Healthy Eating Opportunities and Choices for University Faculty

College food environments can be obesogenic settings due to the availability of fast food restaurants and buffet style cafeteria’s accessible to the university community. These environments often foster eating behaviors that can contribute to rising obesity rates in the United States. The aim of this study was to identify university faculty’s perceptions of the campus food environment and access to healthy foods. Investigated were barriers to making healthy food choices on campus and strategies ion how to provide and encourage better food choices. Questions were developed to identify barriers, perceptions, and solutions to improve the healthy eating environment on campus. Transcripts were analyzed and coded using a primarily deductive thematic approach based on the social-ecological model. Barriers identified to eating healthy on campus were; lackluster presentation of foods, poor availability of foods, lack of knowledge on healthy food availability, inaccurate nutritional information and portion sizes, and higher cost of healthier foods. Resolutions to creating a healthier eating environment included increasing availability of local produce, having easier access to healthy items, and marketing and providing nutrition information in all on-campus restaurants. Future efforts should invest in marketing to faculty about the nutrition resources available and how to effectively encourage the selection of healthy foods from campus dining venues.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S. in Food and Nutrition Services

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nutrition and Hospitality Management

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Entrekin, Selby Rebecca

Contributors dc:contributor

• Georgianna Mann
• Kathy Knight
• Laurel Lambert

• faculty and staff
• food choices
• qualitative
• university
• worksite wellness
• Nutrition

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1604

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-2603