College students' responses to three nutritional interventions placed in campus dining halls at a midwestern university

Abstract

Current studies have not clearly defined the components of a successful nutrition education intervention among college students. To address this gap in research, the current study will explore college students' responses to three different models of nutrition interventions. The study was conducted in a qualitative manner, in an effort to provide the researcher with a more detailed description of the participants' experiences with the nutrition education intervention. There were 10 participants in this study, all of whom were female ranging from 18-20 years of age. Three nutrition education models were created, and then placed in two campus dining halls for one week each. The study results revealed three main ideas; the models received positive feedback, there are barriers that influence college students' food choices, and students have a general idea of the type of nutrition information they would like to see in the dining halls. In conclusion, it was found that there are several components that go into making a successful nutrition intervention successful on a college campus. Although this study carried some limitations, it did hint at the necessary components of a successful nutrition education intervention. A successful nutrition intervention for college students in a campus dining hall should be one that contains easy to understand, but often forgotten nutrition information, relatable images, and should be placed at the point of food selection. Future studies will be necessary to determine additional details of a successful nutrition education intervention.