College

College of Health Professions (CHP)

Date of Last Revision

2023-05-03 16:39:32

Major

Dietetics - Coordinated Program

Honors Course

7760 499-002

Number of Credits

2

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2020

Abstract

Background: This study examined the eating philosophy of college students at a public, four-year institution to build upon prior research of intuitive eating (IE), and to guide on-campus programming and services. Questions on whether IE behaviors and attitudes would differ between students pursuing health and non-health-related careers were also considered.

Methods: The Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (Tylka and Kroon Van Diest, 2013) was replicated into a 33-question Qualtrics survey, and participation was solicited via email. A total of 109 usable surveys were collected with respondents identifying predominantly as female (64.22%), Caucasian (80.73%), and pursuing degrees in disciplines outside of health professions (71.56%).

Results: Mean IE score was 3.39 (SD=0.48) out of a possible score of 5, aligning with prior research using the IES-2. Total score was significantly higher in students pursuing a health-related degree versus those who were not (t(107)=2.117, p=0.037), and for students studying dietetics, specifically (t(107)=2.626, p=0.010). IES-2 scores did not differ significantly by gender, or between Caucasian and Non-Caucasian respondents.

Conclusion: Higher scores on the IES-2 indicate that a person is more of an intuitive eater. Students pursuing health-related degrees were found to be more intuitive eaters compared to students of other majors. Future research should investigate if this trend holds true in more diverse samples and if IES-2 scores change if IE is incorporated into undergraduate health professions courses. Additionally, future research exploring racial differences in IE behaviors and attitudes are warranted.

Research Sponsor

Christin Seher

First Reader

Dawn Scott

Second Reader

Jennifer Warren

Honors Faculty Advisor

Christin Seher

IES-2-Items-sz2at8.doc (36 kB)
Survey Tool

Honors Project Signature Page_Imhoff 2020.doc (39 kB)
Signature Sheet

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