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- All Subjects: Nutrition
- All Subjects: Freshmen
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
The transition from high school to college is, for many, a drastic change in lifestyle, social networks, and dietary choices. The prevalence of obesity in college students has been steadily increasing. Freshmen weight gains have been associated with a decrease in fruits and vegetables and an increase in unhealthy items such as desserts, alcohol, and late night snacking after dinner. A survey of college students was constructed to gauge students' perceptions of nutrition how these perceptions influenced dietary practices and behaviors. Survey results indicated that awareness of nutrition and health does not translate to dietary practices, aligning with results from previous studies. Several sex differences were noted in regards to dietary choices and perceptions, knowledge seeking behavior, and sources of information. While there were some similarities, it is clear from the results obtained that men and women have different approaches and thoughts with regard to nutrition. The results showed that college students who actively seek our nutritional information are more likely to do so in the form of social media or Internet sources. This study could be useful for those planning on conducting college-based nutritional programs in that the results indicate patterns and trends that should be taken into consideration in order for a successful nutrition intervention
ContributorsKeahon, Gabriela Estrada (Author) / Jehn, Megan (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
One of the great difficulties in leading America to become a healthier nation involves overcoming the socioeconomic disparity that exists between income and health literacy. Impoverished communities consistently lack the proper health education to make quality food purchases and healthy lifestyle choices, leading to higher rates of obesity. Through FitPHX Energy Zones, an after-school program designed to encourage Phoenix youths to lead healthier lifestyles through an innovative use of library spaces, I provided health education and opportunities for physical activity for 8 to 14-year-olds in underserved Phoenix communities. However, although this intervention made significant progress with the kids' health literacy development over the course of the program, it is difficult for community-based intervention programs to continue in the long run due to budget or other extraneous circumstances. Once the program ends, there needed to be a way to continue to reach the kids beyond the scope of the program such that they can continue to experience the lessons taught during the program. Following the conclusion of FitPHX, I created an interactive book for the kids I worked with to help them retain the health and nutrition knowledge taught during the program.
ContributorsBejarano, Michael Carlos (Author) / McCoy, Maureen (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
College students enter a critical period during early adulthood that involves transitioning to college and making independent dietary choices. As this time period is marked by new health habits and actions, this study observed what dietary habits may be occurring during the initial transition into college. We observed dietary habits of college students during their first semester in college. Forty participants (33% male, 67% female) completed the study with the mean BMI of females being 25.1 (overweight) and the mean BMI of males being 23.4 (normal-weight). Two sets of online surveys (pre-test and post-test) assessing the daily number of servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, oils, dairy, combination/other were administered. The results showed that overall the number of food servings consumed between the pre-test period and the post-test period varied by both gender and food group. Men ate more servings from all food groups (besides vegetables and combination/other) during the pre-test period than females (all p < .05). Except for vegetables and combination foods, men showed a significantly greater drop in number of servings for all food groups from pre to post-test as compared to females, whereas, women showed no difference in number of servings consumed between pre-test and post-test for any food. Males were classified as average weight at the beginning of the study and they may have not been aware of the amount of food they were consuming initially (unlike the female group who was overweight). Also, males may have been displaying evolutionary behavior of "showing off" when dining around females and thus consumed more. Keywords: early adulthood, dietary habits, freshmen
ContributorsKalinich, Megan Marie (Author) / Phillips, Elizabeth Capaldi (Thesis director) / Wadhera, Devina (Committee member) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05