Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating Among University Students: A Qualitative Study Using the Nominal Group Technique

Abstract

IntroductionThe years spent at university are critical in terms of altering people's dietary patterns. This study aimed to: (1) understand the main dietary changes that students experience after starting university; (2) determine the personal and objective factors that hinder healthy eating, and (3) define possible strategies to facilitate healthier diets among university students.MethodsThe nominal group technique (NGT) was used to elicit ideas from 39 students from the University of Parma, Italy. The sample comprised 16 freshmen and 23 non-freshmen. Participants prioritized and weighed their top five ideas regarding dietary changes, barriers to healthy eating, and possible strategies to maintain a healthy diet. A thematic analysis was conducted to compare the priorities across groups.ResultsForty-three themes were elected as the most significant changes related to diet, 39 themes related to personal barriers, 43 themes related to objective barriers, and 55 themes related to strategies. A lack of time for cooking, low financial availability, consumption of unvaried food or junk food, and gaining knowledge about food were identified as the main changes. Personal barriers to eating healthy were intrinsic (i.e., lack of willpower, personal gluttony, and little effort in cooking preparation), poor dietary information, and a busy lifestyle. Market and financial factors (i.e., the high price of healthy products and low financial availability), as well as social factors (i.e., the negative influence of social networks, childhood food education, and origin/tradition), emerged as objective barriers. Possible strategies that could encourage students to adopt a healthy diet include varying the food products offered in university canteens, including organizing spaces where students who prepare meals from home can warm up and eat their food. Student discounts at supermarkets and information on nutrition and a healthy diet were also identified as important ways of supporting students.Conclusion and Implication for PracticeIn order to make students part of the solution, the NGT provided them with the opportunity to equally contribute their ideas and opinions about having a healthy diet in a university context. This could potentially lead to tailor-made solutions for policymakers, educators, and foodservice providers in promoting healthy eating habits.

Nutritional habits comparison of the baby boomer, X, Y, and Z generations located at a private college in Muğla, Türkiye

“…Our food choice findings also align with previous studies' results that attach importance to the taste factor (Sogari et al 2018;Ozturk and Akoglu 2020;Rajini et al 2021). Wongprawmas et al (2022) mentioned that being economical is important when choosing food for freshmen students. Garai-Fodor (2021) also stated that freshness, money, good taste, and smell were the most important factors in food choice for the Z generation, respectively.…”

Benchmarking the university campus food environment and exploring student perspectives about food insecurity and healthy eating: a case study from Australia

“…In contrast to this, students discussed discount schemes and food vouchers for supermarkets to be bene cial in promoting healthy eating as they were able to purchase fresh produce whilst encouraging food preparation skills. Self-catering facilities on campus including microwaves, toasters, and communal spaces would also promote healthy cooking 45 . Free fruits and outlets offering fruits and vegetables on campus were identi ed as an ideal option to encourage healthy snacking, especially during university events where unhealthy food would otherwise be promoted 41,42,46 .…”

Barriers and facilitators for adopting a healthy lifestyle in a multi-ethnic population: A qualitative study

“…At the personal level, lack of willpower emerged as a key barrier, while being motivated and having the resolve to exercise or not eat sweet or calorie-rich food, despite the challenges, was identified as a facilitator. Willpower, defined as the capacity to exert self-control, has emerged in several studies as a barrier to healthy eating [ 32 , 33 ] and physical activity [ 34 ]. In Tsukayama et al’s [ 35 ] prospective longitudinal study, the researchers found that more self-controlled children were less likely to become overweight as they entered adolescence.…”