This analysis suggests that the combination of childhood and recent gardening experience is associated with greater current F/V intake among first-year college students not currently meeting national F/V recommendations. In addition, a greater frequency of gardening experience may further enhance this effect.

Many interventions aim to improve dietary patterns but not all are able to maintain these changes long term. Interventions informed by theory may facilitate dietary behavior changes and maintenance of these changes for longer periods of time. PubMed and PsychInfo were searched for theory-based interventions with long-term assessments of fruit and vegetable (FV) and fat intake. We identified 335 unique titles; 20 were included for review. Most interventions (65%) were based on social cognitive theory. Assessments of FV and fat ranged from 12 to 72 months postrandomization, and 15 studies reported significant intervention effects. Only 6 studies directly tested theory in relation to diet and of those, significant findings indicated self-efficacy, motivation for dietary change, perceived competence to eat more FV and less fat, and multiple processes of change were associated with long-term maintenance of healthy eating. Overall, this review indicates that theory-informed interventions are generally successful for long-term improvements in diet quality, although such improvements are often modest. Most studies did not directly measure theoretical constructs in relation to diet outcomes, thus limiting our ability to describe how theory-based interventions specifically promote long-term diet change. Recommendations for future research and practical recommendations for long-term maintenance of diet change are discussed.

Gardening has been positively associated with fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption based on short-term studies among children, but long-term data among adolescents and young adults are lacking. This investigation sought to elucidate the association between gardening experience and FV intake among college students over a two-year period. Students (N = 593) from eight universities were assessed at the end of their freshman (Y1) and sophomore (Y2) years during the springs of 2016 and 2017, respectively. At each time point, participants completed the NCI FV Screener and questions related to gardening experience and FV-related attitudes and behaviors. Students were then categorized into four groups based on gardening experience: Gardened only during the first or second year (Y1 only and Y2 only gardeners), gardened both years (Y1+Y2 gardeners), and non-gardeners. While both Y1 only and Y1+Y2 gardeners reported significantly higher FV intake relative to non-gardeners at Y1 (2.3 ± 0.9 and 2.6 ± 0.7 versus 1.9 ± 0.6 cup equivalents (CE)/day, respectively; p < 0.01), only Y1+Y2 gardeners differed from non-gardeners at Y2 (2.4 ± 0.6 versus 1.8 ± 0.5 CE/day; p < 0.001). Additionally, Y1+Y2 gardeners reported more frequent engagement of several FV-related behaviors, including shopping at farmers’ markets, eating locally grown foods, and cooking from basic ingredients; and were five times more likely to have gardened during childhood (OR: 5.2, 95%, CI: 3.5–8.8; p < 0.001). Findings suggest that while isolated gardening experiences during college are associated with FV intake, reoccurring experience may be essential for sustained benefit.

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Objective: This study aims to: (1) examine gender differences for weight conscious drinking among college students accounting for the broader phenomenon (e.g. including the Alcohol Effects dimension); and (2) longitudinally examine the effect of weight conscious drinking behaviors on body mass index (BMI). Participants: United States freshmen students from eight participating universities (N= 1,149). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to model the effect of gender on weight conscious drinking dimensions at 7-month follow-up. Results: Findings suggest a significant effect of gender on Alcohol Effects (β = −.15, SE = .05, p = .005) at 7-month follow-up among college freshmen. Weight conscious drinking dimensions predicted no significant change in BMI at 7-month follow-up among college freshmen. Conclusion: Findings contribute to weight conscious drinking theory and provide campus weight conscious drinking prevention initiatives with evidence to tailor their programming to address female tendencies to engage in compensatory strategies to enhance the psychoactive effects of alcohol.