title: Sex differences in dieting trends, eating habits, and nutrition beliefs of a group of midwestern college students.
abstract: The influence of sex on dietary trends, eating habits, and nutrition self-assessment and beliefs of a group of college students at a large Midwestern university was investigated. A questionnaire was completed by 105 male and 181 female undergraduate students. Men had significantly higher (P<0.0001) height, weight, and body mass index values. Significantly higher percentages of women than men had tried a low-fat diet (P=0.0075) and a low-carbohydrate diet (P=0.0285). Significantly lower percentages of women than men had never tried a diet (P=0.0173). Significantly higher percentages of women than men reported gaining nutrition knowledge from family (P=0.0033) and magazines/newspapers (P=0.0345). Significantly higher percentages of women than men agreed that they had too much sugar in their diets (P=0.0157), that it is important to limit carbohydrate consumption (P=0.0077), that it is important to limit the amount of fat consumed to lose weight (P=0.0194), and that they needed to lose weight (P<0.0001). It is important to eat a variety of foods for good health according to 94.4% of subjects. Sex differences existed in these college students with regard to anthropometric measurements, certain choices of diets, some sources of nutrition knowledge, and some nutrition beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0806, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davy
authors.forename: Beverly A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Benes
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Driskell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004033:Diet Fads; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss