Definitions of healthy eating among university students.
OBJECTIVE
To identify definitions of healthy eating in terms of food characteristics, eating behaviours, barriers, and benefits in university students.


METHODS
Four focus groups were conducted; verbatim transcripts were analyzed and coded using qualitative methods. Participants were nine students of dietetics and six students of other subjects. All were females in their third or fourth year at the University of British Columbia (UBC).


RESULTS
Participants often described healthy eating as consuming all food groups of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, with the associated notions of moderation and balance. Benefits of healthy eating were cited as a healthy weight, good physical appearance, feeling better, preventing disease, and achieving personal satisfaction. Barriers to healthy eating included lack of time, choice, taste preferences, and finances. There was some discrepancy between what the dietetics students perceived as barriers for clients (e.g., lack of information), and barriers the potential clients (other students) perceived for themselves.


CONCLUSIONS
As dietitians, we must try to understand our clients' definitions of healthy eating and their barriers to achieving it, which likely differ from our own.
House
Jennifer
J
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, USA.
Su
Jenny
J
Levy-Milne
Ryna
R
D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology*; D004046:Dietetics; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005518:Food Preferences; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D013334:Students