Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores

Authors

Tanya Horacek, Syracuse UniversityFollow
Elif Dede Yildirim, Auburn University
Kendra Kattelmann, South Dakota State University
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/Piscataway
Onikia Brown, University of Lafayette & Auburn UniversityFollow
Sarah Colby, East Carolina University & University of Tennessee
Geoffrey Greene, University of Rhode Island
Sharon Hoerr, Michigan State University
Tandalayo Kidd, Kansas State University
Mallory Koenings, University of Wisconsin & Rutgers University
Jesse Morrell, University of New Hampshire, Durham
Melissa D. Olfert, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Beatrice Phillips, Tuskegee University
Karla Shelnutt, University of Florida
Adrienne White, University of Maine

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6069-9939

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9576-5692

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6186-2822

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8298-3690

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0352-1314

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N/A

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0758-8519

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6686-3891

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Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

College/Unit

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department/Program/Center

Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Abstract

Background: When dietary behaviors are habitual, intentions are low, and environmental cues, such as the consumer food environment, might guide behavior. How might intentions to eat healthily and ultimately actual dietary behaviors, be influenced by the consumer food environment (including the availability and affordability of healthy foods) in convenience stores? This study will determine pathways between the healthfulness of convenience stores and college students’ dietary intentions/behaviors, and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Through multilevel structural equation modeling, a comparison was made of students’ healthful meal intentions (HMI); intake (fruits/vegetables, %kcal/fat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and whole-grains); and measured BMI; as well as the healthfulness of convenience stores (fruits/vegetables availability/quality, healthy food availability/affordability). Data was collected on 1401 students and 41 convenience stores across 13 US college campuses. Results: Controlling for gender, HMI was negatively associated with SSBs (β = −0.859) and %kcal/fat (β = −1.057) and positively with whole-grains (β = 0.186) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = 0.267); %Kcal/fat was positively (β = 0.098) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = −0.055) negatively associated with BMI. Campus level, fruits/vegetables availability were positively associated to HMI (β = 0.214, β = 0.129) and directly/negatively to BMI (β = −2.657, β = −1.124). Conclusions: HMI modifies dietary behaviors, with energy from fat and fruit/vegetable intake the most predictive of weight. Availability of fruit/vegetables in convenience stores make it easier for young adults to eat well.

Digital Commons Citation

Horacek, Tanya; Yildirim, Elif Dede; Kattelmann, Kendra; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Brown, Onikia; Colby, Sarah; Greene, Geoffrey; Hoerr, Sharon; Kidd, Tandalayo; Koenings, Mallory; Morrell, Jesse; Olfert, Melissa D.; Phillips, Beatrice; Shelnutt, Karla; and White, Adrienne, "Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores" (2018). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 1338.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/1338

Source Citation

Horacek, T., Dede Yildirim, E., Kattelmann, K., Byrd-Bredbenner, C., Brown, O., Colby, S., Greene, G., Hoerr, S., Kidd, T., Koenings, M., Morrell, J., Olfert, M., Phillips, B., Shelnutt, K., & White, A. (2018). Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores. Nutrients, 10(11), 1569. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111569

Comments

1. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).