Abstract
Background and Purpose: The prevalence of obesity has prompted calls for broad public health education solutions to reduce, if not reverse, overweight and obesity among college students in the United States. This study investigated change in student dietary behavior and food choices following an education intervention that introduced the Mediterranean diet (MD) as a weight management tool in a Houston, Texas community college. Methods: Online survey data were collected at pre-test and post-test assessments from a convenience sample of 65 college students enrolled in an online undergraduate nutrition course during the summer of 2013. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) survey evaluated dietary behavior change based on the MD Principals. Results: The intervention improved total participant population from a mean KIDMED score of poor (4.12) to a mean score of high (8.45), indicating improved dietary behavior change, particularly among men. Significant differences in KIDMED change scores by ethnicity and heart disease (HD) history were also observed. Conclusion: This study provides a unique pedagogical illustration of e-learning to promote MD patterns among college student populations.
Highlights
College Obesity Many U.S college students increase their risk of developing heart disease (HD) due to becoming overweight or obese from unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (Fernandes, Arts, Dimond, Hirshberg, & Lofgren, 2013)
A national survey by the American College Health Association (ACHA) (Sparling, 2007) in 2005 found three of 10 college students were either overweight (BMI between 25-29.9) or obese (BMI between 3039.9), and nine of 10 students consumed fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily
Total participant population improved from a mean KIDMED score of poor to a mean score of high suggesting the intervention may have influenced dietary behavior change
Summary
Introduction and PurposeCollege Obesity Many U.S college students increase their risk of developing heart disease (HD) due to becoming overweight or obese from unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (Fernandes, Arts, Dimond, Hirshberg, & Lofgren, 2013). The consumption of calorically dense convenience foods are related to overweight and obesity, and they have displaced nutritious options, fresh fruits and vegetables (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). Dietary recommendations to reduce obesity advocate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The prevalence of obesity has prompted calls for broad public health education solutions to reduce, if not reverse, overweight and obesity among college students in the United States. This study investigated change in student dietary behavior and food choices following an education intervention that introduced the Mediterranean diet (MD) as a weight management tool in a Houston, Texas community college. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) survey evaluated dietary behavior change based on the MD Principals. Conclusion: This study provides a unique pedagogical illustration of e-learning to promote MD patterns among college student populations
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