Analysis of attitude and behavior of food consumption in principle of food ethics: a case study in personnel of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) study food consumption behavior of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi’s personnel and 2) to study attitude towards food consumption in principle of food ethics of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi’s personnel. By specifying samples from academic staff from Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, consisting of 300 samples using questionnaire as a tool for collecting data. The statistics used for data analysis were descriptive and inferential statistics; consisting of factor analysis, Pearson correlation and regression analysis.

The results of this research showed that the samples having three meals a day in high level ( = 4.16), always had home cooking in high level ( = 3.84) and selected meat in case of eating out in high level ( = 3.83). The problems of food consumption of the samples were preparing food from home and brought to workplace was inconvenience in high level ( = 3.91), workload was a key factor in the inability to make healthy food choices in high level ( = 3.86) and the samples didn’t like instant food in high level ( = 3.71).

Moreover, the results revealed the factors that positively correlated with attitudes towards food consumption and food ethics were: food consumption choice deciding, selection of food ingredients deciding and problems of food selection. It was also showed that food consumption behaviors and attitudes of the samples were both consistent and inconsistent with food ethics. Almost behaviors of food consumption of the samples were inconsistent with food ethics since the workload and time constraints were issues in the inability to prepare meals that were considered beneficial for both health and the environment. Meanwhile, the understanding and concerning about animal welfare, the understanding that humans can live without meat at all and also the understanding that eating seasonally and not eating meat can contribute to environmental protection were consistent with food ethics.