An Exploration of Acadia University Student Experiences by Victoria Cox Thesis Submitted in Partia

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Eating While at University:

An Exploration of Acadia University Student Experiences

Victoria Cox

Thesis

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Science in

Nutrition with Honours

Acadia University,

April, 2014

This thesis by Victoria Cox

is accepted in its present form by the

School of Nutrition and Dietetics

as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with Honours

Approved by the Thesis Supervisor

______Dr. Catherine Morley, PhD, PDt, FDC Date

Approved by the Director of the School

______Professor Barbara Anderson, MAdEd, PDt, FDC Date

Approved by the Honours Committee

______Dr. Matthew Lukeman, PhD Date

I, Victoria Cox, grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to

reproduce, loan or distribute copies of my thesis in microform, paper or electronic

formats on a non-profit basis. I, however, retain the copyright in my thesis.

______Signature of Author

______Date

iii Acknowledgements

I wish, first and foremost to thank my thesis supervisor, Dr. Catherine Morley, for her guidance and support throughout this process. She has taught me a great deal about research and embracing challenges, and I consider it a privilege to have received her guidance.

I would like to thank Professor Sue Conlan, my second reader, for taking the time to review my thesis. I extend another thank you to Professor Barbara Anderson, Director of the School of Nutrition and Dietetics, for always showing me her support. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Canadian Institute of Health Research for funding my study. I am also appreciative of each interview participant for taking the time to contribute to my study.

Lastly, I extend profound thanks to my parents and grandmother for their never ceasing belief in me and their ongoing support throughout this process.

iv Table of Contents

List of Tables ...... viii

Abstract ...... ix

Chapter 1: Introduction ...... 1

Chapter 2: Literature Review ...... 2

Definitions ...... 2

The Experience of Being an Undergraduate Student ...... 2

Eating Experience of Undergraduate Students ...... 3

Dietary intake of undergraduate students ...... 4

Where undergraduate students purchase and eat food ...... 5

Challenges to Healthy Eating ...... 5

Synthesis of common challenges ...... 7

Weight Gain in Undergraduate Students ...... 10

Overall trend in weight gain...... 12

Summary ...... 12

Methods ...... 13

Chapter 3: Methods ...... 14

Research Question ...... 14

Research Design ...... 14

Recruitment ...... 14

Interviews ...... 15

Analysis ...... 15

v Chapter 4: Results ...... 16

6WXGHQWV¶7\SLFDO:HHN'D\V ...... 17

SWXGHQWV¶7\SLFDO:HHNHQG'D\V ...... 19

6WXGHQWV¶(DWLQJ3DWWHUQVµ$W+RPH¶ LQWKHIDPLO\RIRULJLQ DQGDW6FKRRO .... 20

6WXGHQWV¶7KRXJKWV%HIRUH(DWLQJ ...... 21

6WXGHQWV¶7KRXJKWVon the Healthiness of Their Eating Habits ...... 22

6WXGHQWV¶(PRWLRQV$bout Their Eating Experiences ...... 23

6WXGHQWV¶&RQFHUQVDQG&KDOOHQJHV$ERXW7KHLU(DWLQJ+DELWV ...... 26

6WXGHQWV¶9LHZVRQ7KHLU)XWXUH(DWLQJ+DELWV...... 28

Off-campus 6WXGHQWV¶5HIOHFWLRQVRI/LYLQJOn-campus ...... 29

6WXGHQWV¶&RPPHQWVRQWKH([SHULHQFHRI(DWLQJDW8QLYHUVLW\ ...... 30

Summary ...... 31

Chapter 5: Discussion ...... 32

Food Quality and Availability for Participants Living On-campus ...... 32

Convenience and Time Constraints When Cooking for Oneself ...... 34

The Value of Experience ...... 34

Social Situations and the Influence of Others ...... 36

Pride and Guilt ...... 37

Preferring Sleep Over Eating ...... 38

Budgeting ...... 39

Healthy Food Policy at Acadia University ...... 39

Practical Applications and Recommendations ...... 40

Limitations ...... 42

vi Chapter 6: Summary ...... 44

Methodology ...... 44

Emergent Themes ...... 44

Relevance of Findings ...... 45

Chapter 7: Orientation of the Researcher ...... 47

References ...... 50

Appendix A: Research Consent Form ...... 54

Appendix B: Recruitment Email ...... 59

Appendix C: Interview Format ...... 60

vii List of Tables

Table 1: Demographics of All Students ...... 16

Table 2: Average Age and Year of Study of Participants ...... 17

viii Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to explore Acadia University student experiences of eating, focusing on challenges to healthy eating. Studying at the college/university level often marks the first time when students are assuming responsibility for feeding themselves.

Existing studies focusing on nutrition and university students have largely focused on dietary causes of weight gain, without exploring the eating experiences of students. The extant research reports are thus non-contributory to understanding the actual phenomenon of eating. This qualitative phenomenology involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students (n = 8) from Acadia University. Participants included students from each year of study, four men and four women, and students living on and off-campus. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via thematic analysis. Thematic analysis led to the identification of seven major themes related to how, what, and when students eat: 1) food quality and availability for participants living on-campus; 2) convenience and time constraints when cooking for oneself; 3) the value of experience; 4) social situations and the influence of others; 5) pride and guilt; 6) preferring sleep over eating; and 7) budgeting. This information can be used to inform the study of the issue for a larger number of respondents, and to inform the development of healthy lifestyle programs and of a healthy food policy at Acadia University.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Studying at the college/university levels marks a transitional period in many

VWXGHQWV¶OLYHVLWLVRIWHQWKe first time students live away from home and/or assume responsibility for feeding themselves (Blissmer et al, 2009). Extant research reports on the dietary/food group intake and weight gain of undergraduate students are non- contributory to understanding the actual phenomenon of eating. Some studies have focused on dietary causes of weight gain in undergraduate students (Born, Harris, Haung,

Kaur, Lee & Nazir, 2003; Deusinger, Deusinger, Highstein, Racette & Strube, 2005), however, the authors did not explored eating experiences, such as how students obtain food, their efforts in food planning and purchasing, and the feelings and thoughts that these processes elicit.

The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature. The intent was to explore Acadia University undergraduate student experiences of eating, focusing on challenges to healthy eating. Findings from this study can inform the development of healthy lifestyle programs and services at Acadia University. For example, the Acadia

University Director of Student Affairs indicated that the findings would be of interest to his unit to inform healthy/sustainable living programming for students living on and off- campus including activities such as shopping skills, food preparation and storage etc. (J.

Sanford, personal communication, June 1, 2013). The findings will also complement and support the Healthy Eating for Publicly Funded Institutions project funded by the NS

Department of Health and Wellness Thrive! Program undertaken at Acadia University during 2013 (Morley et al., 2013

1 Chapter 2: Literature Review

The literature review includes sections on: 1) what is known about the experience of being an undergraduate student; 2) links between undergraduate eating/lifestyle and the development of chronic health conditions and; 3) methods, including a critique of research methods used to study college/university students eating behaviours, and suggested research approaches that could better inform this topic.

Definitions

For the purpose of this study, healthy eating ZDVGHILQHGDVIROORZLQJ&DQDGD¶V

)RRG*XLGHDVGHYHORSHGE\+HDOWK&DQDGD &DQDGD¶V)RRG*XLGHSURYLGHV recommended servings sizes of vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives

DQGPHDODQGDOWHUQDWLYHVEDVHGRQDQLQGLYLGXDO¶VVH[DQGDJH7KH)RRG*XLGH emphasizes the importance of variety, of foods low in fat, sugar and salt, and of whole grain products (Health Canada, 2007).

The Experience of Being an Undergraduate Student

In 2001/02, 689,700 Canadians were enrolled in undergraduate studies at post- secondary institutions (Canadian Council on Social Development, n.d.). While studies exist on the general experiences of and uniqueness of college/university life, none were found of XQGHUJUDGXDWHV¶HDWLQJH[SHULHQFHV7KHDJHJURXSRIWR\HDUVKDVEHHQ

GHVFULEHGDVµHPHUJLQJDGXOWKRRG¶DGHYHORSPHQWDOO\XQLTXHOLIHVWDJH Larson, Lytle,

Nelson, Neumark-Sztainer & Story, 2008) when persons change from adolescents into young adults, develop self identities, and experience important transitions (Larson et al.,

2008). This unique life stage is characterized for many by living away from home for the first time, increasing autonomy, adapting to new environments and situations (Easton,

Ellison, Gray & Vitak, 2013), and increased decision-making responsibility without full financial responsibility (Larson et al., 2008). The primary responsibility of undergraduate students is to adjust to new academic requirements (Easton et al., 2013). Other changes that are part of this life stage are adjusting to new living arrangements that can include living in dormitories in the constant company of new peers, adjusting to new social environments (Born et al., 2003), and having to make new friends and support systems

(Easton et al., 2013). This is also a time when students tend to have more freedom than ever before, are able to decide what to do with their leisure time, and are responsible for their health behaviours, including eating and exercising (Blissmer et al., 2009).

The various adjustments and unique experiences in the lives of undergraduate students are often overwhelming and stressful. Larson et al. (2008) reported that many students reported that their fHHOLQJVRIVWUHVVVWHPPHGIURP³having to adapt to new environments, the broadening sense of independence and self-reliance, and a wide array of social and otheUGHPDQGV´ (p. 2208). The surprise of how difficult it can be to adjust to student life may compound stress levels (Cluskey & Grobe, 2009). These authors used focus groups to explore any sex differences in the perceived influences on the transitions in eating and exercise behaviours while attending college. Many of the focus group participants claimed to be unprepared for adapting to college life, and found that unexpected transitions could create even more stress (Cluskey & Grobe, 2009).

Eating Experience of Undergraduate Students

This section of the literature review includes reports of students¶ eating behaviours, specifically what is eaten, where it is purchased, how food is prepared/eaten, and when and with whom it is eaten.

Dietary intake of undergraduate students.

Born et al. (2003) studied the intakes of servings of fruits and vegetables and dietary fibre of 736 university students using the Berkeley fruit and vegetable and dietary fibre screener. Findings were that 69.4% of the sample consumed fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day and did not meet dietary recommendations.

These findings were consistent with findings from the National College Health Risk

Behavior Survey (NCHRS) that 73.7% of students reported eating fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[CDCP], 1997). Likewise, findings from the National College Health Assessment were that only 8.5% of students ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily

(American College Health Association, 2009). Longitudinal findings from Project Eating

Among Teens (EAT) showed that total fruit and vegetable intakes decreased significantly

(by greater than one-half serving per day) during the five-year transition after high school

(Larson et al., 2008). The findings from these four studies were consistent in

GHPRQVWUDWLQJWKDWKLJKVFKRRODQGXQGHUJUDGXDWHVWXGHQWV¶LQWDNHVJHQHUDOO\GLGQRW meet recommendations for vegetables and fruits.

