College Student Snacking Behaviour Pilot Study

This study examined the snacking behaviour of undergraduate college students using a comprehensive survey that included a Healthy Snacking Knowledge Test (HSKT), a Snack Frequency Questionnaire, a survey of psychosocial correlates related to snacking behaviour (Situational Self-Efficacy, Barriers to Healthy Eating, and Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change), and demographic information. There were 105 student participants from two Midwestern universities. Results show 2.6 mean snacking occasions per day, and the snack food selections tended to be high in nutrient density. Upper classmen had more knowledge about healthful snack options than freshmen. These students were most confident about healthful snack choices in difficult or inconvenient settings. The main predictors of healthful snack consumption were the academic year, the higher level of stage of change, and the difficult/inconvenient subscale of snacking self-efficacy