The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating and Diet Quality in a College Population

Marta Tabatabai,Michelle Neyman Morris,Laura Curtis,Julie Holland

doi:10.32398/cjhp.v19i1.2647

Marta Tabatabai, Michelle Neyman Morris + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.32398/cjhp.v19i1.2647

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Abstract

Many college students have nutrient poor and energy dense diets and are also more likely to experience poor body image, which can result in unsafe dieting behaviors for the purpose of managing weight. Intuitive eating is an alternative approach to dieting that focuses on physiological hunger and fullness cues, while eating for both satisfaction and health without restriction of any foods. This study examined the association between intuitive eating and diet quality in a college population. College students, aged 18-56 years, completed an online survey which assessed intuitive eating using the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) and diet quality using the Starting The Conversation (STC) simplified food frequency instrument. IES-2 total score was positively correlated with higher overall diet quality and was negatively correlated with fast food and chip consumption. Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons and body-food choice congruence IES-2 subscales were positively correlated with diet quality while the unconditional permission to eat subscale was negatively correlated with diet quality. Strategies that focus on eating for health and well-being and minimize emotional eating are associated with higher overall diet quality and may be incorporated in dietary interventions among college students aimed at promoting healthy behaviors.

Highlights

Healthy dietary patterns are important today with over half of Americans having at least one chronic disease related to poor diet (Dietary Guidelines, 2020)
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Intuitive eating (IE) and its four subscales, unconditional permission to eat, eating for physical rather than emotional reasons, reliance on hunger and satiety cues, and body-food choice congruence, with diet quality in a college population
Half of participants identified as White (48.3%), while 19.5% identified as Hispanic and 19.5% identified as Asian

Summary

Introduction

Healthy dietary patterns are important today with over half of Americans having at least one chronic disease related to poor diet (Dietary Guidelines, 2020). A majority of Americans are not eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables and are exceeding recommended intakes of added sugar, salt, and saturated fat (Dietary Guidelines, 2020). They tend to lack adequate fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake and over consume less nutrient-dense options such as cookies, chips, and ice cream (Downes, 2015; Strong, Parks, Anderson, Winett, & Davy, 2008). Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons and body-food choice congruence IES-2 subscales were positively correlated with diet quality while the unconditional permission to eat subscale was negatively correlated with diet quality. Conclusion: Strategies that focus on eating for health and well-being and minimize emotional eating are associated with higher overall diet quality and may be incorporated in dietary interventions among college students aimed at promoting healthy behaviors

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