Sustainable and Healthy Eating and Sport Engagement as Drivers of Advocacy: A Structural Equation Model (SEM) Study

Sustainability and healthy eating have emerged as key areas of interest and concern among younger generations in recent decades. Another prominent feature of this cohort is their increasing engagement with sport, both as practicing sport and as sport fan. Participation in sporting activities and enthusiasm for sports frequently align with the principles of sustainable and healthy living. Despite extensive theoretical interest and a growing body of research on young consumers’ concern for sustainability and balanced nutrition, the interrelations among these domains remain underexplored. The connection with sport engagement has received even less scholarly attention. This study investigates how sustainable and healthy eating (SHE) behaviors, together with sport engagement, influence advocacy for sustainable and healthy food practices among young Italian consumers. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework, we develop and test a structural equation model (SEM) using data from 206 respondents. The results reveal that the two main constructs (SHE and SPORT) play a significant role in fostering Gen Z’s advocacy for sustainable and healthy eating. Moreover, there are no significant differences among male and females. These findings contribute to consumer research on the interplay between sustainable and healthy lifestyle behaviors by identifying sport engagement as a novel and meaningful driver of consumer advocacy toward sustainable and healthy eating (SHE).