The dietary choices of college students are heavily influenced by factors like taste, price, and convenience. Studies have found that college students primarily make food purchases based on taste, and view juice and sugary drinks as healthier options compared to soda. Unhealthy options from on-campus vendors and fast food restaurants near campus also significantly impact students' diets. While many students receive nutrition education in classes, their food choices are still guided more by other priorities like taste, cost, and convenience over health. More research is needed on how residential students' diets may differ and how college students actually feel about their limited healthy food options on and around campus.

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Factors Impacting the Dietary Choices and Behaviors of College Students.
Alexandra Samoilis
William Paterson University

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Introduction:
The environments in which they reside can actually manipulate the idea that each
adult individual is able to make their own choices about food habits. For this reason, it
may be no coincidence that young adults show some of the worst dietary habits of all
ages (Paeratakul, Ferdinand & Champagne, 2003; Niemeier, Raynor &Lloyd-Richardson,
2006). This includes college students. Studies have also shown that young adults
knowledge and adherence of the national dietary guidelines are at a very low rate
(Nelson, Larson & et al, 2008; Guenther,Dodd, Krebs-Smith, 2006). It is of an
importance to understand why young adults are making unhealthy food and beverage
selections apart of their daily consumptions in order for this population to avoid weight
gain. Gaining weight in young adulthood can lead to adulthood which consequently lead
to other health chronic health issues such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and
hypertension (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2012). The articles that have been
examined for this review show that the dietary behaviors and patterns of beverages and
food among college students are heavily affected by food options on campus, near
campus, taste and price (Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman, 2013; Pelletier & Laska,
2013).
Taste
When choosing a beverage option, college students consider taste as the primary
reason for their purchase. 93% of students in the Block, Gilman, Linakis & Goldman
(2013) study reported that taste is the first factor in making a beverage purchase.
Unhealthy beverage choices are a contributing factor to the large sugar intake
among college students. The most common beverages consumed by college students are
juice (72%,) water, sugar-sweetened soda (68%) ((Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman,

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2013). Although water ranks higher in most commonly consumed, student’s attitude
towards this healthier is option is not as popular. Water is usually consumed not for it’s
taste or price, but in order to remain hydrated (Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman,
2013). This study did not examine the amount of water each student regularly consumed,
which is crucial because it is possible, judging by the subjects unpopular attitude towards
water, that they are not consuming a sufficient amount.
Another study showed that the most frequently purchased dietary item on campus
are beverages (Pelletier & Laska, 2013). Of the three beverages reported as most
common, students are more inclined to purchase juice for its taste and so-called health
benefits. To many college students, juice is healthy because it has vitamins in it and is
better than soda (Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman, 2013). A general lack of not
caring about the sugar and caloric content in beverages strengthens the idea that college
students primarily care for the taste. Both genders in the Block, Gillman, Linakis &
Goldman(2013) study reported that they feel as though they’re still young and invincible
to unhealthy outcomes. Many college students tend to buy items from college campus
vendors that mimic fast-food options, including these sugary beverages (Pelletier &
Laska, 2013).
This population’s source of food does not only come from on campus vendors, but from
near off campus vendors as well. When asked their reasoning for purchasing fast-food off
campus, over 50% answered because they enjoy the taste (Morse & Driskell, 2009).
The effects of food vendors on and near off campus
Consumption of foods from college vendors (excluding dining halls) and near off
campus fast food chains are widely popular among college students. Reasons for this
include convenience, taste and cost. (Pelletier & Laska, 2013). It can be said that these

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campus vendors do not offer the most nutritional foods, 40% of commuting students
dietary intake of fat calories are consumed on campus (Pelletier & Laska, 2013). This
study did not regard residential students of universities because they are offered a dining-
hall meal plan. This would interfere with results focusing on à la carte vendors on campus
and fast-food restaurants near campus. Still, another article examined that 50% of college
students attain their lunch and dinner from the universities dining hall, while the other
50% remained having these meals elsewhere (Morse & Driskell, 2009). This shows that
these vendors and near off campus fast food restaurants are significant for both types of
students and affect their dietary intakes.
It may be obvious that a college student preparing food from home or in their
dormitory will result in a healthier meal than from a fast food chain, but it is not so
apparent that “campus area and fast food purchasing are both independently associated
with higher consumption of fat and added sugars”(Pelletier & Laska, 2013, p. 83).
Clearly, many food options on campus mirror fast-food options. These options greatly
impact an average student’s college diet. The pricing of these options may play a big role
in why college students are opting out for poor choices. The second most popular factor
considered when making a sugary beverage choice purchase was price. 58% of students
in this survey answered that price matters (Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman, 2013).
Taking this information and considering the results from the Pelletier & Laska study
(2013), one can see a correlation in the outcome that “students of lower socioeconomic
status living off campus tend to make poorer dietary choices and more purchases are
school vendors” (p.84). The study also shows that purchasing food from on campus
vendors openly relates to bad health outcomes and poor nutrition. Still, purchasing food
from off campus vendors play a vital role in poor college student nutrition. 47.1% of

