Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract: 2016

Factors Underlying Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in College Students

Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with decreased risk of diet-related chronic
health conditions, yet college students are not consuming enough. Past research has shown
that food label skill is related to overall dietary quality, and specifically fruit and vegetable
consumption. However, there are still individuals who understand food labels but have poor
quality diets indicating that food label skill may not be enough of a factor to determine fruit and
vegetable consumption. In this study, our goal was to examine the possible moderating role of
motivation on the relationship between food label skill and fruit and vegetable consumption in
college students. College students (n=57) completed measures of fruit and vegetable intake,
food label comprehension, and motivation. We found that higher food label skill was associated
with higher intake of fruits and vegetables in college students, and that this relationship was
moderated by motivation. Specifically, findings showed that increased food label skill is
associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption but only among those who are
motivated. Findings may pave the way for understanding how to increase fruit and vegetable
intake in the college student population, and in preventing diet-related chronic health
conditions.