Role of Home Economics Education in Promoting Sustainable Consumption Among University Students in Imo State

This study investigates the role of Home Economics Education in promoting sustainable consumption practices among university students in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Sustainable consumption, which involves making environmentally and socially responsible resource use decisions, is increasingly emphasised in global educational discourse. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, targeting undergraduate students who studied Home Economics at the secondary level, enrolled in Imo State University and Federal University of Technology Owerri. Data were collected from 300 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Objectives include assessing students' knowledge of sustainable consumption principles, examining their daily consumption behaviours, and determining the influence of prior Home Economics instruction on sustainability attitudes. Recent literature identifies education as the most potent driver of pro-environmental consumer behaviours among young adults in developing economies. Data were analysed using mean scores, standard deviation, and regression analysis. The Value-Belief-Norm Theory underpins this study, linking personal values to pro-environmental norms and behaviours. Findings are expected to reveal that students with prior Home Economics exposure exhibit significantly higher sustainable consumption awareness and behaviour. Recommendations target university curriculum developers and secondary school educators to integrate sustainability modules into Home Economics instruction. Keywords: Home Economics Education, sustainable consumption, university students, environmental behaviour, Imo State.