Lifestyle choices affect the risk of obesity and ill-health among youth. This study determined whether providing nutrition education to adolescent females enrolled in dance classes influenced their beverage and food choices. It was hypothesized that providing six 10-minute nutrition education sessions for three weeks to adolescent dancers would increase their healthy beverage and food choices. Sixteen girls (12-18 years), from two dance studios in Kingsport, Tennessee, completed this pre-test/post-test study. After nutrition education, soda consumption reduced by 7.7%; sugar sweetened beverages (excluding sodas) reduced by 23%; intakes of fruits and vegetables were enhanced by 5.6% and 21%, respectively. Paradoxically, home-cooked meals and breakfast consumption on dance practice days were reduced by 12.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Although some improvements in beverage and food choices were evident, these changes were not statistically significant due to the small sample size. The current study provides a framework for future studies on providing lifestyle education.
","abstract_html":"<p>Lifestyle choices affect the risk of obesity and ill-health among youth. This study determined whether providing nutrition education to adolescent females enrolled in dance classes influenced their beverage and food choices. It was hypothesized that providing six 10-minute nutrition education sessions for three weeks to adolescent dancers would increase their healthy beverage and food choices. Sixteen girls (12-18 years), from two dance studios in Kingsport, Tennessee, completed this pre-test/post-test study. After nutrition education, soda consumption reduced by 7.7%; sugar sweetened beverages (excluding sodas) reduced by 23%; intakes of fruits and vegetables were enhanced by 5.6% and 21%, respectively. Paradoxically, home-cooked meals and breakfast consumption on dance practice days were reduced by 12.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Although some improvements in beverage and food choices were evident, these changes were not statistically significant due to the small sample size. The current study provides a framework for future studies on providing lifestyle education.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Williams, Marie Ann"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Health Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Anahita Mistry, PhD, Chair","Rubina Haque, PhD, RD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-10-15T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-10-15T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z","subjects":["adolescents","beverage intake","dietary intake","nutrition education","Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/750","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Anahita Mistry, PhD, Chair","Rubina Haque, PhD, RD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Williams, Marie Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-02-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["adolescents","beverage intake","dietary intake","nutrition education","Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/750"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Lifestyle choices affect the risk of obesity and ill-health among youth. This study determined whether providing nutrition education to adolescent females enrolled in dance classes influenced their beverage and food choices. It was hypothesized that providing six 10-minute nutrition education sessions for three weeks to adolescent dancers would increase their healthy beverage and food choices. Sixteen girls (12-18 years), from two dance studios in Kingsport, Tennessee, completed this pre-test/post-test study. After nutrition education, soda consumption reduced by 7.7%; sugar sweetened beverages (excluding sodas) reduced by 23%; intakes of fruits and vegetables were enhanced by 5.6% and 21%, respectively. Paradoxically, home-cooked meals and breakfast consumption on dance practice days were reduced by 12.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Although some improvements in beverage and food choices were evident, these changes were not statistically significant due to the small sample size. The current study provides a framework for future studies on providing lifestyle education.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effect of nutrition education on food and beverage choices of adolescent female dancers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Anahita Mistry, PhD, Chair","Rubina Haque, PhD, RD"],"dc:creator":["Williams, Marie Ann"],"dc:date.available":["2018-02-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Lifestyle choices affect the risk of obesity and ill-health among youth. This study determined whether providing nutrition education to adolescent females enrolled in dance classes influenced their beverage and food choices. It was hypothesized that providing six 10-minute nutrition education sessions for three weeks to adolescent dancers would increase their healthy beverage and food choices. Sixteen girls (12-18 years), from two dance studios in Kingsport, Tennessee, completed this pre-test/post-test study. After nutrition education, soda consumption reduced by 7.7%; sugar sweetened beverages (excluding sodas) reduced by 23%; intakes of fruits and vegetables were enhanced by 5.6% and 21%, respectively. Paradoxically, home-cooked meals and breakfast consumption on dance practice days were reduced by 12.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Although some improvements in beverage and food choices were evident, these changes were not statistically significant due to the small sample size. The current study provides a framework for future studies on providing lifestyle education.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/750"],"dc:subject":["adolescents","beverage intake","dietary intake","nutrition education","Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition"],"dc:title":["Effect of nutrition education on food and beverage choices of adolescent female dancers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z"}