The Factors That Influence Dietary Habits Among International Students in the United States

Abstract

This study examines the dietary intake changes and factors related to dietary acculturation in international students attending an urban university in the United States. The researchers administered seven focus groups of college-age international students (n = 32) between June and August 2012. The participants were enrolled in Northeastern and Midwestern U.S. universities. A qualitative research inquiry was used for data collection, presentation, and analysis. An interview guide was developed to explore the dietary habits of international students. The results show the participants face many dietary challenges as a result of adapting to American culture. The major dietary-related influences include: the food environment, campus environment, religion, and individual preferences. Additionally, the consequences of dietary changes were associated with undesirable health outcomes including weight gain, increased blood glucose levels, increased cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and mental problems.

Food, Our Common Ground: A Photovoice Study

“…The present photovoice study is a good supplement to the current literature on culture and food choices as it provides some insights that were previously ignored in the literature. Although past literature recognizes the power of culture, most of them only focused on food shock and altered meal patterns (Gordon-Larsen et al, 2003;Lara et al, 2005;McDonald and Kennedy, 2005;Alakaam et al, 2015). Our findings highlight the important role of food in contributing to the attainment of belonging for international students.…”

“…Many scholars have addressed how the challenges to adapt to the new culture affects food consumption. To clarify, the transition to a new culture has negative effects on health and diet, such as altered dietary patterns, higher alcohol intake, weight gain, increased blood glucose levels, high blood pressure, and mental problems (Gordon-Larsen et al, 2003;Lara et al, 2005;McDonald and Kennedy, 2005;Alakaam et al, 2015). Research on dietary practices of international students found that international students consume more salty, sugary fast foods, and fewer fruits and vegetables after staying in the U.S. (Wu and Smith, 2016).…”

“…Research on dietary practices of international students found that international students consume more salty, sugary fast foods, and fewer fruits and vegetables after staying in the U.S. (Wu and Smith, 2016). Alakaam et al (2015) has identified that limited access, lack of time, and high costs were common barriers for international students while maintaining their eating habits after arriving in the US. In this case, fruit and vegetable consumption are strongly related to culture, which is influenced not only by food availability, but also by the cultural traditions (Schroeter et al, 2007).…”

“…Nevertheless, graduate students represent significant portions of students on college campuses. Additionally, limited number of studies stemmed from individuals' own experiences, rather they rely primarily on surveys (Pan et al, 2005;Simmons and Williams, 2007) and focus groups (e.g., Alakaam et al, 2015). While these approaches enable researchers to have access to a larger population, participants' communication of their views is guided by researcher questions and analyzed through the researchers' interpretations.…”

Healthy diet social media campaign among Indonesian college students

“…Unfortunately, there were no meaningful changes, indicating other factors influencing one's decision to change their dietary habits despite having adequate knowledge. A previous study [31] identified three main factors that took parts in determining one's ability to adopt healthy diet and eating habits. Those three are food environment, individual preferences, and religious influences [31].…”