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What do College Students Want? A Qualitative Study Exploring Nutrition Language and Knowledge
Author(s) -
Hirshberg Shira,
Lipschitz Jessica,
Lofgren Ingrid
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.246.3
Subject(s) - focus group , overweight , medical education , moderation , nutrition education , psychology , obesity , medicine , gerontology , sociology , social psychology , anthropology
Overweight and obesity can cause dyslipidemia, which has been reported in college students. Dietary therapy is an ideal form of treatment for young adults because it is effective, economical, and safe. The Focus on Food Project conducted student focus groups (N= 38) at a mid‐sized northeastern university. The sample was 68.4% female, 19.0 ± 0.9 years old and mean body mass index was 23.1 ± 2.9 kg/m 2 . Qualitative analysis included data reduction, display, conclusion drawing and verification and coding and data display used NVivo 9. Analysis highlighted several themes; first, students use language different from that of common health messages (i.e “greasy” instead of “high in fat”). Second, students care about nutrition and want more information in the dining halls, including nutrition facts‐type labels and ideas for quick, healthful meals. Third, students were knowledgeable about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, the importance of moderation and variety, and the health concerns related to consuming sugary beverages. Fourth, they are unsure of how to eat healthfully on‐campus and of the difference between healthful and unhealthful fats, and do not know where to obtain reliable nutrition information. Findings provide awareness of student language and knowledge that can direct nutrition educators in creating relevant, appropriate and attention‐grabbing education programs for college students. Research was supported by the USDA Grant Funding Source : USDA