'HXVLQJHUHWDO¶V(2005) studied body weight, height, body mass index, and exercise and dietary habits of first year students and changes in these areas during first and second years of study. Findings were that more than 50% of participants reported

FRQVXPLQJ³KLJK-fat fried or fast foods at least three times during the previous weHN´

(Deusinger et al., 2005, p. 250). Fat intake was also a component of the NCHRS, with findings that 21.8% of college students had eaten three or more servings of high fat foods the day before the survey (CDCP, 1997). It should be taken into consideration that the

GLHWTXHVWLRQQDLUHVIURP'HXVLQJHUHWDO¶VVWXG\(2005) and U.S. Department of Health

DQG+XPDQ6HUYLFHV¶ national survey (CDCP, 1997) PD\QRWUHSUHVHQWVWXGHQWV¶GLHWDU\ patterns throughout the semester as the researchers had asked about behaviours during the preceding week and day respectively. Nevertheless, these results are that college students were not limiting their consumption of high fat foods.

Where undergraduate students purchase and eat food.

While there appears to be no extant studies specifically on where undergraduate students purchase and eat food, various studies included the obvious sources of food, such as school cafeterias, on-campus snack stores, and fast food restaurants (Cecil, Finlayson,

Hetherington, Higgs & Hill, 2012; Cluskey & Grobe, 2009). The adjustment of students to all-you-can-HDWRUµDOO\RXFDUHWRHDW¶VFKRROFDIHWHULDVVXFKDVWKDWRIIHUHGE\WKH

Dining Hall at Acadia University (Chartwells, n.d.) appears to be a challenge to healthy eating in the lives of on-campus undergraduate students, and is discussed in the next section of this review. There is no extant research on the eating experiences of off- campus undergraduate students, including where they obtain food.

The extant literature focuses on dietary intakes of undergraduate students (what was eaten). There is limited reporting on other aspects of eating as a student nor on the eating experiences of off-campus undergraduate students, including where they obtain food. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature.

Challenges to Healthy Eating

This section of the literature review contains reports on the efforts to understand why students eat what, when, and how they do, and any challenges to healthy eating including time constraints, the challenge of the cafeterias, availability of food on-campus,

5 social eating, alcohol consumption, monetary constraints and cooking facilities in residence halls.

7KHREMHFWLYHRI%OLVVPHUHWDO¶VVWXG\ ZDVWRLGHQWLI\EDUriers and enablers for healthy weight management among college students. Sixteen online focus groups were conducted with 115 students from eight universities in eight American states.

The key barriers were temptation, lack of discipline, social situations, time constraints and ready access to unhealthy food as barriers to weight management. The main enablers for weight management were regulating food intake, being physically active, social support, and university environments that support physical activity.

In Psychosocial and Environmental Determinants of Eating Behaviors, Physical

Activity and Weight Change Among College Students: A Qualitative Analysis, Dauner,

Krambeer, LaCaille and Pedersen (2011) studied factors perceived by college students as contributing to healthy and unhealthy eating, physical activity levels, and weight changes.

The methodology used was focus groups, three with females and three with males (six in total) with students from the same American university. The key findings were that eating and physical activities were determined according to complex interactions between motivations and self-regulatory skills. The unique social and physical environment of college life, such as lack of time and lack of healthy options, further affected these interaction and thus behaviours (Dauner et al., 2011).

In Understanding the Perceived Determinants of Weight Related Behaviors in

Late Adolescence: A Qualitative Analysis Among College Youth, Kocos, Lytle, Nelson and Perry (2009) conducted six focus groups and one-on-one interviews with 50 participants to explore weight, dietary intake and physical activity among undergraduate

6 students, and to identify key modifiable factors underlying these behaviours. The key findings were that weight and dietary intakes were influenced by unhealthful food availability on-campus, snacking, late night eating, alcohol related eating, eating because of stress/boredom, time constraints, and having food in student dorm rooms.

Synthesis of common challenges.

A common challenge to healthy eating as an undergraduate student was time constraints (Blissmer et al., 2009; Dauner et al., 2011; Kocos et al., 2009), consistent with the general findings on student experiences. All three studies contained findings about the busyness of college life as inhibiting VWXGHQWV¶KHDOWK\HDWLQJ'DXQHUHWDO stated LWZDVWKH³ODFNRISHUFHLYHGWLPHGXHWRWKHEXV\QDWXUHRIFROOHJHOLIH´ S

WKDWDFWHGDVDEDUULHUWRWKHVWXGHQWV¶DELOLW\WRFRRNKHDOWK\PHDOVSimilarly, Blissmer et al. (2009) reported that time constraints experienced by students made it difficult to obtain or prepare healthy meals (Blissmer et al., 2009). Kocos et al. (2009) described situations where students reported choosing between doing schoolwork, sleeping, or eating quick meals. These findings revealed time management as a significant challenge to planning healthy meals.

University/college marks a YHU\VRFLDOWLPHLQVWXGHQWV¶OLYHVZKHQWKH\ are surrounded by new peers and making new friends (Born et al., 2003). Social eating appears to negatively affect the dietary habits of many undergraduate students. In the study by Blissmer et al. (2009), focus group participants stated they were influenced by what and when those around them were eating, and that social situations such as going

RXWIRUGLQQHUZHUH³DVVRFLDWHGZLWKRYHUHDWLQJDQGHDWLQJXQKHDOWKIXOIRRG´ p. 283). In addition, some participants in the study by Kocos et al. (2009) noted not always wanting

7 to go out and eat fast food with friends, but feeling as though there was little alternative if they wished to be social at night. Situations such as this create cause for concern as they indicate that those students who do not wish to be eating out or eating fast food do so for social reasons. The campus environment thus makes it even more difficult for students to eat healthy. In contrast, Dauner et al. (2011) reported that social situations are not always negative when it comes to eating. Although Blissmer et al. (2009) reported that females found healthy eating more difficult in social situations, Dauner et al. (2011) found that several females found their peers to be positive influences on their diets. However, this was only when those peers were engaging in healthy eating, and encouraged friends to do the same (Dauner et al., 2011). Thus, the influence of social eating can be either positive or negative, and is something that should not be overlooked when studying the eating habits of college/university students owing to the social nature of this time of life.

Along with going out to eat with friends, undergraduate students also tend to consume alcohol in social situations. Dauner et al. (2011) reported that both men and women identified alcohol consumption as a barrier to healthy eating. Blissmer et al.,

UHSRUWHGWKHFRQFHSWRIµGUXQNHDWLQJ¶ZKLFKUHIHUVWRHDWLQJIDWWHQLQJIRRGVLQ excess after consuming significant amounts of alcohol. Kocos et DO¶V DQGDauner

HWDO¶V (2011) findings were consistent. Kocos et al. reported that students spoke not only of eating in excess after becoming intoxicated, but also beforehand, in their belief that this would allow them to consume more alcohol (2009). Consideration of alcohol consumption raises issues aside from the actual side effects of being intoxicated, as it presents a time when undergraduate students often overeat/eat unhealthy, and/or are unaware of what they are eating.

Another challenge to healthy eating experienced by undergraduate students was monetary constraints. College/university students often have limited disposable income, and this affects their abilities to buy food. Participants in the study by Blissmer et al.,

(2009) spoke of the high cost of healthy behaviours, and stated that having a limited

LQFRPHPDGHLW³GLIILFXOWWRHDWZHOO´ S) as the students perceived unhealthy items to be cheaper than healthy items. It is important to note the use of the word µSHUFHLYHG¶ as this means that certain healthy food items may actually be cheaper than many unhealthy items, however, students perceived that cost would affect what they could buy.

On-campus food availability, including school cafeterias/dining halls and storage/cooking facilities within school residence halls, impacts what undergraduate students eat. Blissmer HWDO¶V VWXdy participants reported that healthy eating was difficult due to the easy access to unhealthy food, including fast food restaurants on- campus. Similarly, Kocos et al. (2009) discussed the ready abundance of food in residence and dining halls. Lack of healthy food offerings were also identified by

Blissmer et al., (2009) and Dauner et al., (2011). Participants in these studies mentioned the challenges of all-you-can-eat school cafeterias where students pay a set price for a semester and have unlimited access to the food in the cafeterias. Blissmer et al., (2009) reported that unlimited meal plans at school contributed to overeating and difficulty in controlling consumption of unhealthy foods. An almost identical report was made by the participants in another study who claimed that having unlimited access to so many enjoyable foods resulted in decreased self control (Dauner et al., 2011). This is consistent with the claims of the students in the study by Kocos et al., (2009) who stated that the all-

9 you-can-HDWFDIHWHULDV³LQIOXHQFHGSRRUGLHWDU\KDELWVDQGHQFRXUDJHGIUHTXHQW

RYHUFRQVXPSWLRQ´ (p. 298).

It appears that despite acknowledging that unlimited food supply encourages overconsumption of unhealthy food, students still continue to eat these food items in excess due lack of willpower and the ease with which the food is obtained. Adding to this

SUREOHPRIGHFUHDVHGZLOOSRZHULVWKHSHUFHLYHGQHHGWR³JHWWKHLUPRQH\¶VZRUWK´ S

534) regardless of hunger (Dauner et al., 2011).

Food preparation and storage facilities in college/university residence halls are other aspects of food availability on-campus that affects food intake. Students in the study by Kocos et al., (2009) spoke of the difficulty in storing fresh and healthy food in their dormitories as they had no access to full kitchens. Many students had access to microwaves however, this did not contribute to healthy eating as they reportedly used the microwaves to prepare convenience foods such as ramen noodles, packaged macaroni and cheese, etc (Kocos et al., 2009). Similarly, Dauner et al., (2011) reported that participants stated that dormitories were not sufficiently equipped for cooking with many students not able to access an oven or freezer. Women more than men reported lack of cooking facilities on-campus as a barrier to healthy eating as they were then less able to prepare balanced and healthy meals.

Weight Gain in Undergraduate Students

Boyle and LaRose (2008) found that the unique, transitional nature of underJUDGXDWHVWXGHQWV¶OLYHVDIIHFWHG their eating experiences and patterns, often in a negative manner, and that the greatest increase in becoming overweight and obese

10 occurred between the ages of 18 and 29 years, the age range of the majority of college student.

:KLOH'HXVLQJHUHWDO¶V (2005), Cluskey and *UREH¶V DQG(OJDUDQG9HOOD-

=DUE¶V ILQGLQJV supported the notion that students do gain weight while at college, the reported average weight gains were not as significant as indicated by the µIUHVKPDQ

¶DVVXPSWLRQ &OXVNH\ *UREH Elgar and Vella-Zarb (2009) found that many undergraduate students gained at least 2.3 kg within the first year of college, with evidence indicating that weight gain increased with time. Born et al. (2003) assessed overweight and obesity in 738 students, aged 18 to 27 years. Using self-reported data to calculate the BMI of the participants, these authors found that 21.6% of the students were overweight, and 4.9% were obese (Born et al., 2003). These findings give rise to questions of whether students start university overweight or obese with unhealthy eating habits, or whether eating habits become less healthy during university years and contribute to weight gain.

