Compliance With Food Category Consumption Guidelines Based On Student Characteristics, Family Characteristics And Decision-making Factors

Abstract

This study examined factors that influenced dietary practices by assessing university students' nutrition knowledge, current and previous eating behaviors and compliance with Food Guide Pyramid recommendations. Eight hundred ninety students from three public universities provided information concerning their nutrition knowledge, previous dietary behaviors, current attitudes toward food choices, current eating behaviors.The overall students' nutrition knowedge mean score was 51.8%. The students' summative scores for family eating behaviors during their formative years and current eating behaviors were low. Although women were more likely than men to comply with the Food Guide Pyramid, the majority of both sexes were not in compliance. Significant sex differences in consumption guidelines were shown in the milk (x2(df=1)=37.5, p<.01); vegetables (x2(df=1)=8.4, p<.01); fruit (x2(df=1)=32.4, p<.01) and meat (x2(df=1)=6.5, p<.01) categories. More females met the guidelines for vegetables, fruit and meat than males, while, males met the milk consumption guidelines more often than females. Younger students (x age=19.95) significantly met the milk consumption guidelines more often than older students (xage=20.4),(t(881)=2.19, p<.05). Overall, the results showed that students who lived where food service was provided had better reported rates of compliance than students who lived in a house or apartment. Analysis revealed that the following variables influenced students' dietary practices: the primary meal preparer; level of parental concern about nutrition and health; and student's skills, resources, and values in preparing and choosing healthful foods.