Diete Sane e Sostenibili nella Popolazione Adolescenziale: uno Studio Grounded Theory Mixed-Method (Studio LET’s EAT)

Background: More than half of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals are related to food, both in terms of its impact on health and on the environment. The eating habits of the population are a determining factor in both of these areas. In order to promote the adoption of healthy and ecologically sustainable diets in young people, it is necessary to recognise and promote their agency, give space to their voices and expectations, and involve them in current and future research. The aim of this thesis is therefore to promote young people's agency by understanding their beliefs and practices in the area of nutrition in order to guide the design of educational interventions aimed at and with young people in the area of nutrition. Objectives: The objective is to develop a theoretical model, based on qualitative and quantitative data, of the adolescents' decision-making process for adopting healthy and environmentally sustainable diets and the factors and mechanisms involved. Methods: The study had an exploratory-confirmative Mixed Method-Grounded Theory (MM-GT) design. The quantitative part consisted of an observational cross-sectional study that used an online survey and supported the qualitative part, a Grounded Theory (GT). The GT used semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observations and data were collected until saturation was reached. The methodological rigour of the study was ensured by credibility, confirmability, saturation and transferability. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to develop the theoretical model. The study also included the active involvement of student representatives from the schools in which it took place as advisors to the research process, forming a local Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Results: The process of decision-making by young people regarding their nutrition was found to be a complex social process. In this process, young people are influenced at different levels: individual, family, social, contextual and environmental. At the same time, young people themselves influence the people with whom they interact and their own context, make deliberate food choices and reason and interpret their own reality. The result of this process can be of two types: eating habits; and variations from one's own habits. Conclusions: This study produced important results with regard to understanding young people's views on food and its impact on health and the environment. The results of this study emphasise the complexity of the eating process in young people, highlighting the need to actively involve them in decision-making in this area and in the future development of strategies to promote healthy and sustainable diets, a key element in health promotion and prevention.