P122 The Effects of a Campus Dining Tour Intervention on First Year Students Perception of Healthfulness of Environment

Abstract

Background Many young adults experience unwanted weight gain upon entering college. Making healthy choices in a food environment with a plethora of convenience and fast foods is important for preventing unwanted weight gain. Objective To determine if a Healthy Campus Dining Tour intervention improves perception, behavior, and priorities related to healthier choices on campus Study Design, Settings, Participants Participants were recruited for this quasi-experimental study from freshman introductory classes at a land-grant public university and assigned to intervention or a control group. Intervention participants completed a 50-minute Healthy Campus Dining Tour that educated on how to make healthier choices at each of the campus dining locations (vending, convenience, kiosk, and all-you-can-eat dining). Measureable Outcome/Analysis Both groups were assessed pre- and post-intervention for agreement with questions assessing perception of healthful food choices in the campus environment (12 questions), frequency of certain healthful dietary behaviors (12 questions) and importance of food choice priorities (24 questions). Outcomes were dichotomized as more or less positive responses and logistic regression was used to determine odds of responses between intervention and control. Results One hundred and twenty participants (n\u202f=\u202f45 intervention, n\u202f=\u202f75 control) that completed the surveys. Most participants were 18 years of age, female, white, freshmen status, and lived in a campus residence hall. Greater odds of perceiving healthier foods in restaurants [OR(CI), 2.9 (1.3-6.5)], dining halls [2.1, (0.9-4.7)], and vending [8.1 (3.4-18.7)] were seen in intervention group versus control group. Odds of increased frequency of healthful behaviors and increased importance of food choice priorities did not differ between groups. Conclusion Participation in the Healthy Campus Dining Tour intervention was associated with greater odds of agreeable perceptions regarding availability of healthy foods on campus. Additional programming and environmental changes may be necessary to change food behavior and priorities. Funding None.