Deusinger et al. (2005) assessed the weight of 290 college students at the beginning of their freshman year and the end of their sophomore year, and documented a weight gain in 70% of the students. Of the 70% of students in Deusinger HWDO¶V study who gained weight, the mean increase was 4.1kg (S O 6WXGHQWV¶ZHLJKWDQG height measurements were also used to calculate their BMIs; these increased in 69% of the students (Deusinger et al., 2005). In a shorter-term study, Cluskey and Grobe (2009) used a repeated measures design to assess weight of 379 college students in October and

December. The authors reported that 62% of the subjects showed weight gain from

October to December, with 26% of females and 27% of males gaining more than 2.3 kg

11 in weight. The greater percentage of students who experienced weight gain in Deusinger

HWDO¶VVWXG\ may be as a result of the much longer period during which students may have gained weight versus the short eight-ZHHNSHULRGLQ&OXVNH\DQG*UREH¶VVWXG\

(2009)

Overall trend in weight gain.

As reported in a meta-analysis on weight gain in the freshman year of college, typical weight gain is closer to 2.23 kg (5 pounds) than to 6.8 kg (15 pounds) (Elgar &

Vella-Zarb, 2009). The meta-analysis was based on a pooled sample of 3401 participants, with a mean weight gain of 1.75 kg, and with individual weight gain ranging from 0.73 kg to 4 kg. While a mean weight gain of 2.23 kg may not appear substantial, this increase

LV³sufficient to warrant research and campus health policy attention. Weight problems in late adolescence are highly predictive of overZHLJKWDQGREHVLW\LQDGXOWKRRG´ (Elgar &

Vella-Zarb, 2009, p. 164). It is also important to note that while the average weight gain was only 2.23 kg, there was still notable variation among individual weight gain, that is, a significant proportion of students may have gained more than 2.23 kg. In conclusion, the evidence of weight gain in university students is indicative of unhealthy eating patterns and behaviours, the focus of this study.

Summary

Findings from this review indicate consistent reporting on the average weight gain of at least 1.3 to 2.2 kg in the first year of college/university (Elgar & Vella-Zarb, 2009), unhealthy dietary intakes of undergraduate students (American College Health

Association, 2009; Deusinger et al., 2005), and the similarities of time management, cost, cafeteria settings, and social situations as challenges to healthy eating for undergraduate

12 students (Blissmer et al., 2009; Dauner et al., 2011; Kocos et al., 2009). All of these studies were undertaken using quantitative approaches. Few-to-none used qualitative

DSSURDFKHVWRJDLQLQVLJKWVLQWRWKHIDFWRUVWKDWLQIOXHQFHVWXGHQWV¶HDWLQJEHKaviours.

Thus, the study reported in this thesis was undertaken using phenomenological inquiry to

OHDUQDERXW$FDGLD8QLYHUVLW\VWXGHQWV¶H[SHULHQFHVRIFRPPRQO\UHSRUWHGEDUULHUVWR healthy eating.

Methods

A phenomenological approach to inquiry was selected for this thesis to address the methodological weaknesses of extant research. A phenomenological approach is used to explore SKHQRPHQDH[SHULHQFHVIURPSDUWLFLSDQWV¶RZQ perspectives (Patton, 2002).

Using this approach for this study with semi-structured interviews was intended to develop insights into the meanings and structures of the lived experiences of a select group of Acadia University undergraduate students.

Chapter 3: Methods

This study received ethics approval from the Acadia University Research Ethics

Board on September 8th 2013, and was funded with an Honours Research Summer Award provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Research Question

The research question was µZKDWDUHWKHHDWLQJH[SHULHQFHVRI$FDGLD8QLYHUVLW\ undergraduate students living on- and off-FDPSXV"¶7KHREMHFWives of this study were to gain a greater understanding of: 1) the eating experiences of undergraduate students living on and off-campus; and 2) the challenges participants experienced in consuming a healthy diet. Setting a hypothesis was not relevant for this research question

Research Design

Information gathering involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews (also known as the standardized open-ended interview approach) (Patton, 2002). Interviews were selected instead of focus groups to gather depth of information.

Recruitment

Eight undergraduate participants were recruited, two from each year of study.

Participants included four males and four females, and a mix of those living on and off- campus to learn about the differences in eating experiences. Recruitment was via email from the researcher to the entire student population of Acadia University on the 16th of

September. This date was selected to allow for the excitement and newness of the first two weeks of school to have passed, when the work of the term started to become

DSSDUHQW6WDUWLQJWKHLQWHUYLHZVWRRHDUO\LQWKHµIXQ¶SHULRGPD\KDYHHOLFLWHG responses not representative of what students find university to be like later in the

14 semester. The email included a brief description of the study and the eligibility criteria, and instructions on replying to the researcher (Appendix B).

Over 50 responses to the recruitment email were received within the first 48 hours; potential participants were screened via repeated e-mail correspondence to identify those who fulfilled the screening criteria and to ensure the desired mix of respondents aged 18 to 24 years; two participants in each year of study (first to fourth); equal numbers

(four each) of males and females, and students living on and off-campus.

Interviews

Audio-recorded interviews were conducted in an office free of interruptions in the

School of Nutrition and Dietetics, fourth floor of Huggins Science Hall. Each interview took approximately 30 minutes. All participants were asked the same questions in the same order (Appendix C) and were invited to add any information they felt was relevant to the topic. Probing questions were asked as needed to obtain sufficiently in-depth responses.

Analysis

Recordings were transcribed at the completion of all interviews. The transcripts were read through several times to familiarize the researcher with the content. They were then coded; the coding process involved grouping similar ideas and experiences together

(Patton, 2002). These where then condensed into themes.

Chapter 4: Results

Eight Acadia University undergraduate students completed the interviews. Four of the students were living on-campus, and four were living off-campus; there were two females and two males in each group (Table 1).

Table 1.

Demographics of study participants

Acadia Age Living Sex Year of Study Student A rrangement (n = 8) 1 18 On-campus Female 1

2 22 Off-campus Female 3

3 18 On-campus Male 1

4 23 Off-campus Male 4

5 19 Off-campus Female 2

6 21 On-campus Female 4

7 20 Off-campus Male 3

8 19 On-campus Male 2

The average age of the participants living on-campus was 19 years old, and off- campus was 21 years old (Table 2.). The average year of study of students living on- campus was Year two, and for students living on-campus was Year three (Table 2).

Table 2.

Average age and year of study of participants

Living A rrangement Average Age Average Year

Off-campus (n=4) 19 2

On-campus (n=4) 21 3

Responses to some of the questions were pooled for all participants when there were commonalities in the results for some of the questions. For others, results are reported for participants living on or off-campus. There was no analysis of between sex differences in responses done within this thesis.

6WXGHQWV¶7ypical Week Days

Three out of the four on-campus students ate breakfast in Mealhall, while one on- campus student did not eat breakfast. This participant reported that,

³0\FODVVHVDUHDWVR,GRQ¶WUHDOO\ZDQWWRZDNHXSDWDQGJRWR0HDOKDOO´

One of the on-campus students who ate breakfast reported eating a late breakfast between classes as that was more convenient, allowing him to sleep later in the morning.

All of the off-campus students reported eating breakfast; three ate breakfast right after waking up at home. One of these students stated that his reason for eating breakfast at home was because it was cheapest. Another one of these students stated that, ³, usually have breakfast within the first few minutes of when I wake up ± something simple

± WKDWZRQ¶WWDNHWRRORQJ± DWKRPHLQP\NLWFKHQ´ The remaining student who had an off-campus meal plan ate in Mealhall. This student reported that, ³,QRUPDOO\GRQ¶WKDYH

EUHDNIDVWXQWLOP\QH[WJDSDIWHUDFODVVVRQRUPDOO\,¶PVWDUYLQJE\EUHDNIDVWWLPH´

For lunch, three on-campus students reported eating in Mealhall. Two of these students tried to eat the prepared lunchtime meals. One student said, ³,XVXDOO\HDWWKH meals that they prepare ± they are usually not too bad, they usually have vegetables. If

WKHUH¶VQRWKLQJJRRGWKHUH,XVXDOO\JHWWKHIULHVDQGXPOLNHDVDQGZLFK´ The other student reported that, ³)RUOXQFK,ZRXOGHDWZKDWHYHU¶VWKHUH± try and get some

YHJHWDEOHVFDXVH,NQRZ,KDYHQ¶WEHHQHDWLQJPXFKRIWKHPDQG,¶Ptrying not to get

IDW´ The third student who ate lunch in Mealhall was unable to eat the prepared meals due to his schedule; he could not get to Mealhall until 1:30 (when the prepared meals were no longer being served). This student reported that, ³, doQ¶WXVXDOO\HDWDVZHOODV

,¶GOLNHWREHFDXVHWKHUH¶VQRWDVELJVHOHFWLRQ´ The remaining on-campus student reported eating a bagged lunch (collected in the morning) put together by Mealhall. This student stated that the bagged lunches were ³3UHWW\DZIul ± \RXHDWLWDQG\RX¶UHOLNHµRK

,¶PVWLOOKXQJU\¶´

Two out of the four off-campus students reported that they ate leftovers from dinner for lunch. One of the students always went home for lunch, one of the students always brought a packed lunch to school, while the other either went home or took a packed lunch depending on their schedule. The off-campus student with the meal plan ate OXQFKLQ0HDOKDOO7KLVVWXGHQWVWDWHGWKDW³0HDOKDOOGRHVQ¶WKDYHDORWRIVWXII,OLNH so pretty much everyday I have French fries, maybe a salad, a Caesar salad, um maybe a

VOLFHRISL]]D´

Five out of the eight participants mentioned snacking as a part of their daily routine. Two of these students lived on-campus, and both reported eating snacks such as granola bars in their rooms. One student stated that he ate his snacks around 10 or 11 at

18 night whereas the other on-campus student ate his snacks in the afternoon. This student also reported taking fruit from Mealhall that he ate at night.

One of the off-campus students who reported snacking stated that, ³6RPHWLPHV, have an apple or biscuit ± if I happen to be hungry in the middle of the day. I have

FKRFRODWHFKLSEDQDQDPXIILQVWKDW,KDYHIRUP\HYHQLQJVQDFN´ The remaining off- campus students who reported snacking both stated that they snacked when they were up late at night studying. One student reported that, ³,OLNHDOZD\VKDYHOLNHDR¶FORFNLQ

WKHPRUQLQJPHDOZKLFKLVUHDOO\OLNHEDGIRRG,¶PQRUPDOO\VWXG\LQJDWQLJKWDQG,OLNH

DVXJDUUXVK´

All four of the on-campus students reported eating dinner in Mealhall; all off- campus students reported eating dinner in their homes. One student specifically stated that, ³,DWOHDVWWU\WRKDYHDVWDUFKDPHDWDQGDYHJHWDEOHDWGLQQHUWLPHV± it doesn¶W

DOZD\VKDSSHQEXWWKDW¶VP\JRDO´ Another off-campus student stated that for dinner

VKHXVXDOO\DUH³a proteinDQGOLNHDFDUEDQGYHJHWDEOH´.

