Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and most prevalent in women. Previous AMD research has focused on older adults; however, we hypothesize lifestyle behaviors at younger ages may impact AMD etiology. We evaluated AMD risk factors in college‐aged students (ages 18 ‐ 28). Risk factors included body mass index (BMI), gender, dietary lutein and zeaxanthin (L&Z), and dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In addition, we evaluated macular pigment optical density (MPOD), a measure of macula thickness, as the macula is composed of DHA and L&Z. Health histories, 24‐h dietary recalls, and food frequency questionnaires were obtained and MPOD was measured using a macular metrics densitometer. Pearson correlations and ANOVA were used to evaluate MPOD and risk factors. Females (F) had lower MPOD than males (M) [Mean±SE; M=0.38±0.02; F = 0.32±0.02, p=0.04 early in life]. M consumed significantly more DHA than F [Mean±SE; M= 85.67±17.78, F=44.67±9.68; p=0.03] and consumed seafood more concentrated in DHA. There was a positive correlation between dietary DHA and MPOD (r=0.1568, p=0.04). M also tended to have higher intakes of L&Z [Mean±SE; M=1394.78±341.71, F=823.09±108.84; p=0.06]. Thus, this ongoing study indicates dietary DHA and L&Z may impact MPOD, partially explaining why women are at greater risk for AMD later in life.Grant Funding Source: Supported by LSU College of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Award