Examining mindful eating, and healthy and sustainable lifestyle levels across generations: A cross-sectional design

Different generations may have varying perspectives on mindful eating, health, and sustainable lifestyle practices, depending on the social, economic, and cultural influences of the time in which they were raised. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine the levels of mindful eating and healthy and sustainable lifestyle practices among individuals residing in Istanbul who belong to one of the X, Y, or Z generations. This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2025, and data were collected from 1,039 individuals aged between 18 and 59 through an online questionnaire consisting of a sociodemographic form, the Mindful Eating Inventory (MEI), and the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability Scale (LOHAS). In the analysis of the data, the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Pearson Chi-square test were used. These tests were applied to determine the differences or relationships between two groups, multiple groups, and categorical variables, respectively. The findings of the study showed that there were no statistically significant differences in mindful eating levels across generations (p = .145). The healthy and sustainable lifestyle level of Generation X was significantly higher compared to Generations Y and Z (p < .001). There was a statistically significant relationship between mindful eating and a healthy and sustainable lifestyle across generations (p < .001). In addition to the main hypotheses of the study, sociodemographic variables such as gender (p < .001), marital status (p < .001), educational status (p = .032), income level (p < .001), meal-skipping behavior (p = .003), and body mass index (BMI) (p < .001) were also found to have statistically significant effects on the scales. As a result, individuals from different generations exhibit different tendencies in both eating behaviors and sustainable lifestyle preferences. This indicates that generation-specific health and sustainability policies can be developed.