5 research outputs found
Understanding nutrition students' knowledge, perceived barriers and their views on the future role of nutritionists regarding sustainable diets
Nutrition professionals are important stakeholders in sustainable food systems with skills to promote the connection between health, food production, environment, culture and economics. Higher education institutions are increasingly recognising the importance of teaching about sustainability, yet there exists a gap in the literature detailing the awareness of sustainability issues by nutrition students. This study aimed to ascertain the level of knowledge of sustainable diets (SDs), the perceived barriers to their adoption in their own diets, students' experience of universityâbased teaching about SDs and their views on the future role of the nutrition profession in relation to SD amongst nutrition students on Association for Nutrition (AfN)âaccredited degrees. The study assessed environmental and sustainable food literacy (SFL) through an online questionnaire and explored the issues in more detail in virtual or faceâtoâface interviews in 2019. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (KruskalâWallis, JonckheereâTerpstra, independent tâtest, Spearman, Pearson Correlations). Qualitative data were analysed using the Braun and Clark (2006) sixâstep approach to thematic analysis. The questionnaire responses (n=â51) represented 17 AfNâaccredited undergraduate courses (35% of AfNâaccredited universities in 2019). The majority (76%) of students had received an introduction, partaken in a module or received teaching on SDs throughout their whole degree. Students were predominantly environmentally literate, yet had a fragmented understanding of SDs, focusing on the environmental aspects of SDs. There was no correlation between SFL and reported sustainability content of university courses, highlighting a need for more effective teaching on sustainability topics. Additionally, no relationship between selfâreported diet intake and SFL was found. Students identified a lack of knowledge and education as barriers preventing them from adopting sustainable practices in the present and future. To integrate sustainability into their future practice more consistently and effectively, nutrition students require more structured, holistic sustainability education and knowledge
Aphids-induced plant volatiles affect diel foraging behavior of a ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata
The ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata (L.) is an important biocontrol agent of pests such as various aphid species. Despite being one of the most studied coccinellid species, many aspects of its foraging behavior are still not completely understood. This study focuses on the diel foraging behavior of C. septempunctata, investigating their olfactory orientation toward aphid-infested plants, walking activity on plants and on the soil, and feeding rates. In the scotophase the ladybird beetles were significantly more attracted to the odor of aphid-infested plants, on which they also showed considerably higher walking activity then on uninfested controls. Females were more prone to utilize olfactory cues when searching for prey and fed at higher rates than males; this shows that they are better adapted to nocturnal activity, as they require higher food intake. Coccinella septempunctata have the same feeding rate during the scotophase as in the photophase. Our study shows that C. septempunctata has the potential to forage in the scotophase if prey is abundant. The results support the hypothesis that volatiles of aphid-infested plants can attract or arrest foraging adult ladybird beetles, even in the darkness, which makes a considerable contribution to efficient prey search and enhances feeding capacity