title: Personal food systems of male collegiate football players: a grounded theory investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Factors that affect food choices include the physical and social environments, quality, quantity, perceived healthfulness, and convenience. The personal food choice process was defined as the procedures used by athletes for making food choices, including the weighing and balancing of activities of daily life, physical well-being, convenience, monetary resources, and social relationships.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a theoretical model explaining the personal food choice processes of collegiate football players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II football program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen football players were purposefully sampled to represent various positions, years of athletic eligibility, and ethnic backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  For text data collection, we used predetermined, open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. The athletes' words were used to label and describe their interactions and experiences with the food choice process. Member checks and an external audit were conducted by a qualitative methodologist and a nutrition specialist, and the findings were triangulated with the current literature to ensure trustworthiness of the text data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time was the core category and yielded a cyclic graphic of a theoretical model for the food choice system. Planning hydration, macronutrient strategies, snacks, and healthful food choices emerged as themes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The athletes planned meals and snacks around their academic and athletic schedules while attempting to consume foods identified as healthful. Healthful foods were generally lower in fat but high in preferred macronutrients. High-protein foods were the players' primary goal; carbohydrate consumption was secondary. The athletes had established plans to maintain hydration. Professionals may use these findings to implement educational programs on food choices for football players.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA. longd@mail.gprmc.com
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Unruh
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Kaye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stanek-Krogstrand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D005538:Football; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014495:Universities