Snack intake among college students with overweight/obesity and its association with gender, income, stress, and availability of snacks during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective. To assess the determinants of snack intake among college students with overweight/obesity during COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that younger and male students, those from minority background, those experiencing higher stress levels, and those with higher accessibility/availability of unhealthy snacks would snack more frequently or consume more unhealthy snack choices. Methods. This was a secondary analysis of the baseline data obtained from the Snackability trial, a trial testing the efficacy of a smartphone application for improving the quality of snack intake in US college students with overweight/obesity. Participants completed a survey on socio-demographics, stress levels, and snack patterns at the baseline visit (n=298). Analyses included correlation, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis, and logistic regressions. Results. Most students were females 81.9%, 40.9% were whites, and 55.7% had a household income