THE CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY AND DAIRY ALTERNATIVES AND THE PERCEPTION OF DAIRY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS A thesis submitted to the Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science By Melissa R. Gresser May 2015 © Copyright, 2015 by Melissa R. Gresser All Rights Reserved ii Thesis written by Melissa R. Gresser B.S., Bowling Green State University, 2013 M.S. Kent State University, 2015 Approved by _________________________, Director, Master’s Thesis Committee Natalie Caine-Bish _________________________, Member, Master’s Thesis Committee Tanya Falcone _________________________, Member, Master’s Thesis Committee Eun-Jeong Ha Accepted by _________________________, Director, School of Health Sciences Lynne E. Rowan _________________________, Dean, College of Education, Health and Human Services Daniel F. Mahony iii GRESSER, MELISSA, M.S., May 2015 Health Sciences THE CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY AND DAIRY ALTERNATIVES AND THE PERCEPTION OF DAIRY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS (103 pp.) Director of Thesis: Natalie Caine-Bish, P.H.D., R.D., L.D. The purpose of this study was to determine the consumption of dairy and dairy alternatives and the perceptions of dairy in college students enrolled at a Northeast Ohio state university. It was expected that dairy and dairy alternative consumption would be greater in males, students living off campus, and graduate students. It was also expected that there would be a difference in the perceptions of dairy between groups. An online questionnaire was completed by students enrolled in courses at Kent State University participants (n=247). Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics, consumption of dairy and dairy alternatives, and perceptions of dairy. T-tests were used to analyze differences in the consumption of dairy and dairy alternatives and the perceptions of dairy between gender, living situation, and academic status groups. A p- value of 0.05 was selected a priori for statistical significance. There were no significant differences in consumption of dairy and dairy alternatives in gender, living situation, and academic status groups. There were some perceptions that were significantly different in gender and living situation groups; however, there were no significant differences in perceptions in academic status groups. This study demonstrated that college students are consuming dairy, but not enough to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Dairy alternatives are not replacing dairy in college students as demonstrated by this study. Gender is the most influential factor in the perceptions and misconceptions of dairy, especially in females. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Natalie Caine-Bish for spending so much time with me on my research journey. I appreciate all the advice, support, and encouragement that she provided to me throughout my education at Kent State University and throughout my research. I also appreciate her confidence in me; she believed in me when I did not believe in myself during my research. I would also like to thank my committee members, Tanya Falcone and Dr. Eun- Jeong Ha, for taking time out of their busy schedules to review my work and provide feedback for the development of a stronger thesis. I appreciate all of the advice and encouragement that they provided to me throughout my research and education while at Kent State University. Institutional Research at Kent State University, particularly Valerie Samuel, was integral in helping me obtain a random sample of Kent State University students to complete my research. I appreciate the time that you spent helping me obtain the parameters of subjects that were needed for my research. I would also like to express my gratitude to Edward Bolden at the Research and Evaluation Bureau for analyzing my data and helping me interpret the results. I also appreciate your patience as I asked for changes in some of the data. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Kent State University students that volunteered their time to complete my survey. I truly appreciate the fact that you helped me out, as a fellow student, on my research journey. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 Overview of Literature .................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 5 Purpose Statement ......................................................................................................... 6 Hypotheses .................................................................................................................... 6 Operational Definitions ................................................................................................. 7 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................ 8 Recommendations for Dairy Consumption .................................................................. 8 Dietary Guidelines for Americans ............................................................................. 8 MyPlate Recommendations ....................................................................................... 9 Nutrients Found in Dairy Products ............................................................................... 9 Calcium .................................................................................................................... 10 Vitamin D................................................................................................................. 12 Phosphorus ............................................................................................................... 14 Magnesium ............................................................................................................... 15 Protein ...................................................................................................................... 16 Effects of Dairy Consumption on Health.................................................................... 17 Osteoporosis ............................................................................................................. 18 Weight Management ................................................................................................ 21 Hypertension ............................................................................................................ 23 Socio-cultural Practices Related to Dairy Consumption ............................................ 25 African-Americans ................................................................................................... 25 Asian-Americans...................................................................................................... 27 Hispanic-Americans ................................................................................................. 28 Current Consumption Patterns .................................................................................... 30 Barriers to Dairy Consumption ................................................................................... 31 Lactose Intolerance .................................................................................................. 31 Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy..................................................................................... 33 Attitudes and Beliefs ................................................................................................ 34 Organizations Currently Promoting & Educating on Dairy Consumption ................. 36 National Milk Processor Education Program .......................................................... 37 American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. ............................................. 39 National Dairy Council ............................................................................................ 41 Dairy Farmers of America ....................................................................................... 41 Food, Farm, and Jobs Bill 2014 ............................................................................... 42 Special milk program ............................................................................................ 43 v Dairy margin protection program ......................................................................... 44 Anti-Dairy Movements ............................................................................................... 45 NotMilk.com ............................................................................................................ 45 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals .......................................................... 46 College Students ......................................................................................................... 46 III. METHODS ................................................................................................................. 49 Study Design .................................................................................................................