Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students' Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores.

Authors

Tanya M. Horacek, Syracuse UniversityFollow
Elif Dede Yildirim, Auburn UniversityFollow
Kendra Kattelmann, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/PiscatawayFollow
Onikia Brown, Auburn UniversityFollow
Sarah E. Colby, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Geoffrey Greene, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Sharon Hoerr, Michigan State UniversityFollow
Tandalayo Kidd, Kansas State UniversityFollow
Mallory Koenings, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/PiscatawayFollow
Jesse Morrell, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
Melissa D. Olfert, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Beatrice Phillips, Tuskegee UniversityFollow
Karla P. Shelnutt, University of FloridaFollow
Adrienne A. White, University of MaineFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-23-2018

Keywords

Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Beverages, Body Mass Index, Commerce, Diet, Feeding Behavior, Female, Food Preferences, Health Behavior, Humans, Male, Students, Universities, Young Adult

Abstract

BACKGROUND: When dietary behaviors are habitual, intentions are low, and environmental cues, such as the consumer food environment, might guide behavior. How might intentions to eat healthily and ultimately actual dietary behaviors, be influenced by the consumer food environment (including the availability and affordability of healthy foods) in convenience stores? This study will determine pathways between the healthfulness of convenience stores and college students' dietary intentions/behaviors, and body mass index (BMI).
METHODS: Through multilevel structural equation modeling, a comparison was made of students' healthful meal intentions (HMI); intake (fruits/vegetables, %kcal/fat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and whole-grains); and measured BMI; as well as the healthfulness of convenience stores (fruits/vegetables availability/quality, healthy food availability/affordability). Data was collected on 1401 students and 41 convenience stores across 13 US college campuses.
RESULTS: Controlling for gender, HMI was negatively associated with SSBs (β = -0.859) and %kcal/fat (β = -1.057) and positively with whole-grains (β = 0.186) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = 0.267); %Kcal/fat was positively (β = 0.098) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = -0.055) negatively associated with BMI. Campus level, fruits/vegetables availability were positively associated to HMI (β = 0.214, β = 0.129) and directly/negatively to BMI (β = -2.657, β = -1.124).
CONCLUSIONS: HMI modifies dietary behaviors, with energy from fat and fruit/vegetable intake the most predictive of weight. Availability of fruit/vegetables in convenience stores make it easier for young adults to eat well.

Publication Title

Nutrients

Volume

10

Issue

11

First Page

E1569

PMCID

PMC6266756

DOI of Published Version

10.3390/nu10111569

Publisher

MDPI

Rights

© 2018 The Authors

Recommended Citation

Horacek, T.; Dede Yildirim, E.; Kattelmann, K.; Byrd-Bredbenner, C.; Brown, O.; Colby, S.; Greene, G.; Hoerr, S.; Kidd, T.; Koenings, M.; Morrell, J.; Olfert, M.D.; Phillips, B.; Shelnutt, K.; White, A. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1569.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.