6WXGHQWV¶7\SLFDO:HHNHQG'D\V

All four of the on-campus students reported that on the weekends they did not go to Mealhall for food until lunchtime. Two of the students specifically stated that they did this so that they can sleep more. One student reported that, ³,HDWOHVVRQ the weekends

XVXDOO\FDXVH,VSHQGPRUHWLPHVOHHSLQJ´ One on-campus student reported eating out

(not in Mealhall) more on the weekends, while another student reported that he used to eat out morHRQWKHZHHNHQGVEXWHQGHGXS³spending too much on it´.

One off-campus student reported that his routine in terms of eating was the same during the weekend as it was during the week. Two off-campus students stated that they

19 were more likely to eat out at a restaurant during the weekend. One of the students reported that, ³2QWKHZHHNHQGV,XVXDOO\JHWRXWDWOHDVWRQFHIRUVXSSHU,JR WR3DGG\¶V

DQGJHWDEXUJHU´ The off-campus student who had a meal plan stated that his meal plan did not include the weekends. This student reported that, ³7KHPDLQPHDO,KDYHDOO

ZHHNHQGLVEUHDNIDVWDQGWKHQ,¶OOJHWVRPHWKLQJDWGLQQHU,QHYHUKave lunch on the

ZHHNHQG´

6WXGHQW¶V(DWLQJ3DWWHUQVµ$W+RPH¶(in the family of origin) and at School

Two of the four on-campus students reported that they ate healthier when at school than when at home. One student said that, ³0\0XP¶VQRWPXFKRIDFRRker, so I

XVXDOO\HDWRXWIRUOLNHHYHU\WKLQJFDXVH,GRQ¶WKDYHWLPHWRFRRNIRUP\VHOI,MXVWHDW

6XEZD\DQG0F'RQDOGVDQGVWXII´ The other student said, ³I was very lazy at home ± mostly Kraft dinner or chicken strips or a hamburger ± QRZLW¶VOLNHmashed potatoes and

URDVW´

One on-campus student stated that at home there was a much greater variety of food, and she could eat whenever she was hungry, whereas at school she would eat at certain times due to her schedule. Another on-campus student stated that there was more of a variety at school, reporting that, ³,HDWZD\PRUHKHUHEHFDXVHLW¶VOLNHDEXIIHW,FDQ

MXVWSLFNXSSODWHV´

One off-campus student one stated that feeding himself at home was essentially the same as feeding himself when at school as he worked fulltime during the summer.

Another off-campus student stated that there was much more variety in her meals when at home, as she was cooking for more than one person. She stated that at school, ³,FDQEX\ one meal and it feeds me for the whole week ± ZKHQ,¶PDWKRPHWKHUH¶VIRXURUILYHRWKHU

SHRSOH´ The third off-campus student stated that her meals were more elaborate and

³probably healthier´ when at home, because at school she must make ³box things and eaV\WRPDNHLI,GRQ¶WKDYe time´. The fourth student living off-campus reported that his meals at home were more balanced, especially as his mother cooked dinner every night, and she rarely cooked fried foods, a large component of his diet at school. However, this student also reported that, ³,HDWZD\PRUHZKHQ,¶PLQ%HUPXGD± ,GRQ¶WKDYHWRJR shopping ± WKHUH¶VMXVWIRRGLQP\KRXVH± ,ZRQ¶WHYHQEHKXQJU\LI,¶PERUHG,¶OOMXVW

HDW´

6WXGHQWV¶7KRXJKWV%HIRUH(DWLQJ

All of the on-campus students indicated that they did not give much thought to where to eat as Mealhall was their main option. However, two of the four on-campus students indicated that they only wanted to go to Mealhall at the same time as their friends. One student reported that, ³,I,¶PKXQJU\,XVXDOO\Must message people and ask

LIWKH\ZDQWWRJRWRGLQLQJKDOO´ Another student reported, ³:KHQLWLVWLPHWRHDWP\

WKRXJKWLWLVµLVDQ\RQHHOVHJRLQJDWWKLVWLPH"¶´. One on-campus student stated that he would think about what Mealhall would be serving EHFDXVHLILWZHUH³VRPHWKLQJWKDW¶V really good´ he would be happy. Another on-campus student talked about what she did after Mealhall had closed, and stated that she had a refrigerator³VRLW¶VQRWWRREDG´ however she usually ate microwaveable food such as Kraft DinnerTM or Mr. NoodlesTM.

In contrast, three of the four off-campus students discussed thinking before eating in terms of grocery shopping including making grocery lists and budgeting.

One student reported that,

)RUWKHZHHN,¶OOPDNH DOLVWRIOLNHZKDWPHDOV,¶PSODQQLQJRQKDYLQJ± so I can

stick to a budget and like time management. That usually falls apart when tests

DQGSURMHFWVDQGHYHU\WKLQJFRPHXS,¶OOHQGXSPDNLQJTXLFNHUWKLQJV

Two of the four off-campus students also talked about the time it took for them to prepare their food. OnHVWXGHQWVWDWHGWKDWVKHVSHQW³less than a half hour for breakfast and lunch and 45 minutes to an hour for dinner´7KHRWKHUVWXGHnt also stated that supper took WKHORQJHVW³probably an hour or so´7KLVVWXGHQt also reported that in terms of his meal planning and time management skills,

,¶YHKDGDIHZ\ears to work on it ± ,GRQ¶WIHHODQ\VWUHVVWU\LQJWRILQGWLPHWR

eat. Before coming here I was a lot worse off ± ,GLGQ¶WNQRZKRZ to cook, I

GLGQ¶WNQRZKRZWRGRDQ\WKLQJVRXKWKDWWRRNDORQJWLPH,KDGWRUHDOO\OHDUQ

how to start managing my time.

The off-campus student who had a meal plan had a response similar to those of the on-campus participants; he only went to Mealhall when he knew his friends would be there. When Mealhall was not an option (on the weekends or late at night), he reported that he wondered if he was ³hungry enough to order food´and then asked his roommate if he wanted to order too.

6WXGHQWV¶7KRXJKWV on The Healthiness of Their Eating Habits

Three of the eight students interviewed described their eating habits as unhealthy.

One of these students said that out of 10, the health level of her eating habits was

³probably a four or five´6KHVWDWHGWKDW if there was a healthy option she would try to get it over something like French fries however, most of the time the healthy food in

Mealhall was ³not that good´$nother student said that Mealhall food was pretty bad, and so she knew while at school she was not eating health\DQG³WKDW¶VNLQGRI concerning´7ZRRIWKHHLJKWVWXGHQWs reported that, overall, they were quite healthy eaters. One off-campus student stated that,

,HDWDORWPRUHYHJHWDEOHVZKHQ,¶PDWVFKRROMXVWFDXVHYHJHWDEOHVDUHFKHDSer.

I think if I had more money I would eat better but I think considering I live on $50

a week I eat pretty well.

Three students reported that how healthy they ate depended on the specific situation including with whom they were eating. One student stated that,

:KHQ,HDWZLWKP\JLUOIULHQGXPLW¶VYHU\KHDOWK\WKHUHDUHORWVRIIUXLWVDQG

YHJHWDEOHV:KHQ,¶PDORQH± ,GRQ¶WXVXDOO\HDWVXFKDGLYHUVHJURXSRIIRRGV

:KHQ,¶PZLWKP\IULHQGVLW¶VXVXDOO\XQKHDOWK\- pizza or a burger.

Another student explained that his roommate was a very healthy eater, and that he never really thought about the food he ate until living with his roommate. He reported

WKDWZKHQHDWLQJZLWKKLVURRPPDWHKHZRXOGDWOHDVW³always try to have a vegetable and a starch and have it rounded´

6WXGHQWV¶(PRWLRQV$ERXW7KHLU(DWLQJ([SHULHQFHV

When asked about any emotions they experience while eating when at school, two of the four on-campus students reported positive feelings. One student stated that,

³'HILQLWHO\PRUHSRsitive here since I am eating a little bit healthier than I was at home.

I feel better- more awake and responsive when I go to class since I am eating breakfast ±

DQRWKHUFKDQJHIURPKRPHWRKHUH´ The other student referred to the social aspect of eating. She stated that she was happier when eating at home as she could often eat

23 healthier there. AWVFKRRO³RYHUDOOLW¶VSRVLWLYH´DVVKHGLG³really like sitting down and eating´ with her friends in Mealhall.

One on-campus student expressed negative emotions, and said that although she did like the fRRGDWVFKRROVKHIRXQG³there are too many unhealthy choices´

Furthermore, this student expressed anger at Mealhall, and reported, ³,UHFHQWO\IRXQGRXW that the eggs have pancake mix in them ± that kind RIPDNHVPHDQJU\7KDW¶VEDVLFDOO\

WKHRQO\KHDOWK\RSWLRQVRWKHUWKDQIUXLW>IRUEUHDNIDVW@´ The remaining on-campus student UHSRUWHGWKDWKHIHOW³QHXWUDO´. In reference to the food in Mealhall, he stated that, ³,WERWKHUVPHEXW,NQRZ,FDQ¶WGRQRWKLQJDERXWLWVR,MXVWDFFHSWLW´

Three of the four off-campus students mentioned positive emotions when it came to their food and eating habits. One student reported that she loved the way she ate, and that, ³,¶YHEHHQNLQGRIZRUNLQJXSWRWKHZD\ I organize my meal plans for 10 years so

,¶YHJRWWHQLQDSODFHZKHUH,¶PYHU\FRPIRUWDEOHZLWKZKDW,HDW´ Another off-campus student reported being happy with how he ate because it was healthier than how he ate growing up. In contrast, another student reported the positive feelings he experienced when eating something sugary. He reported that such snacks act like incentives, and they

UDLVHKLV³overall satisfaction levels´. The remaining off-campus student reported mostly negative emotions associated with the difficulty of learning how to feed herself in this, her first year living off-campus. This student stated that,

The first month I found myself eating a lot of Kraft DinnerTM, a lot of easy pasta

things like that and also eating out a lot more tKDQ,VKRXOGKDYH1RZWKDW,¶P

JHWWLQJLQWRDURXWLQHLW¶VHDVLHUWRKDYHWKHWLPHWRPDNHP\PHDOVRUSODQRXW

ZKHQ,¶PJRLQJWRPDNHWKHP,WZDVQ¶WHDV\DWILUVWXKDGMXVWLQJWRKDYLQJWR

make my own food.

