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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Carol O. Cummins, MEd, MLIS, Janet L. Johnson, PhD, Andrea L. Paiva, PhD, Sharon J. Dyment, MPH, and Leanne M. Mauriello, PhD. Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 755, West Kingston, RI 02892, 401-874-7023, ccummins@prochange.com

Only 26% percent of college students meet National Cancer Institute guidelines for eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When students attend college they must assume greater responsibility for their diet including meal selection and menu planning, and they tend to choose what is most convenient and least costly. Self-directed, individualized programs are needed to help college students understand the basics of healthy eating and motivate them to adopt healthy dietary habits. This presentation reports on empirical support for applying the TTM to fruit and vegetable consumption among college students.

Measures were developed for all TTM constructs (stage of change, decisional balance, self-efficacy, and processes of change). Qualitative research, involving a literature review and student focus groups, guided the development of items and staging algorithms. Quantitative results demonstrated strong factor loadings and reliability coefficients for all constructs. Staging algorithms were validated by objective measures including daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which increased across the stages, F(3,197)=3.83,p<.05,eta squared=.06 for fruits and F(3,197)=33.43,p<.001,eta squared=.16 for vegetables. In addition, TTM constructs were examined across the stages of change. These patterns replicated past empirical and theoretical support of the TTM. The measures serve as the basis for the development of a TTM-based, interactive, on-line program for increasing fruit and vegetable intake among college students. Further discussion will highlight additional qualitative research (expert and key informant interviews), which emphasizes the role that fruit and vegetable consumption play in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Learning Objectives:

(1)Recognize the need for increased fruit and vegetable consumption among college students; (
• Understand the process of conducting formative research and the development of salient constructs in the development of tailored behavior change interventions; (
• Identify the ways that the TTM can be used as a framework for promoting healthy dietary habits among college students.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation