A Comparative Analysis of Reddit Discussions on Meat Reduction in Portugal, Poland, and the United Kingdom

Abstract

In recent years, diets that minimize or exclude meat and animal-derived products have garnered considerable attention and popularity in the Western world. This study seeks to analyze Reddit discussion data to investigate the motivations, opportunities, and capabilities involved in adopting plant-based, vegetarian, or reduced meat consumption diets in three European countries: Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Considering all 1,151 comments from the three Reddit threads, motivations were the most frequently discussed COM-B component, with 291 comments (25%), followed by opportunities with 195 comments (17%). Capabilities were the least mentioned component, appearing in 90 comments (8%). The study highlights and contextualizes the similarities and differences in barriers and enabler across the countries, considering their unique cultural, economic, and social environment.