When asked what specifically they were happy about with regard to their eating habits, six of the total eight students interviewed were happy for reasons relating to healthy food. One student stated that he had been eating a lot more vegetables at school, and eating salad, which was something he had never done at home. Another student reported that, ³%HIRUH,VWDUWHGHDWLQJVRZHOOXP,DOZD\VIHOWWLUHGDQGVRUWRIVLFNEXW

QRZ,QHYHUJHWVLFNDQG,¶PQHYHUWLUHG´ One of these six students discussed how even though she may not have always eaten healthy at school, she was happy that she did

³actually consider it´. That is, this student was happy that she did think about the fact that she should be eating healthy although sometimes she made unhealthy choices.

Two of the six students were happy with their abilities to make healthy choices.

One student reported knowing that whether she bought unhealthy or healthy food determined what she would eat. Thus she was happy that she could make decisions to buy healthy food to stock her cupboards/refrigerator.

Contrary to the reports of happiness based on health, one student reported being very happy despite claiming to be unhealthy. The student stated that,

,NQRZ,GRQ¶WHDWKHDOWK\± ,WKLQNWKHUHDVRQ,GRQ¶WHDWKHDOWK\LVµcause I

always eat whatever I want tRHDW2QDVFDOHRIRQHWR,¶GEHD with like

the happiness of it.

One student reported being happy that she knew how to cook and manipulate the flavours in her food. She stated that having friends come over and ask for her homemade

IRRGZDV³a self-esteem booster´

6WXGHQWV¶&RQFHUQVDQG&KDOOHQJHV$ERXW7KHLU(DWLQJ+DELWV

Six of the eight students interviewed expressed concern about having unhealthy eating habits. One on-campus student said, ³,GRJLYHLQWRXQKHDOWK\IRRGDORW ± I do eat

SUHWW\XQKHDOWKLO\DORWZRUVHWKDQ,ZLVK,GLG,GRQ¶WZDQWWRHDWXQKHDOWK\VR,WU\EXW

LW¶VKDUG´ One student reported that he was concerned with the food he ate at lunchtime, such as pizza and burgers, and such habits made him feel tKDWKHPXVW³do an extra work out to try and burn those off´

One of the eight students was concerned that she was eating too little, because she often got ³so distracted studying´WKDWVKHMXVWKDG a quick and light meal. Another reported that she was concerned with the eating out aspect of her eating habits. She expressed that it was ³just so easy´WRJRRXWDQGHDWDWWKHUHTXHVWof her friends, but acknowledged WKDW³thDW¶VDOVRH[SHQVLYHDQGLW¶VQRWDVKHDOWK\DVHDWLQJDWKRPH´

When discussing the challenges to healthy eating that students experience, all four on-campus students mentioned the unhealthy options constantly available at Mealhall.

One on-campus student reported that, ³0HDOKDOOGRHVQ¶WKDYHWKRVHKHDOWK\GLQQHUVWKH\ put out running all day ± WKH\KDYHWKHJULOOVWDWLRQZKLFKLVDOHVVKHDOWK\DOWHUQDWLYH´

Similarly, another on-campus student stated that, ³:KHQ\RXZDONLQDOO\RXVHHLVMXQN food ± \RX¶OOVHHDORQJOLQHIRUZKDWHYHU¶VEHLQJFRRNHGEXWWKHQ\RXFDQMXWJRIRU whaWHYHU¶VRQWKHVLGHVOLNHWKHSL]]DRUWKHEXUJHUV´

Three of the four on-campus students also reported that 0HDOKDOO¶VRSHUDWLRQDO hours was a challenge healthy eating. This included both the time periods when they served prepared dinners and lunches, and the closing time of 9:00 pm. In reference to the time of 7:30 pm when Mealhall stopped serving prepared dinner, one student reported

26 that her friends on the rugby team could not get to Mealhall until after that time due to

SUDFWLFH$WWKDWWLPH³all WKDW¶VOHIWDUHWKHJULOOVWDWLRQVDQGVDODGV´and the student reported that her friends choose the unhealthy options because ³LI\RX¶UHUHDOO\KXQJU\

\RXGRQ¶WZDQWDVDODG´

Two of the on-campus students also mentioned the challenge of having a tight schedule around lunchtime and not having enough time to go to Mealhall. One student reported only having half an hour between classes and thus her only option was Quiznos for lunch, which she said ³LVQ¶WWRREDG´EXWWKDWLWZRXOGEHQLFHWRKDYHD³healthy restaurant on-campus´. )XUWKHUPRUHDQRWKHUVWXGHQWVWDWHGWKDW³LW¶VH[WUHPHO\VWUHVVIXO to go to Mealhall during that like 20 minute period´EHWZHHQKHUFOasses. This was because Mealhall got very busy, and it could be hard to find places to sit, etc.

Two of the four off-campus students reported that not knowing how to cook or to be healthy were the challenges to healthy eating when living off-campus. One student stated that,

A lot of my friends who went to live off-campus had no idea what to cook for

themselves or what they should eat, so they ended up eating a lot of macaroni and

FKHHVHFDXVHWKDW¶VWKHRQO\WKLQJWKH\NQHZKRZWRPDNH,WKLQNLW¶VDQ

education problem because a lot of people, their parents cook for them all the

time or they go out to a restaurant.

The other off-campus student reported that,

0RVWSHRSOHGRQ¶WNQRZKRZLPSRUWDQWLWLVWRHDWKHDOWK\DQGZKDWWKH\QHHGWR

eat in order to be healthy. I know people will buy TV dinners that have some

EURFFROLLQLWDQGWKLQNµRKLW¶VVRJUHDW¶

Two off-campus students mentioned the challenges of time and effort to cook their own meals. One student reported that he believed WKDW³a lot of off-campus people are probably hungry´EHFause of how much more work it was to cook than to be able to go to Mealhall. The student thus believed that off-FDPSXVVWXGHQWV³GRQ¶WHDWDVPXFK´ because they have to buy and cook their food. Another off-campus student reported the

FKDOOHQJHRIWKH³time to cook the meals«especially during midterms and exams´

One of the off-campus students reported budgeting in relation to buying healthy food as a challenge to healthy eating. This student stated that, ³$ELJRQHLV budgeting.

,W¶VDORWFKHDSHUWo buy boxed processed foods than it is to buy fresh prodXFH´

6WXGHQWV¶9LHZVRQ7KHLU)XWXUH(DWLQJ+DELWV

When asked how they thought their current eating habits related to their future eating habits, three of the eight participants interviewed reported that that they did not anticipate their habits would change much. One student in this group reported that, ³, feel like the habits I make now at this very sort of developmental time is definitely going

WRFDUU\RYHUWRZKHQ,OHDYHXQLYHUVLW\´ Another student stated that his eating habits would not change, and that he organized his day around being able to eat the way he does.

The third student in this group was one who previously claimed to have an unhealthy diet.

He stated that he would SUREDEO\³just keep eating like this´XQWLODGRFWRUWROGKLPKH needed to change.

One student was unsure of how/if his future eating habits might change. He reported that it could essentially go either way - that if he was used to eating a certain food, he may stay the same and keep eating it, or KHPD\³get tired of eating it and change´$QRWKHUVWXGHQWUHSorted that her time in school was D³learning experience

28 with a very steep curve´DQGVKHZDV currently experimenting with a lot of things. The student stated WKDWVKHZLOO³have a better idea of how to make flavours work´in the future because of her experimenting.

Two of the students reported that they believed or hoped that they would eat healthier in the future. One student said that, ³,¶OOGHILQLWHO\VWLOOZDQWXQKHDOWK\IRRGV but I think having it for so long it will probably make me want to eat healthier once I get

RXW´ Another student mentioned the importance of living off-campus and being able to

VHHZKDWLW¶VOLNHWROLYHLQWKH³real world´ZKHUHIRRGLVQRWMXVWPDGHE\VRPHRQHHOVH

This student also reported that they hoped they would eat healthier in the future all the time, as opposed to now when they only ate healthy if they had the time to do so.

Furthermore, one student reported that her time at school had made her more aware of what she put into her body.

Off-campus Students¶5HIOHFWLRQVRI Living On-campus

Three of the four off-campus students interviewed had previously lived on- campus. Two of these three students reported that they ate healthier now that they were off-campus. One of these students reported that ³I eat healthier now´EHFDXVHWKHUHZDV

³not a big plate of brownies at every meal´6LPLODUO\DQRWKHUVWXGHQWPHQWLRQHGWKH dessert station as playing a large role in their unhealthy habits while living on-campus.

This student also reported that he ate much more overall when on-campus, as Mealhall allowed for unlimited eating.

Two of the three students mentioned the repetitive nature of Mealhall. One stated,

I probably have more variety than people who live on-campus cause thH\¶UHRQD

two- or three-ZHHNVFKHGXOHVRLW¶VOLNHUHDOO\JRRGZKHQ\RXILUVWJHWWKHUHDQG

WKHQDIWHUDPRQWK\RX¶UHOLNHRND\, I had this last week.

The off-campus student who had a meal plan stated that in his first year of school, he would always choose the French fries and chicken strips. However, he eventually found those choices too repetitive DVKH³FDQ¶WHDWWKHVDPHWKLQJHYHU\GD\´+Hreported that he tried to eat the prepared lunches/dinners at Mealhall.

6WXGHQWV¶&RPPHQWV2Q7KH([SHULHnce of Eating at University

Seven of the eight students answered the final question µ,VWKHUe anything you would like to add that you think would help me better understand the experience for students of eating while attending uQLYHUVLW\"¶7wo mentioned the inconvenience of

Mealhall closing time (9 pm). One student reported that, ³It forces me to eat a small

WKLQJLQP\URRPDQGXVXDOO\JRKXQJU\RUVRPHWLPHV,RUGHUVRPHWKLQJIURP-RH¶V

ZKLFKLVFRVWO\DQGYHU\XQKHDOWK\´ Two students discussed the aspect of convenience as being important while eating at university. One student stated ³a lot of it is based on convenience´IRURQ-campus students this was ³usually dining hall´)XUWKHUWRWKLV

DQRWKHUVWXGHQWUHSRUWHGWKDWRQHRIWKH³biggest conveniences about Mealhall is that you

GRQ¶WKDYHWRFRRNIRU\RXUVHOI´7ZRVWXGHQWVUHSRUWHGWKHLVVXHRIPDQ\VWXGHQWVQRW knowing how to cook, mainly because their parents did the majority of the cooking before they came to university. One student stated that,

I think a lot of people are raised in a house where their parents probably feed

WKHPHYHU\GD\&ROOHJHLVUHDOO\WKHILUVWWLPHZKHUH\RXGHFLGHZKDW\RX¶UH

gonna eat ± kind of like a test when it comes to food.

