Awareness Alone Is Not Enough: Household food Waste in Kuwait: Implications for Sustainable Food Systems and Health Promotion

Background: Household food waste is an important sustainability and public health challenge. Evidence from Gulf countries remains limited, despite cultural practices surrounding hospitality and food abundance that may influence waste. Objective: To assess household food waste in Kuwait and examine its sociodemographic, behavioral, attitudinal, and cultural correlates. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2023 among 1,644 adults recruited from supermarkets across Kuwait's six governorates. Household food waste was assessed using a self-reported index covering 13 food categories. Multivariable linear regression with robust standard errors was used to identify factors associated with reported food waste. Results: The mean food waste index was 0.73 (SD = 0.76), and 88.5% of participants reported wasting food. Higher reported food waste was associated with younger age, Kuwaiti nationality, larger household size, stronger celebration-related norms, and greater awareness of food-waste strategies. More favorable personal attitudes, behavioral attitudes, meal-planning behaviors, and financial attitudes were associated with lower reported waste. Conclusion: Household food waste in Kuwait appears to be influenced more strongly by practical food-management behaviors and culturally embedded norms than by awareness alone. Sustainable food-waste reduction initiatives should emphasize meal planning, portion management, appropriate food storage, and culturally sensitive strategies addressing food abundance during social gatherings. Conference: Geneva Health Forum 2026, Geneva, Switzerland, 10–12 November 2026. Poster number: 135.