Adopting Plant-rich Dietary Patterns and Reducing Red and Processed Meat Intake: Examining How Diverse U.S. Food and Health Systems Actors May Support Sustainable Diet Transitions for American Adults
| dc.contributor.author | Stanley, Katherine Ellen | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Kraak, Vivica I. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Serrano, Elena L. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Holz, Adrienne | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Hedrick, Valisa Ellen | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-12-20T09:00:33Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2024-12-20T09:00:33Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-12-19 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Expert bodies recommend that populations adopt plant-rich dietary patterns and consume less red and processed meats (RPM) as a high-impact climate action. This PhD dissertation describes three studies that examined how diverse food and health systems actors may encourage sustainable diet transitions for Americans to support human and planetary health. Study one examined U.S. adults' perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors toward plant-rich dietary patterns. The International Food Information Council's Food and Health Surveys (2012–2022) were analyzed using crosstabulation and chi-square analyses. Consumers' recent RPM intake trends were mixed. Despite interest in sustainable products and principles, few U.S. adults followed plant-rich dietary patterns or purchasing practices. Leadership and coordinated action are needed to incentivize Americans to adopt plant-rich dietary behaviors. Study two conducted a systematic scoping review of media campaigns that promoted plant-rich dietary patterns and traditional and novel plant-based proteins, and that encouraged or discouraged RPM products to Americans (1917-2023). Of 84 media campaigns identified, corporate marketing (58.6%) campaigns were most prevalent compared to public information (13.8%), corporate sustainability (12.6%), countermarketing (5.7%), social marketing (4.6%), and public policy (4.6%). Civil society campaigns promoted plant-rich dietary patterns, but only one campaign was evaluated. U.S. government, academia, businesses, and civil society should commit adequate resources and evaluate media campaigns to support a sustainable diet transition for Americans that prioritizes traditional and novel plant-based proteins. Study three explored U.S. Food is Medicine (FIM) experts' views on how plant-rich dietary patterns and other sustainable diet practices could be incorporated into FIM interventions. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted among U.S. food and health systems actors and analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results indicated that many FIM actions support human and planetary health, but the co-benefits are not often discussed. The FIM movement is a unique opportunity to promote food and health systems changes that support human and planetary health, but key challenges require coordinated action across sectors. The three studies in this PhD dissertation collectively addressed knowledge gaps, used novel conceptual frameworks, and offered recommendations to inform U.S. food and nutrition policies, programs, and research to encourage sustainable diet transitions for American adults. | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | Expert bodies recommend that populations adopt plant-rich dietary patterns, or ways of eating that emphasize intake of plant-based foods (i.e., whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds) and de-emphasize or avoid intake of animal-sourced foods, especially red and processed meats (RPM). Plant-rich dietary patterns can reduce diet-related disease risks and minimize the food system's negative environmental contributions. This PhD dissertation describes three studies that examined how diverse food and health systems actors may encourage Americans to transition towards plant-rich dietary patterns and reduce RPM intake to support human and planetary health. Study one analyzed 11 years of survey data (2012–2022) to examine U.S. adults' perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors toward plant-rich dietary patterns. Consumers' recent RPM intake trends were mixed, with some reporting increased consumption and others reporting reduced RPM intake. Few adults reported adherence to plant-rich dietary patterns. Leadership and coordinated action are needed to incentivize Americans to adopt plant-rich dietary behaviors. Study two reviewed published literature to identify the landscape of media campaigns that promoted plant-rich dietary patterns and plant-based proteins, and that encouraged or discouraged RPM products to Americans (1917-2023). Of 84 media campaigns identified, most (58.6%) campaigns promoted specific food products. Only one campaign was evaluated. U.S. government, academia, businesses, and civil society should commit adequate resources and evaluate media campaigns that promote plant-rich dietary patterns and plant-based food products. Study three explored U.S. Food is Medicine (FIM) experts' views on how plant-rich dietary patterns and other sustainable diet practices could be incorporated into FIM interventions, which aim to connect food to the health system. Twenty interviews were conducted among U.S. food and health systems actors and analyzed for key themes. Results indicated that many FIM actions support human health and the environment, but the co-benefits are not often discussed. The FIM movement is a unique opportunity to promote food and health systems changes that support human health and environmental sustainability, but key challenges require coordinated action across sectors. These three studies help inform how food and health systems actors can support Americans to adopt dietary practices that promote human health and the environment. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Doctor of Philosophy | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:41965 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10919/123849 | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | plant-rich dietary patterns | en |
| dc.subject | sustainable diet | en |
| dc.subject | plant-based foods | en |
| dc.subject | red and processed meats | en |
| dc.subject | food and nutrition policy | en |
| dc.subject | Food is Medicine | en |
| dc.title | Adopting Plant-rich Dietary Patterns and Reducing Red and Processed Meat Intake: Examining How Diverse U.S. Food and Health Systems Actors May Support Sustainable Diet Transitions for American Adults | en |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | en |