Piloting A Primary Measurement Model For Sociocultural Influences On Household Food Waste Behaviour In Oman

Abstract

Food consumption behaviour at households is one of the most significant drivers of food waste worldwide. The Sultanate of Oman is considered one of the countries with the highest rates of household food waste. This research article presents the results of a pilot survey of a convenience sample of 48 Omani households. The research aims to test the reliability and validity of a questionnaire developed to measure the impact of two important sociocultural factors on food waste that characterize Omani society as a Muslim community: religiosity and the Ramadan meal. Using structural equation modelling, the results of the internal consistency and validity assessment tests demonstrate the potential for integrating these two factors as sociocultural variables to understand household food waste behaviour. This highlights the importance of these factors in developing more accurate predictive measurement tools to understand food waste behaviour in societies where sociocultural influences are prominent in everyday life. This article opens up avenues for future research on food waste.