Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 4-30-2021
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Nutrition and Hospitality Management
First Advisor
Georgianna Mann
Second Advisor
Melinda Valliant
Third Advisor
Nadeeja Wijayatunga
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
College students across many universities show high levels of anxiety in the transition from high school to college. These students must learn to adapt to a higher demand of focus and work that a college education requires, and some students find the pressure to be too much to handle. The purpose of this study was to determine whether college students with high anxiety displayed a poorer diet quality. The sample was college students (N=44) enrolled in undergraduate studies at the University of Mississippi. Students completed an anonymous 39-item questionnaire about their prevalence of anxiety and consumption rates of certain food groups.
Findings suggest that there is a strong prevalence of anxiety within the population of college students. Most students (63.6%) displayed high levels of anxiety. Findings displaying the consumption of food groups and nutrients suggested that the group showing high levels of anxiety were significantly associated with higher consumption rates of whole fruits, total protein, and sodium. Advertising resources that offer education on proper nutrition could be a successful method to improve diet quality in college students. Alternative coping mechanisms for anxiety such as online interventions and meditation could also be effective in lowering anxiety levels in college students.
Recommended Citation
Darnell, Katie, "Relationship Between Anxiety And Dietary Quality In College Students" (2021). Honors Theses. 1752.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1752
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