A Mulit-Level Approach to Assessing and Understanding the Snack Food Environment at a Large Public University in South Florida

Authors

Christie L. KirchoffFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Public Health

First Advisor's Name

Mariana Sanchez

First Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Cristina Palacios

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Third Advisor's Name

Tan Li

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Melissa Howard

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fifth Advisor's Name

Mike Anastario

Fifth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Keywords

public health

Date of Defense

10-28-2022

Abstract

Obesogenic food environments contribute to poor diet quality and obesity, posing a significant public health concern. Major contributor to the obesity epidemic and ubiquitous on college campuses, snack foods pose a unique threat. Because most research on this topic focuses solely on individual or macro level influences, a multifaceted approach was needed to examine the snack food environment using an ecological framework lens. This exploratory sequential mixed methods approach utilized a food environment audit to assess and grade the overall healthfulness of the snack food environment (Aim 1), a cross-sectional questionnaire to assess snack consumers’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions, and usage of vending machines and convenience stores (Aim 3), and in-depth interviews to assess stakeholder’s perceptions, impressions, and perspectives on barriers and facilitators to improving the snack food environment (Aim 2). vii Aim 1 results found that convenience stores were rated very low, providing minimal healthy selections and an abundance of unhealthy items. The snack food vending machines throughout campus were stocked with 84% unhealthy items with the remaining 16% healthy items largely available only within 12 machines throughout the campus. Aim 2 results suggest that decision-makers perceived that educational campaigns, incorporating the student’s voice into decision making, and improving the actual content of vending machines and convenience stores would be effective strategies for improving the snack environment. Additionally, educational campaigns, student buy-in, raising awareness around obesity, and the university’s position within the community were viewed as facilitators of healthy eating. However, participants described barriers to improving the snack food environment that included varying notions regarding what is considered “healthy,” consumer desires/demand, concerns over lost revenue, and the university corporate structure. Aim 3 results indicated that taste was the most influential factor on snack choice and was associated with increased purchases, as was the perception that healthy items were labeled within vending machines. Together these results indicate the need for action towards improving the snack environment and the ability of consumers to navigate it. These results can inform tailored interventions and policies to improve the snack food environment for both students and staff.

Identifier

FIDC010861

ORCID

0000-0002-2628-7244

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.

Recommended Citation

Kirchoff, Christie L., "A Mulit-Level Approach to Assessing and Understanding the Snack Food Environment at a Large Public University in South Florida" (2022). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5217.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5217