Understanding sustainable dietary behaviors in Japanese and German adults: A cross-cultural comparison

This study (1) qualitatively describes sustainable dietary behaviors (SDBs) that Japanese and German adults can implement in their lives, and (2) quantitatively compares similarities and differences in understanding SDBs between the two samples. Data regarding understanding of SDBs from online focus group interviews (16 Japanese, 50.0 % women) and an online open-ended survey (498 Japanese and 197 German, 56.6 % women) in 2021 were analyzed using manifest content analysis and Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Consequently, 64 subcategories and 34 categories were identified and grouped into five scenes: food choice, storing and preservation, cooking, eating, and disposal. Of the categories, 16 had significantly different proportions by country (p < 0.05). Many Japanese participants mentioned SDBs related to food waste prevention, while German participants mentioned behaviors related to solving environmental problems more frequently. Our study deepens adults’ understanding of SDBs and contributes to strategy development to improve food sustainability among consumers.