P113 - Looking Through Asian Lenses: Perceptions Toward U.S. Food and the Food Environment

Abstract

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Asian international students number about 449,714 in the U.S. Their poor eating habits and increased health risks have been described. However, their perceptions, how they navigate a new food environment, and how these are connected to their food consumption have not been explored. Objective: To examine how Asian international students perceive U.S. food and the food environment. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: A cross-sectional design using an online survey administered to East Asian international students (n = 511; female 67.1%; mean age 24.8 years;) at two public and two private universities in New York state. Outcome Measures and Analysis: A 13-item perception questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale and a food frequency questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the perceptions toward U.S. food and the food environment. Multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze how perceptions were related to demographic factors and current food consumption. Content analysis with NVivo software was used to analyze the qualitative part of the survey. Results: Students tended to agree that much food is being wasted, portions in restaurants and stores are large, and advertisements and marketing of fast food and processed food are ubiquitous. They disagreed that the price of food is cheap, and that meals in restaurants are well balanced. When they stayed longer in the U.S. (B = .042, P = .05) and became more acculturated (B = .205, P = .000), their perceptions toward the food environment became more positive regarding quality, variety, availability, safety, and price of food. When they had positive perceptions toward the food environment regarding these features of food, they increased their whole food consumption (B = .197; P = .000). Content analysis showed that students often mentioned that there were differences in food culture (29%) and U.S. food system factors (27.6%). Conclusions and Implications: Nutrition education should involve helping students understand and successfully navigate the U.S. food environment so they can make healthier food choices while they stay here. Funding: None.