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commuter students purchase items from these locations 1-2 days per week (Pelletier &
Laska, 2013).
Awareness and Attitudes of unhealthy dietary habits and patterns
As the previous information has stated, most college students are mainly thinking
about taste and price when it comes to making these unhealthy choices. Perhaps other
factors in the college life-style, such as studying, sports, having a job or a social gain
more priority. Health is the last factor that college students think about when making a
decision about a sugary beverage (Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman,
2013). Most students may be making purchases at a point in time when caloric and sugar
intake are the last things in their mind. As said in the qualitative study on beverage
consumption, “students will make purchases for beverages and have other priorities in
mind”. That being said, a majority of college students are still unaware of how unhealthy
and how many calories are in their favorite beverages.(Block, Gillman, Linakis, &
Goldman, 2013, p. 704).
The studies found that gender is not a factor when it comes to fast-food
consumption. About equal amount of males and females consume fast-food. In a
Nutrition Research study, 5% of college females reported having fast-food for dinner
while 4% of males reported having fast food for dinner (Pelletier & Laska, 2013). A
higher statistical gap is found when examining where each gender is attaining their
nutrition information from. 54% of females report receiving information regarding
nutrition from magazines and newspapers compared to 36% of men
(Morse & Driskell, 2009). However, education resources play a big part in the typical
college student’s awareness of nutrition. 80% of both males and females reported that
they receive their nutrition information from classes (Morse & Driskell, 2009).

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The only demographic aside from gender covered in these studies was focused on
African American’s attitude towards their sugar intake and consuming sugary beverages.
The study concluded that more black students are conscious of their sweetened beverage
Intake and sugars because of their concern of developing diabetes (Block, Gillman,
Linakis, & Goldman, 2013).
Conclusion
Understanding the factors that influence a typical college student’s diet can be
revolutionary when trying to come up with a program to promote wellness and health.
College students are more likely to make their food habits on what tastes best, and what
is at their finger tips. Perhaps the importance of a good diet and nutrition is not being
relayed to this population well enough. When shown graphical images regarding poor
health, college students responded greatly while surveyed (Block, Gillman, Linakis, &
Goldman, 2013). The same surveyors confided that undergoing interventions that showed
unnatural and mysterious ingredients in sugary drinks could persuade them to stop
purchasing those items(Block, Gillman, Linakis, & Goldman, 2013).
It is a bit ironic that on campus vendors provide foods with about the same
nutritional value as fast-food restaurants and that 80% of students reported reciving
nutritional information from their classes (Morse & Driskell, 2009; Pelletier & Laska,
2013). It would be in the best interest of college students if college administrators and
college food vendors introduced healthier, more affordable options of them. Knowing
that college students feel they get most of their information from university classes can
also be applied more to universities curriculums.
While the studies here provided insight about why a lot of college students have
poor nutrition and diets, there was a gap in the types of diets that residential students
attain from their universities buffet-style dining halls. Further research should be done on

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this factor for college residential students. While students from these studies confided as
to why they make the choices they do and revealed some of their dietary patterns, how
they actually feel about them is overlooked. The research shows that college students are
among areas filled with sugars, high fats and processed food. Perhaps they feel limited or
unable to eat healthier. This leaves room for investigating and research.

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References
Block, J.P., Gillman, M, Linakis, S.K, & Goldman, R. (2013). “If It Tastes Good, I’m
Drinking It”: Qualitative study of beverage consumption among college students.
Journal of Adolescent Health. 52(40). 702-706.
Guenther P., Dodd, K., Reedy, J., Krebs-Smith, S. (2006) Most Americans eat much
less than recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Journal of American
Diet Association. 106(9). 1371-1379.
Morse, K., Driskell, J. (2009) Observed sex differences in fast-food consumption and
nutrition self-assessments and beliefs of college students. Nutrition Research.
29(3). 173-179.
Nelson, M., Story M., Larson, N., et al. (2008). Emerging adulthood and college-aged
youth: an overlooked age for weight-related behavior change. Obesity( Silver
Spring). 16. 2205-2211.
Paeratakul, S., Ferdinand D., Champagne, C., et al. (2003) Fast-food consumption
among US adults and children: dietary and nutrient intake profile. American
Journal of Diet Association.103.1332-1338
Pelletier, J.E., Laska, M.N. (2013). Campus food and beverage purchases are
associated with indicators of diet quality in college students Living off campus.
American Journal of Health Promotion. 28(2). 80-86.

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