title: Dietary interventions among university students: A systematic review.
abstract: This study aimed to provide an overview of available literature on interventions aiming to improve dietary intake among university students.
  
  
  
  A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus were searched for relevant articles. Risk of bias was assessed using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist for Primary Research.
  
  
  
  Twenty studies were identified, consisting of 12 randomised controlled trials, 1 quasi-experiment and 7 pre-experiments. Six studies were conducted outside the US. Risk of bias assessment revealed an average quality score of 5.8/10. Of the 13 interventions which were effective in improving students' dietary intake, 8 used an intrapersonal approach, with 6 of them using the web or some kind of media to facilitate the intervention. The 5 remaining studies used an environmental (point-of-purchase) approach. Only 1 intervention, using 10 web-based lessons, based on non-diet principles and focused on eating competence and size acceptance to promote healthy eating, was found to be effective in the long term.
  
  
  
  Nutrition education, enhancing self-regulation components towards dietary intake (often facilitated by the worldwide web or other media devices), and point-of-purchase messaging strategies may improve university or college students' dietary intake. Future high quality randomised controlled trials should evaluate sustainability of intervention effects, as well as further investigate the effectiveness of realistic and low-cost environmental (preferably combined with intrapersonal) interventions which can easily and instantly reach a great part of the university population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Tom.Deliens@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deliens
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: rob.vancrombruggen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Crombruggen
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: sofie_odette@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verbruggen
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: ilse.debourdeaudhuij@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Benedicte.Deforche@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: pclarys@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarys
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012306:Risk; D012648:Self Care; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: College; Eating behaviour; Environmental; Intrapersonal; Media-based; Point-of-purchase