Abstract
Despite the human and environmental health benefits of consuming minimally processed plant-based foods, research on how to educate and promote a plant-based diet (PBD) is lacking among urban community college students. Education on the benefits of a PBD and gardening may create more knowledgeable, and environmentally conscious consumers. This research explored awareness and perception of PBDs among students on an urban college campus through development and implementation of a survey instrument to examine dietary intake and gauge PBD familiarity, knowledge, perceptions, exposure, and attitudes towards a PBD. A survey was conducted Fall 2020 at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY(N=8,849). Participants (N=287) completed a 70-item online survey that included sociodemographic questions, food frequency questions, and newly developed PBD scales. Cronbach’s alpha reliability scores run on the five PBD scales demonstrated strong reliability results for familiarity (α=.80), knowledge (α=.72), attitudes (α=.70), and lower reliability for exposure (α=.48), and perception (α=.64). Participants had a low intake of fruit (3-6 servings per week or less 76%), and vegetables (3-6 servings per week or less 75%). Those experienced in growing F/V had increased intake of fruit (p-value=0.002), vegetables (p-value=0.033), and those exposed to the campus farm had increased fruit intake (p-value =0.042) when split into high/low intake. Findings imply that students generally have an increased awareness and positive perception of a PBD and are willing to consider trying it, though many are not actively on a PBD. Further refinement and testing of two of the five PBD scales are warranted.
Presenters
Shannon CaravelloAssistant Professor, Community Farm and Garden Manager, Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and Center for Economic Workforce Development (CEWD), CUNY Kingsborough Community College, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Plant-Based, Nutrition, Diet, Health, Gardening, Sustainability, College
