P120 Nutrition Knowledge of Vegetarian Diets in College Students

Abstract

Background Since the vegetarian diet is becoming more accessible to students, there is a greater need for individuals to have an adequate understanding of this diet. Further input regarding students’ knowledge can help assist in reaching this population and aid in the creation of healthy eating behaviors. Objective To determine the nutrition knowledge of vegetarian diets between male and female vegetarian and non-vegetarian undergraduate college students. Study Design, Settings, Participants Online survey including demographic and nutrition knowledge questions. Undergraduate college students (n = 1191) at a Midwestern University enrolled in courses on the Main Campus were recruited through their university email. Measurable Outcome/Analysis College student's level of nutrition knowledge according to gender (male and female) and current diet type (vegetarian and non-vegetarian). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Factorial ANOVA. P Results There were no significant results regarding nutrition knowledge between either gender (P = .435) or diet type (P Conclusion Low nutrition knowledge of vegetarianism creates information dietitians can use to better frame their advice and instructions while working toward improving this population's overall health status and behavior toward the vegetarian diet. Funding None.