Students' Perspectives on Promoting Healthful Food Choices from Campus Vending Machines: a Qualitative Interview Study

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2015 May 29

PMID 26017801

Citations 9

Authors

Habiba I Ali

Amjad H Jarrar

Mostafa Abo-El-Enen

Mariam Al Shamsi

Huda Al Ashqar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Increasing the healthfulness of campus food environments is an important step in promoting healthful food choices among college students. This study explored university students' suggestions on promoting healthful food choices from campus vending machines. It also examined factors influencing students' food choices from vending machines.

Methods: Peer-led semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 43 undergraduate students (33 females and 10 males) recruited from students enrolled in an introductory nutrition course in a large national university in the United Arab Emirates. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded to generate themes using N-Vivo software.

Results: Accessibility, peer influence, and busy schedules were the main factors influencing students' food choices from campus vending machines. Participants expressed the need to improve the nutritional quality of the food items sold in the campus vending machines. Recommendations for students' nutrition educational activities included placing nutrition tips on or beside the vending machines and using active learning methods, such as competitions on nutrition knowledge.

Conclusions: The results of this study have useful applications in improving the campus food environment and nutrition education opportunities at the university to assist students in making healthful food choices.

Citing Articles

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

Keat J, Dharmayani P, Mihrshahi S BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):1245.

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Assessment of Nutritional Quality of Products Sold in University Vending Machines According to the Front-of-Pack (FoP) Guide.

Lasala C, Duran A, Lledo D, Soriano J Nutrients. 2022; 14(23).

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Psychosocial factors affecting dietary habits of university students: A cross-sectional study.

Ismail L, Osaili T, Mohamad M, Hashim M, Stojanovska L, Al Daour R Heliyon. 2022; 8(6):e09768.

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College Students' Perception of Snacks Sold in Vending Machines in the US: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Mengarelli C, Kirchoff C, Palacios C Front Nutr. 2021; 8:742121.

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Perceived social support and self-efficacy beliefs for healthy eating and physical activity among Arabic-speaking university students: adaptation and implementation of health beliefs survey questionnaire.

Ali H, Alhebshi S, Elmi F, Bataineh M BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):2054.

PMID: 34753478 PMC: 8579556. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12138-0.

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