Three of the students discussed the aspect of money and having to budget carefully; this often lead to buying the cheapest foods available. One on-campus student speculated about the challenges experienced by off-FDPSXVVWXGHQWVSHFLILFDOO\WKH³cost and ability to get food´EHFDXVH³LW¶VH[SHnsive´7KLVVWXGHQWVWDWHGWKDWVRPHRII- campus students have difficulty finding the time to cook, and so go out to eat or get pre- made meals, both of which are expensive.

Summary

The themes that arose from analysis of the results were: 1) food quality and availability for participants living on-campus; 2) convenience and time constraints when cooking for oneself; 3) the value of experience; 4) social situations and the influence of others; 5) pride and guilt; 6) preferring sleep over eating; and 7) budgeting. These themes are discussed in the Discussion section.

Chapter 5: Discussion

The themes arising from analysis of the interviews, and limitations and possible application of the findings at Acadia University are discussed in this chapter.

Food Quality and Availability for Participants Living On-campus

For participants living on-campus, the quality and availability of food was a dominant theme emerging from the interviews. This theme generally referred to the food available in Mealhall, and included the abundance of unhealthy food choices, food access and repetitiveness of foods offered. The on-campus participants described how they had often selected options such as French fries and pizza, despite acknowledging them to be unhealthy, because they were more enjoyable than the healthy options, and because they were so easily accessible throughout the day. This is a significant issue, largely contributing to the unhealthy eating habits of the participants living on-campus who are required to have a meal plan. The availability of unhealthy choices is consistent with

Blissmer et al¶V LGHQWLILFDWLRQRI readily available unhealthy food as a contributor to weight gain and unhealthy dietary intakes at many universities, and poses a challenge to the health of undergraduate students.

All on-campus students in this study mentioned that prepared meals were only served at certain times of the day while pizza, hamburgers, etc. were available all day.

The participants considered the prepared mDLQPHDOVDVµhealthy¶KRZHYHUWZRRIWKHP indicated that they could not get to Mealhall in time for the meals. This was often because of busy schedules, causing students to miss lunch, or not waking up early enough for breakfast. Students believed that the lack of availability of healthy choices lead them

32 to eat the unhealthier, more readily available foods, such as pizza, French fries and hamburgers.

Participants living on-campus shared a common perception that the operational hours at Mealhall were not timed to coincide with student schedules. All participants expressed the view that Mealhall closed too early in the evening. The students tended to stay up late and majority of them noted that when they got hungry late at night, they either remained hungry, ate the unhealthy foods they had stored in their rooms, or ordered food in. The latter meant that students spent money on food, despite having paid upfront for a meal plan. $OVRZLWKUHJDUGWR0HDOKDOO¶VKRXUVDQGVWXGHQWVFKHGXOHVRQHRQ- campus participant reported that her 20-minute break between classes at lunchtime was not long enough to go to Mealhall and eat, especially as Mealhall gets very busy and thus

³stressful´DWWKDWWLPHThis is an important finding because students may go without eating because they do not feel comfortable going to Mealhall when it is busy, or because they simply do not believe that they have enough time to eat before their next class.

All participants living on-campus mentioned the repetitive nature of the menu cycle in Mealhall. Participants reported that this caused them to no longer want to eat the foods that they had once enjoyed. An off-campus student who previously lived on- campus discussed the fact that despite only buying limited groceries to cook for herself, she believed she had more variety in her meals than those living on-campus.

Dissatisfaction with the available menu may lead to unhealthy/expensive behaviours such as skipping meals, or purchasing food from elsewhere.

Convenience and Time Constraints When Cooking for Oneself

Convenience of food preparation for participants living off-campus was important to students. Participants living off-campus frequently mentioned making simple meals that did not take much time to prepare. For some participants, limiting time on cooking and eating had unhealthy consequences, for example, students bought convenience/instant foods. Some students commented that they ate unhealthier at school due to having these quick meals whereas at home their meals were moUH³elaborate´DQG³balanced´

Another off-campus student discussed that he ate much more food when he was at home, because his mother did the food-getting. These findings are consistent with Dauner et

DO¶V report on ³ODFNRISHUFHLYHGWLPHGXHWR WKHEXV\QDWXUHRIFROOHJHOLIH´ S

534) acted as a EDUULHUWRWKHVWXGHQWV¶DELOLWLHV to cook healthy meals. Thus, the busy

QDWXUHRIXQLYHUVLW\VWXGHQWV¶OLYHVis an important consideration in healthy and unhealthy eating behaviours.

The Value of Experience

Managing time to plan meals was mainly relevant for students living off-campus.

Within this theme, two student types were identified; those with prior experience or knowledge of meal planning and preparation (the Experienced), and those without this prior experience or knowledge (the Beginners). Both the Experienced and the Beginner participants reported making grocery lists, grocery shopping and food preparation activities. What varied was the ease with which some participants carried out these actions, making for less stressful and better-planned mealtimes. The two Experienced participants reported that preparing dinner took approximately an hour. These participants spoke confidently about their food preparation rituals and methods, and

34 discussed that for the most part, they stuck to their shopping, cooking and eating plans.

They had prepared meals prior to coming to university. One of the Experienced participants discussed how he had gained his experience while living alone before starting

DW$FDGLD8QLYHUVLW\'XULQJKLVILUVWIHZ\HDUVOLYLQJDORQHKHVDLGWKDWKH³GLGQ¶WNQRZ how to cook´RUPDQDJHKLVWLPHZHOODQGVRKLVGLHWDU\KDELWVZHUHRIWHQXQKHDOWK\ eating quick meals such as instant macaroni and cheese. However, with time, he was able to improve his cooking and time management skills and at the time of the interview reported that he GLGQRW³feel any stress trying to find time to eat´+LVHDWLQJKDELWVwere stable as he claimed that he organized his day around being able to eat the way he did.

Another Experienced participant gained her experience of food preparation while living at home with her family. She stated that her sister and she had taken responsibility for cooking for their family when she was 12 years old. She talked about meal planning and preparation as acts she enjoyed, planned her meals for the week during the weekend, and stayed with her plan. Experienced participants appear less likely to buy unhealthy food impulsively or to rely on unhealthy convenience foods.

For Beginners, living off-campus at Acadia University was also their first time living away from home (although two had lived on-campus and had eaten at Mealhall).

One of the Beginners stated that he ate much more at home because his mother did all of the shopping and cooking, and discussed the challenges of actually have to buy and cook food. Because of this extra responsibility, he believed that many off-campus students were often hungry. A Beginner participant, while expressing the difficulty she experienced adjusting to making her own food in her first year living off-campus, also told of the progress she was making. She was improving her meal planning skills, had

35 started to get into a routine, and was finding it easier to have the time to plan meals. She reported that this was difficult to maintain when school workload increased.

One of the Experienced students told about her Beginner friends when they moved off-campus for the first time: ³They had no idea what to cook for themselves or what they should eat´ She felt that this lead to young adults going to university and deciding to live off-campus, with very little idea of how to feed themselves at all, let alone healthily.

The other Experienced student shared this point of view stating that many people he knew did not know what they should eat to be healthy.

These findings indicate that Experienced students valued the opportunities they had to gain experience in meal planning and preparation. They were able to manage their time better, plan their meals in advance, and cook food with confidence and that this related to their perception that they had healthier, more well balanced meals than

Beginners. The Beginners resorted to µTXLFNIL[HV¶VXFKDVFRQYHQLHQFHIRRGVRUHDWLQJ out at restaurants.

Social Situations and the Influence of Others

For all of the participants, eating with friends was important, especially for the on- campus students. These findings relate to the social nature of eating (Kocos et al., 2009).

Through these interviews, peer influences on where and what participants ate was apparent, both positive and negative. Negative influences were when students ate unhealthy food at a restaurant when with friends. These results were consistent with

Blissmer et al.¶VILQGings (2009) that many students, specifically females, found it difficult to eat healthy in social situations. Positive influences were also noted. One off- campus participant noted that when eating with his girlfriend, he ate ³very healthy´

36 consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables. Similarly, another participant reported that while he generally ate whatever he wanted (tending toward unhealthy food), because his roommate was a very healthy eater, he had started to put more thought into what he ate, and that when they ate together he tended to eat healthier. These results are similar to those found in the study by Dauner et al. (2011) that several female respondents found their peers to be positive influences on their diet. As with this study, this phenomenon only occurred when the peers themselves were eating healthy.

Pride and Guilt

Feelings of pride and guilt were connected to unhealthy and healthy eating respectively. When students decisions to eat what they considered to be unhealthy food, they experienced guild and negative emotions. Conversely, when participants made what they considered to be healthy eating decisions, they expressed feeling proud of themselves and of experiencing positive emotions. What is interesting is that negative emotions were not enough for students to avoid eating the unhealthy food in the first place, and experience the sense of instant satisfaction that occurs when enjoying a meal.

7KLVLVFRQVLVWHQWZLWK0RUOH\¶V REVHUYDWLRQWKDWUHVSRQGHQWVEDODQFHGEHOLHIVDQd behaviours about eating to minimize guilt and to maximize harmony.

Examples of positive emotions and pride were that one student living on-campus reported that she ate healthier while at school than she did while at home, that this made her happy, and that she thought this allowed her to feel more awake and responsive in class. A participant living off-campus reported that after he started to make healthier choices, he never got sick or overly tired. Another student reported happy feelings because he ate a lot more vegetables at school than he did at home. Interestingly, one

37 student reported that although she did not always eat healthy, she did, at least, think about her health and what she should be eating. This made her happy, despite not always deciding to make healthy choices. This is what Morley (2002) referred to as bringing unthoughts about eating into consciousness. Two participants living off-campus discussed their feelings of happiness when they made healthy decisions. As they spoke, they conveyed a sense of pride.

It is important to note that the questions about emotions connected to eating habits

(Question five, Appendix C) often invoked some confusion. In response to the question, many participants paused, took a while to answer, or expressed that they were not sure how to answer the question. Although participants may have had difficulty responding to this question, they offered comments about emotions and feelings related to their eating behaviours in their answers to other questions. This implies that the students may not realize the extent to which their eating behaviours affect their emotional experiences, consistent ZLWK/XSWRQ¶V DQG0RUOH\¶V REVHUYDWLRQVDERXWµXQWKRXJKWV¶ related to eating, that is, that much RIZKDWLQIOXHQFHVRQH¶VHDWLQJEHKDYLRXUVLVQRW known or in consciousness.

Preferring Sleep Over Eating

Participants commonly reported the importance of sleep ± it was preferred to having a meal, particularly breakfast. Three on-campus students discussed missing breakfast before their first class of the day to allow them to sleep longer. However, this theme was most salient when students discussed their typical weekend days. All four participants living on-campus stated that they almost never went to Mealhall for breakfast during the weekends. This desire to sleep may be related to the finding that students

38 tended to stay up late. The potential impact on eating behaviours is that missing breakfast may cause students difficulty concentrating during morning classes, and to be excessively hungry and to overeat by lunchtime.

