Behavioral Correlates of Empirically-Derived Dietary Patterns among University Students

Given the importance of young adulthood in establishing lifelong dietary habits, it is imperative to better understand potential underlying drivers of dietary behavior in the university-age population. Dietary patterns have been associated with disease risk, but behavioral predictors of dietary patt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2018-06, Vol.10 (6), p.716
Main Authors: Mueller, Megan P, Blondin, Stacy A, Korn, Ariella R, Bakun, Peter J, Tucker, Katherine L, Economos, Christina D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Alcohols
Behavior
college students
Demographics
demography
Dietary intake
eating out
food intake
health behavior
Health risks
ideal body weight
linear models
Meals
Motivation
principal component analysis
Principal components analysis
Regression analysis
Risk taking
Students
surveys
University students
weight control
weight gain
weight loss
young adults
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Summary:Given the importance of young adulthood in establishing lifelong dietary habits, it is imperative to better understand potential underlying drivers of dietary behavior in the university-age population. Dietary patterns have been associated with disease risk, but behavioral predictors of dietary pattern adherence are poorly understood, especially among emerging adults. This study aims to evaluate health-related behaviors associated with dietary pattern scores among freshmen participating in the Tufts Longitudinal Health Study (TLHS; = 630). We previously derived dietary patterns using principal components analysis and orthogonal rotation from dietary intake data. Health-related behavior data were collected via survey. All data were collected during the Spring semesters of 1998⁻2007. Unadjusted linear models were used to determine associations between dietary pattern scores and health-related behaviors. Significant correlates were retained in multivariable regression models, which were adjusted for demographic characteristics. We found that never eating meals away from home was associated with higher adherence to the Prudent and lower adherence to the Western and Alcohol patterns. Intention to lose weight was negatively associated with the Western pattern, while intention to gain weight was positively associated with all dietary patterns. These findings suggest that intervention efforts aimed at improving eating out behaviors and engaging in healthy weight management strategies may promote healthier dietary patterns among university students.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu10060716