Abstract
Eating excess red meat has negative consequences for the environment. However, it is unclear whether having the environment and climate change as a top concern plays a role in whether or not Americans eat red meat. In a secondary analysis of survey data collected with a representative U.S. sample (N = 7375), we examined (1) the percent of participants who self-reported not eating red meat and how it varied with socio-demographics, and (2) the extent to which reporting the environment and climate change as a top concern was associated with self-reports of not eating red meat in logistic regressions, before and after accounting for socio-demographic characteristics and reporting health/healthcare concerns as a top concern. Overall, 12% of American adults self-reported not eating red meat. Self-reports of not eating red meat were especially more likely among participants who indicated being female (vs. not), being 65 years of age or older (vs. not), having a college degree (vs. not), self-identifying as non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or Asian (vs. Non-Hispanic Whites), having voted for Democrats or Independents/others (vs. Republicans) and reside in the West or Northeast (vs. Midwest). Logistic regressions that accounted for socio-demographic characteristics and for reporting health/healthcare concerns as a top concern confirmed that reporting the environment and climate change as a top concern was associated with self-reports of not eating red meat (OR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.46, 2.10). We discuss implications for reducing red meat consumption.
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Data availability
All data are publicly available from the Understanding America Study (survey number 500), https://uasdata.usc.edu.
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Conceptualization: PS, WBdB, Methodology: PS, WBdB, Data analyses: PS Writing – original draft: PS Writing – review & editing: PS, WBdB., KB, KdlH.
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Sleboda, P., Bruine de Bruin, W., Baker, K. et al. Not eating red meat is associated with reporting the environment and climate change as a top concern: evidence from a national U.S. survey. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06619-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06619-z
