Behavioral Profiles and Sociodemographic Predictors of Planetary Health Diet Engagement Among Health Care...

The planetary health diet (PHD) promotes dietary habits that are beneficial to human health and environmental sustainability, two closely related goals of modern public health. Health care professionals are expected to lead by example and use their position to encourage their patients and communities to adopt healthier and more sustainable behaviors. However, little is known about health care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) related to the PHD, which limits the ability to design targeted interventions for this key population.

This study aimed to analyze KAB profiles related to the PHD among French health care professionals and assess associations with individual characteristics.

This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2024 to June 2024 among health care professionals. Participants were recruited using a nonprobabilistic convenience sampling method. Inclusion criteria were to be aged ≥18 years, fluent in French, and working as a health care professional at Hospices Civils de Lyon. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including sociodemographic and geographic variables, KAB items related to the PHD, and dietary intake. Adherence to the PHD was calculated using a validated scoring system. KAB items were analyzed using k-means clustering to identify distinct profiles. Associations with sociodemographic and geographic variables were explored using chi-square tests and ANOVA.

Among 1104 respondents (n=927, 83.97% women and n=882, 79.89% aged between 30 and 59 years), 3 KAB clusters were identified: cluster 1 ("knowledge-attitude gap"; n=481, 43.57%) included professionals with good knowledge but moderate attitudes and partially consistent behaviors; cluster 2 ("high intent, low action"; n=318, 28.8 included those with strong knowledge and positive attitudes but limited behavioral change, and cluster 3 ("behavior-driven alignment"; n=305, 27.63%) included participants who reported pro-PHD behaviors despite lower knowledge and less favorable attitudes. PHD adherence was significantly associated with being female, having a vegetarian or flexitarian diet, and reporting environmental concerns (P<.01 in all cases).

Distinct KAB profiles among health care professionals suggest differing levels of engagement regarding the PHD. Findings suggest that tailored interventions addressing knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors could improve health care professionals' alignment with planetary health goals within similar institutional contexts.