inductively coded to identify barriers and facilitators, which were then deductively mapped onto the Theoretical Domains Framework and presented on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour model. Barriers (n = 33) were more frequent than facilitators (n = 8) in the adoption of a sustainable diet. Prominent barriers to adopting a sustainable diet included a lack of knowledge about the characteristics of a sustainable diet, a current diet that does not align with a sustainable diet, a lack of practical skills for preparing a sustainable diet, unaccommodating school canteens, and cultural influences such as a strong attachment to meat. Facilitators to the adoption of a sustainable diet were the view that this diet promotes human health, and the acknowledgement of the changes required to make their diet more sustainable. However, although participants could identify changes to make their diets more sustainable, most were unwilling to transition at present. This research is important because it provides insights into the design of future interventions using the Behaviour Change Wheel intervention framework to facilitate behaviour change to support adolescents' transition to a sustainable diet.