Budgeting

Budgeting for food was a concern for off-campus participants although this was also a consideration for those living on-campus. These findings were consistent with

BlissPHUHWDO¶V report of monetary constraint for students as a challenge to healthy eating. Budgeting was more of an issue for participants living off-campus, as unlike the on-campus students with pre-paid meal plans, they had to regularly spend money on groceries. In addition, owing to the lack of cooking skills, two of the off- campus students reported eating out more often. One participant referred to this as

³blowing my budget´. 7KH\SHUFHLYHGWKDWKDYLQJDOLPLWHGLQFRPHPDGHLW³difficult to eat well´7KHSDUWLFLSDQWVIURPWKLVVWXG\WHQGHGWRFRQVLGHUFKHDSHUIRRGWRDOVREHOHVs

KHDOWK\VLPLODUWR%OLVVPHUHWDO¶V UHSRUWWKDWSDUWLFLSDQWVVSRNHRIWKHKLJKFRVW of healthful behaviours. Any efforts to engage Acadia University students in food skilling must address food budget concerns.

Healthy Food Policy at Acadia

The findings from this study complement and support the Healthy Eating for

Publicly Funded Institutions project funded by the NS Department of Health and

Wellness Thrive! Program undertaken at Acadia University during 2013 (Morley et al.,

2013). The purpose of the Thrive! project was WR³articulate one or more realistic and sustainable food availability/healthy eating policies for WKH$FDGLD8QLYHUVLW\&DPSXV´

(Morley et al., 2013 p.5 ). The Thrive! Working Group conducted an environmental scan

39 on existing policies/programs at post-secondary institutions in Canada and the United

States, and gathered information directly from Acadia University students, faculty, and staff. Findings gathered from students included increasing awareness of eating options on-campus, implementing campus-wide labelling systems, availability of fresh and healthy options, access to food across campus and later in the day, use of local food,

Sharing Great Food type programs (a weekly student cooperative meal), Chartwells food service practices, more flexible meal plan options, and making kitchens available in residence (Morley et al., 2013). Integrating the findings of this study with the Thrive!

Report when developing a food policy for Acadia University has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of an emerging food policy.

Practical Applications and Recommendations

Analysis of the interviews yielded recommendations for future programs and policies have the potential to influence $FDGLD8QLYHUVLW\VWXGHQWV¶HDWLQJEHKDYLRXUV.

7KHILUVWUHFRPPHQGDWLRQDULVHVIURPWKHWKHPHµIRRGTXDOLW\DQGDYDLODELOLW\IRU participants living on-campus¶DQGLVWKDWLWPD\EHEHQHILFLDOLIWKHPDLQµKHDOWKLHU¶ meals at Mealhall were served for longer periods throughout the day, and the

µXQKHDOWKLHU¶RSWLRQVOLPLWHGDWVRPHSRLQWPDNLQJVDQGZLFKHVDQGVDODGVHWFPRUH available. Furthermore, extending the operational hours of Mealhall may be beneficial.

While keeping the entire building open and functioning late into the night may be unrealistic, it may still be of benefit to keep the sandwich and salad bar open, so students can get something healthy to eat to sustain them as needed.

A practical suggestion that DURVHXQGHUWKHWKHPHRIµFRQYHQLHQFHDQGWLPH

FRQVWUDLQWVZKHQFRRNLQJIRURQHVHOI¶ZDVWKDWRISURJUDPVWRKHOSVWXGHQWVEHWWHU

40 manage their time balancing schoolwork, social life, and feeding oneself. This improved time management may allow students to have more time during which they can cook healthy meals.

:LWKLQWKHWKHPHµWKHYDOXHRIH[SHULHQFH¶WKHEHQHILWVWRVWXGHQWVKHDOWKRI arriving at university with prior cooking and meal preparation experience were discussed.

While Acadia University would have no influence on encouraging prospective students to have more responsibility with meal planning prior to coming to Acadia, perhaps programs can be implemented while at University. The University could offer programs for students who are living off-campus for the first time, or for on-campus students planning to move off-campus. These programs may include practical, hands-on cooking along with advice on menu and shopping planning and budgeting

The presence of others while eating was an important influence on the eating behaviours of participants. As it appears that the healthy eating habits of one student can

LQFUHDVHWKHKHDOWKRIDQRWKHUVWXGHQW¶VKDELWVWKHtheme µVRFLDOVLWXDWLRQVDQGWKH

LQIOXHQFHRIRWKHUV¶supports the notion of peer support groups for students who desire to and are trying to eat healthy. Groups of peers who are trying to eat healthy may be more

VXFFHVVIXOLQGRLQJVRLQHDFKRWKHUV¶FRPSDQ\UDWKHUWKDQDPLGVWDODUJHUJURXSRI students engaged in unhealthy eating.

As is discussed throughout this thesis, many factors affect why students eat what they do, along with the temptations of the readily-available unhealthy food. It is therefore understandable that students would feel a sense of pride and happiness when they were able to overcome temptations and make what they considered to be healthy choices. As

ZDVPDGHHYLGHQWXQGHUWKHWKHPHRIµSULGHDQGJXLOW¶ making healthy decisions allowed

41 students to experience positive emotions, thus it would be beneficial for students to receive reinforcement for these actions and emotions. This reinforcement could come from various programs or peer support groups within the University community, with the desired outcome of encouraging the continuation of the healthy choices.

Owing to concerns about the cost of food DVGLVFXVVHGZLWKLQWKHµEXGJHWLQJ¶ theme, it is important to note that it may be that students trying to maintain a budget may not be willing to pay for programs designed to improve their dietary habits. Furthermore, many inexpensive choices in supermarkets do tend to be unhealthy, convenience foods. It would be beneficial for nutrition education programs aimed at students to give insights into eating healthy on a budget.

Lastly, the findings from this study can inform future research about the eating behaviours of Acadia University students. For example, an online survey to learn more about the eating behaviours/food skills reported in this study delineated for on- and off- campus students and aiming for a large response rate would provide more information on how the University might create conditions that support students to eat healthy. The results of this survey could inform decision-making about possible programs and services for students living on- and off-campus.

Limitations

There are three limitations to this study. The first is that because a Nutrition student conducted the interviews, participants may have been less inclined to discuss any unhealthy eating habits/behaviours for the fear of being judged and to share what they thought the researcher wanted to hear. Furthermore, all of the study participants were students who replied to a recruitment email; their responses indicated that they already

42 had interest in the topics of eating and eating behaviours. Thus, participants¶ opinions and experiences may not be representative of the general population of Acadia University students and cannot be generalized. While the number of participants in each of the groups to be studied (on- and off-campus in each year of study) was small, the findings from this study are the first using a phenomenological approach, and serve to inform future research projects, and provide insights into planning/offering nutrition and food skilling programs/services for students attending Acadia University. As with the self- selection limitation, the findings cannot be generalized to report on eating behaviours of

Acadia students overall, nor can they be considered to be applicable to the experiences of students attending any other university.

Chapter 6: Summary

While reports exist on the energy and dietary intakes of undergraduate students, very little research has been done to study how students eat, and the thinking, planning and actions associated with eating. This study aimed to contribute to filling the gap in the literature to further the understanding of eating behaviours of undergraduate students.

Methodology

Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to gather information from participants was beneficial as it created conditions for volunteer participants to share their experiences without limiting or predetermining their answers.

Conducting the interviews face-to-face was beneficial as it allowed the researcher to ask for clarification on various statements made by the interviewees, and to note expressions of confusion about any of the questions.

Emergent Themes

Major findings from this study were presented as seven themes that affect

VWXGHQWV¶HDWLQJEHKDYLRXUV. Food quality and availability was a theme more relevant to students living on-campus and related to perceptions about food served in Mealhall.

Discontent with eating in Mealhall appeared to lead students to eating unhealthy fast food and convenience items. The theme of convenience and time constraints when cooking for oneself UHIHUUHGWRWKHEXV\QDWXUHRIVWXGHQWV¶OLYHV, and was more relevant for off- campus students. These students claimed being too busy to make healthy meals due to a lack of time and, as a result, often ate instant/convenience foods. The value of experience was a theme more relevant to off-campus students, and led to the identification of two types of students, Experienced and Beginners. The Experienced students were better able

44 to manage their time and plan meals, whereas Beginners lacked these skills, and consumed convenience foods more regularly. Another theme was that of social situations and the influence of others, that eating with others can both negatively and positively impact an individual¶s eating behaviours and intakes. Pride and guilt referred to the emotions participants experienced related to their eating habits and consumption of certain foods. The sixth theme, the importance of sleep, revealed that sleeping was often more important than being awake to eat breakfast. The final theme of budgeting for food provisioning was more relevant to off-campus students, and often led to the purchase of cheap, unhealthy foods.

Relevance of Findings

The findings from this study provide insights into why, how, when, and where students eat what they eat, and have the potential to inform future studies with a larger number of respondents, healthy eating policy, and programs and services at Acadia

University. Recommendations arising from these findings are:

x Discussions with the Foodservice Director of Mealhall on limiting unhealthy

options, prolonging the serving time of the main prepared meals, and

extending the operational hours beyond 9 pm.

x The development of an online survey to gather less detailed information from

a greater number of respondents.

x Through consultations with students (both on- and off-campus) and Student

Affairs, the development of appropriate supports for students to feed

themselves. These may include: 1) programs aimed at teaching (primarily off-

campus students or those planning to move off-campus) meal planning and

45 food preparation skills as a component of time management skills and; 2) the development of peer support groups where students encourage each other in healthy eating.

Chapter 7: O rientation of The Researcher

My interest in doing research of this nature arose simply from observing my peers in Mealhall. Living in residence while attending Acadia University, I noticed what various people ate, and saw the unhealthy food choices of many students. Examples were the large numbers of students choosing the pizza and hamburgers over the salads, sandwiches and prepared plates of food (consisting of a meat, starch and vegetables), and eating dessert (cakes, cookies, ice-cream, etc.) everyday. I also heard complaints and comments about the food on-campus and in Mealhall, especially from international students. This led to my thinking about all that students go through and take into consideration in order to eat when they are away from home and attending Acadia

University. I also thought about the limited food storage and cooking facilities in the residence, the mandatory meal plan for all students in residence, and the likely discouragement that many students had from parents, as I did, from seeking food from anywhere besides Mealhall since meal plans were prepaid.

While I have never lived off-campus, hearing the stories of my peers led me to believe that off-campus students also had unique issues in feeding themselves. For example, I have heard some students report how expensive groceries were, which came as a surprise to them having never had to grocery shop before. I have also heard students say that they did not bother to buy many vegetables as they often went bad before students had a chance to cook them. Some of my peers resorted to cooking one meal in bulk and freezing it in single portions, or eating instantly prepared packages foods, such as ramen noodles. Others did not cook at all because they did not like to clean up. Thus,

47 time management and the work of feeding oneself appeared to present challenges in terms of having to cook meals while a student living off-campus.

