Eating competence (EC) includes diet quality, eating attitudes, food acceptance, internal regulation, and skills such as meal planning and preparation. The purpose of this research was to determine which factors were more predictive of EC in college students: their body mass index (BMI) or attitude about their weight. A convenience sample of 1,720 students from a large state university completed an Internet survey that included the validated Eating Competence Satter Inventory (ecSI). A multiple regression showed that weight satisfaction and desire to lose weight were better predictors of EC than BMI. These results suggest that interventions to increase EC and overall health and well‐being among college students should aim to improve body image and size acceptance.

The student recreation center (SRC) at many colleges and universities has evolved from being a place to lift weights and take aerobics classes to becoming a high-powered recruitment tool (Colleges use recreation, 2002). The present study included the development of an instrument to assess the use and impact of SRCs. Students (N = 655; users = 537, nonusers = 118) were surveyed about their use of and satisfaction with their university's newly constructed SRC. The overall findings revealed that a majority of SRC users were male (54.9%), felt more at home on campus since the construction of the SRC (61.2%), and felt that the SRC had increased their exercise frequency (79.9%). Forty percent of users adopted regular physical activity after the construction of the SRC. Non-users were primarily female (59.3%), had never visited the SRC (49.6%), and did not participate in any physical extracurricular activities (78.0%). Future SRC research should explore exercise patterns more thoroughly and link facility use to additional social and academic developmental outcomes.

OThe student recreation center (SRC) at many colleges and universities has evolved from being a place to lift weights and take aerobics classes to becoming a high-powered recruitment tool (Colleges use recreation, 2002). The present study included the development of an instrument to assess the use and impact of SRCs. Students (N = 655; users = 537, nonusers = 118) were surveyed about their use of and satisfaction with their university's newly constructed SRC. The overall findings revealed that a majority of SRC users were male (54.9%), felt more at home on campus since the construction of the SRC (61.2%), and felt that the SRC had increased their exercise frequency (79.9%).

A non-equivalent control group design was utilized to investigate the effect of a non-diet, peer-led, tailored nutrition and exercise adherence intervention (FitU) on exercise stages of change, intuitive eating, and barriers to healthy eating and exercise in college females. Female students (n=17) who enrolled in the 8-10 week program served as the intervention group and general education students who did not receive an intervention served as the control group (n=16). Surveys were administered pre and post intervention over two consecutive semesters. Utilizing ANCOVA analyses, reported barriers to eating healthy decreased (p=.008) and one intuitive eating subscale, eating for physical rather than emotional reasons improved significantly (p=.01) in the intervention group compared to control from pre to post. Further, 65% of the intervention group reported an improvement in exercise stage of change and none relapsed compared with only 20% improvement and 40% relapse in the control group from pre to postintervention. The majority of the intervention participants also reported improved dietary (82.4%) and exercise (76.5%) patterns/thoughts. Peer-led and individually tailored, non-diet nutrition and exercise interventions may effectively promote healthy behaviors among college females.

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