Understanding the influence of gender, masculinity, and femininity on attitudes and behaviours around meat consumption: comparison of measures to better inform policy action

Meat consumption has important implications for both human and environmental health, and identifying barriers and opportunities that reduce this dietary preference are a key policy target. Numerous studies suggest men and more masculine individuals exhibit higher attachment to meat, which impacts their willingness to reduce its consumption; however, research exploring gender associations concerning masculinity and femininity is limited. Through a survey of 959 individuals, this study investigates the relationships between gender, masculinity, femininity, and dietary behaviours, including meat consumption and willingness to reduce consumption. A novel measure was introduced to assess gender-related traits independently of gender, enabling the effects of both masculinity and femininity on meat-related dietary behaviours to be explored. Men and women expressed masculinity and femininity across the scale, suggesting that men and women can exhibit different levels of both traits, regardless of gender. Men were more likely to consume meat than women, showing a significant gender association which was reflected in the masculinity and combined masculinity and femininity measures. Men and individuals with higher masculinity and masculinity-femininity scores displayed higher meat-eater identities, were more susceptible to social influence, and exhibited lower awareness or acceptance of health and environmental impacts. Men and higher-scoring masculinity-femininity individuals exhibited lower willingness to reduce meat. This result was not significant for masculinity alone, suggesting that incorporating constructs of both femininity and masculinity into a measure may provide a more nuanced understanding of dietary behaviours and attitudes. Policy makers and health professionals should consider how masculinity and gender might influence the acceptance of interventions which aim to change the prevalence of meat in people’s diets.