I also believe that stress and the period of the semester affected what, when, and where students ate DV,KDYHZLWQHVVHGFKDQJHVLQP\URRPPDWHV¶HDWLQJKDELWVGXULQJ exam periods. All of these factors affect our food intakes throughout the university years.

I believe there are many more factors and issues students consider and deal with that I have not considered or incorporated into this study.

The Healthy Eating Summit (HES) held on-campus on March 6, 2013 demonstrated students were open to sharing their thoughts and concerns about eating and food and that they had a lot to say. The HES was led by student volunteers, who guided discussions with groups of students on their thoughts on healthy and sustainable eating at

Acadia University. The leaders crowd-sourced various points on the topic of healthy and sustainable eating, and each point was then discussed in further detail in small groups.

From participating in the HES, I learned that students were very forthcoming with their views and opinions and that this willingness to share experiences and ideas about healthy eating would likely extend to wanting to participate in a thesis project.

I was unable to locate any literature on how undergraduate students go about feeding themselves. This observation paired with being unable to locate previous examples of phenomenological DSSURDFKHVWRH[SORULQJXQLYHUVLW\VWXGHQWV¶H[SHULHQFHV of eating in the literature, inspired me to undertake this thesis in the way that I did.

Furthermore, because of the interest of Student Affairs in learning how best to support students to nourish themselves while studying at Acadia University, I believed that conducting interviews with students on their experiences of eating would serve the dual

48 purpose of allowing me to learn about the eating experiences of other students, and that the findings would be of use to Student Affairs. This understanding would (and has) lead to questions for further explorations to be used in informing decision making about nutrition education/food access for students while attending Acadia University.

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Appendix A: Research Consent Form

Annotated Research Consent Form: For Competent Adults

Study Title Eating While at University: An Exploration of Acadia University Student Experiences Principal Victoria Cox, Undergraduate Honours student Researcher School of Nutrition and Dietetics [email protected] Research Dr. Catherine Morley, PhD, PDt, FDC Supervisor Assistant Professor, School of Nutrition and Dietetics, (902) 585 1351 [email protected] Research Ethics Board Approval Date: September 8th 2013

For questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact the Chair of the Acadia University Research Ethics Board, Dr. Stephen Maitzen by e-mail at [email protected], and by telephone at 902-585-1407.

Purpose of the Research Project

The purpose of this research is to explore Acadia University undergraduate student experiences of eating, (with a focus on the challenges to healthy eating).

$WWHQGLQJFROOHJHXQLYHUVLW\PDUNVDWUDQVLWLRQDOSHULRGLQPDQ\VWXGHQWV¶OLYHVDVLWLV often the first time students are living away from home and assuming responsibility for feeding themselves. This research is needed to understand the eating experience and dietary choices of undergraduate students that can inform the development of nutrition education programs and services for Acadia University students living on and off- campus.

Participation will be in the form of individual interviews with eight students from

Acadia University. To be included in this study, students must be enrolled in an undergraduate program in any School or Faculty, in any of years one to four, and be between 19 and 25 years old, of any gender identity, and living on or off-campus.

Description of the Research

x You are being asked to partake in this study because you are an undergraduate

student at Acadia University.

x Once you have been deemed eligible to participate in this study, the principal

researcher will schedule an interview at a mutually convenient time. Research

participation will not result in missed classes.

x No specific testing is required to determine eligibility for participation.

x No personal records will be reviewed. Confirmation of undergraduate student

status at Acadia University will be ensured through email communication using a

valid Acadia University email address. You will be asked to show the interviewer

your valid student identification card before the interview commences.

x The interview is expected to last between one and two hours, and will be audio-

recorded.

x The interview will be conducted on a one-on-one basis. You will be asked a

series of questions covering topics that include your daily eating routine, and

how/what/when and why you eat what you do.

x The interview will beheld in the School of Nutrition and Dietetics, on the fourth

floor of Huggins Science Hall.

Potential Harms

There are no known harms associated with your participation in this research. It is important that you know that you do not have to respond to questions that you are uncomfortable answering. Should you feel the need for counselling, the Student

Resource Centre at Acadia offers individual and group counselling sessions, and appointments can be made by email ([email protected]).

You may ask to stop the interview at any time. Any information gathered up to that point will not be used in the analysis. You are free to request that your information not be used in the study within 30 days of completing your interview.

It is important to remember that consenting to participate in this study does not waive any rights that you have to legal recourse in the event of research-related harm.

Potential Benefits

You can be assured that your participation will provide insights into planning and offering nutrition education programs/services and supports for Acadia University undergraduate students.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality will be respected. No information that discloses your identity will be released or published. The transcript and audio recording of your interview will be labelled with a number rather than your name. The code matching names and numbers of participants will be stored in a password-SURWHFWHGILOHRQWKHUHVHDUFKHU¶VSHUVRQDO computer. All hard copy documents (transcripts) and audio recording files of the interview will be stored in a lockeGILOLQJFDELQHWLQ'U&DWKHULQH0RUOH\¶VRIILFHth floor of Huggins Science Hall.

All contact information collected, such as your email address, will only be used for contacting you during the study, and will be deleted once the study is completed.

Publication

Your name and identifying information will not be revealed in any of the published forms of the research.

Reimbursement

There are no costs to participants for participation therefore reimbursement is not relevant to this study. You will receive a $15 voucher for the Save Easy grocery store in appreciation for your participation. If you choose to withdraw from the study during or after the interview, prior to publication, you will still receive the voucher.

Participation

Participation in this research must be voluntary. If you choose to participate and later change your mind, you can stop your interview at any time. You are free to request that your information not be used in the study within 30 days of completing your interview.

Commercialization and Conflict of Interest

A potential source of conflict of interest is that the researcher, who is also an undergraduate student at Acadia University, may be previously acquainted with a study participant. There is no commercialization involved in this study.

Financial Support

This study has received funding from the Department of Research and Graduate

Studies, Acadia University (Canadian Institute of Health Research support).

Consent

I have reviewed all of the information in this consent form related to the study entitled:

Eating While at University: An exploration of Acadia University Student

Experiences

I understand that in participating in this study, I will be asked to describe my eating experiences as a student at Acadia University, and that there are no potential harms known to relate to participation in this study. I understand I will receive a $15 gift card for Save Easy in appreciation for my participation.

I have been given the opportunity to discuss this study. All of my questions have been answered to my satisfaction. I understand that I have the right to ask more questions regarding the study in the future.

This signature on this consent form means that I agree to take part in this study. I understand that I am free to withdraw with none of my information being used up until 30 days after completing the interview.

______/ ______/ ____ Signature of Participant Name (Printed) Year Month Day

______/ ______/ ____ Signature of Investigator Name (Printed) Year Month Day

I Will Be Given A Signed Copy Of This Consent Form Thank you for your time and patience!

Appendix B: Recruitment e-mail

Seeking 8 students to participate in an Honours thesis study

Are you: x An undergraduate student at Acadia? x In your first, second, third or fourth year? x Living either on or off-campus?

If so, please consider participating in an Honours thesis study, Eating While at University: An exploration of the Acadia University student experience.

Participating in this study will involve an interview about your experience of eating while attending school. Your name and any identifying information will remain confidential, and you will be free to drop out of the study at any point should you wish to do so. You will be given a $15 voucher for Save Easy as compensation for participation.

If you are interested in finding out more about this study, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Your interest in participating will be truly appreciated!

Thank you,

Victoria Cox 4th year BSc Nutrition (Honours) [email protected]

Appendix C: Interview Format

Interview Guide

I appreciate you taking the time to participate in this study. My name is Victoria Cox; I am doing this project as an Honours Thesis as part of my Bachelors of Science in Nutrition degree. I am going to ask you some questions about your life and eating experiences as a student.

I am going to audiotape this interview. If at any time during the interview you no longer wish the recorder to be used, you simply have to press this stop button or ask me to stop recording.

Interview Questions

Describe your living situation ± on or off-campus?

Living on-campus Living off-campus 1. 7KLQNLQJDERXWDµW\SLFDO¶VFKRROGD\VWDUWDW 1. 7KLQNLQJDERXWDµW\SLFDO¶VFKRROGD\VWDUW the beginning of the day and tell me about at the beginning of the day and tell me each meal or snack: about each meal or snack: a. Where are you? a. Where are you? b. What do you usually eat? b. What do you usually eat? c. Any reason, if at all, for choosing c. Any reason, if at all, for choosing these places these places d. Thoughts on your experiences eating d. Thoughts on your experiences there/the food bought there eating there/the food bought there 2. 7KLQNLQJDERXWDµW\SLFDO¶ZHHNHQGGD\VWDUW 2. 7KLQNLQJDERXWDµW\SLFDO¶ZHHNHQGGD\ at the beginning of the day and tell me about start at the beginning of the day and tell me each meal or snack: about each meal or snack: a. Where are you? a. Where are you? b. What do you usually eat? b. What do you usually eat? c. Any reason, if at all, for choosing c. Any reason, if at all, for choosing these places these places d. Thoughts on your experiences eating d. Thoughts on your experiences there/the food bought there eating there/the food bought there

3. How feeding yourself when at Acadia 3. How feeding yourself when at Acadia compares to how you feed yourself when compares to how you feed yourself when school is not in session, (eg., when you are at school is not in session, (eg., when you are KRPHZKDWHYHUµKRPH¶PHDQVWR\RX DWKRPHZKDWHYHUµKRPH¶PHDQVWR\RX 4. When you are hungry or feel it is time to eat, 4. When you are hungry or feel it is time to describe your thought process (consider time eat, describe your thought process spent thinking about where to eat/buy food, (consider time spent thinking about where what to eat, food preparation, clean up, etc.) to eat/buy food, what to eat, food 5. Any emotions you have about your eating preparation, clean up, etc.) experiences. 5. Any emotions you have about your eating 6. When you think about how, what, where, experiences when and with whom you eat, how healthy 6. When you think about how, what, where, do you think it is? when and with whom you eat, how healthy 7. What about your eating habits are you happy do you think it is? with? 7. What about your eating habits are you 8. Anything about your eating habits that you happy with? are concerned about? 8. Anything about your eating habits that you 9. When you think about any challenges a are concerned about? student living on-campus might experience 9. When you think about any challenges as a to eating healthy while attending school, student living off-campus might experience what comes to mind? to eating healthy while attending 10. How, if at all, do you think your eating habits school, what comes to mind? now while you are a student living on- 10. How, if at all, do you think your eating campus relate to your future eating habits habits now while you are a student living (that is, what you will be doing after you off-campus relate to your future eating leave university) habits (that is, what you will be doing after 11. Have you ever lived off-campus while a you leave university) student at Acadia University? 11. Have you ever lived in residence while a a. If yes, how do the eating experiences student at Acadia University? you described while living on-campus a. If yes, how do the eating experiences compare to when you lived off- you described while living on-campus campus? compare to when you lived off- campus? 12. Anything you would like to add that you think would help me better understand the experience for students of eating while attending university?