Barriers Outweigh Facilitators as Irish Teens Weigh Sustainable Diets

Adolescents in Ireland face more obstacles than incentives when it comes to eating sustainably, according to a qualitative study published in PLOS One. Researchers led by Connor Dupuits, Amanda McCloat and Elaine Mooney explored what helps and what hinders 15-to-17-year-olds in adopting a sustainable diet, an individual-level strategy that may benefit both human health and environmental sustainability amid growing evidence that systemic food-system change is needed to mitigate environmental degradation.

Barriers proved far more frequent than facilitators: 33 barriers against 8 facilitators. The most prominent obstacles included a lack of knowledge about what actually characterises a sustainable diet, a current diet that does not align with sustainable eating, and a lack of practical skills for preparing such food. The school environment also played a role, with unaccommodating school canteens cited as a barrier, alongside cultural influences, most notably a strong attachment to meat.

On the positive side, participants viewed a sustainable diet as something that promotes human health, and they acknowledged the changes required to make their own diets more sustainable. Yet that awareness did not translate into action. Although the teenagers could identify what would need to change, most said they were unwilling to make the transition at present, a gap the authors highlight as central to the study’s findings.

The researchers argue the work matters because it offers insights for designing future interventions built on the Behaviour Change Wheel intervention framework, aiming to facilitate the behaviour change needed to support adolescents’ shift toward sustainable eating.

Subject of Research: Barriers and facilitators to adopting a sustainable diet among adolescents in Ireland

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

Article References: Dupuits, C., McCloat, A., & Mooney, E. (2026). A qualitative study of the barriers and facilitators to adopting a sustainable diet among adolescents in Ireland. PLOS One, 21(10), e0361509. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361509

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361509

Keywords: sustainable diet, adolescents, Ireland, qualitative study, focus groups, Theoretical Domains Framework, COM-B model, behaviour change, food systems, meat attachment, school canteens, PLOS One