This study aims to examine how demographic and psychographic factors are associated with household food waste reduction behaviors (FWRB), as households account for 60% of global food waste.
Building on the SHIFT framework, this study develops an empirical model to examine how behavioral pathways and demographic attributes relate to FWRB. Using survey data from 1,425 respondents across 13 countries, it employs exploratory stepwise regression with ordinary least squares (OLS) and Elastic Net robustness checks.
Habit Formation and Individual Self emerge as the most consistently associated factors, while affective elements appear more influential than cognitive awareness. The roles of Tangibility and Social Influence are context dependent. Explanatory power varied by country (R2 = 0.13–0.38), with the full sample model explaining 19% of variance. Eight national models showed strong associations (R2 > 0.25), highlighting cross-national variation relevant to audience segmentation.
While this exploratory, cross-sectional study is limited by self-reported data and a lack of causal inference, its theory-driven insights provide a foundation for future longitudinal and confirmatory research.
These findings can inform social marketing through audience segmentation. Practitioners can move beyond “one-size-fits-all” awareness campaigns toward tailored interventions that reflect the routines and motivations of different groups.
This study brings established factors associated with food waste reduction together within a single exploratory application of the SHIFT framework. Its contribution lies in systematically examining these factors using a unified survey across 13 countries and identifying combinations of psychographic and demographic factors associated with self-reported FWRB across national contexts.
