Dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, and stages of change in college students

College students have poor dietary habits and lack proper nutrition education and skills to allow them to make healthy choices; yet, health promotion efforts on campuses are limited and have failed to address appropriate programs to improve nutrition behaviors and education. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a nutrition education intervention on dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, and stage of change in college students. Students enrolled in an exercise class received eight educational lessons focused on basic nutrition science principles, health implications and benefits, and specific behavioral skills to improve their food choices. Paired t-tests revealed no significant changes in dietary intake or nutrition knowledge. However, positive significant improvements were seen in stages of change towards healthy eating. There were several limitations of this study, but future interventions should focus on a more structured educational setting with interactive activities to improve dietary behaviors.