An Evaluation of High School Students' Change in Knowledge and Preferences towards Seafood through Education

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Aquaculture and wild-caught seafood contribute to the global seafood demand, but ocean resources have exceeded a sustainable yield. To promote a sustainable future, we must educate adolescent seafood consumers on factors that have the greatest impact in driving consumption preferences. Targeting adolescents can make a difference in their present food habits and lead to conscious consumers in the future. A pre- and post-survey was developed to assess high school students' knowledge and preference for aquaculture versus wild-caught seafood before and after the implementation of an educational program. The educational program, A.Q.U.A. (A Quest to Understand Aquaculture) was developed by the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA) covering five lessons. Survey responses were collected from three high schools across the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Using a mental model analysis, education was found to be effective at increasing the knowledge of aquaculture and the preference for aquaculture seafood based on all four factors: ‘taste’, ‘environmental impact’, ‘health concerns’, and ‘what they eat at home’. Using analysis of variance tests, schools were found to have a significant impact on the change in knowledge of aquaculture. The study provides useful information needed to implement an effective education program into school curricula to enhance students' knowledge and promote conscious consumption for the benefit of a sustainable future. Keywords: aquaculture seafood, wild-caught seafood, education, consumption preferences, dietary behaviors DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-34-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2023

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