Abstract
Objective
To measure whole-grain intake in college students and determine the association with
body mass index (BMI).
Design
Cross-sectional convenience sample of college students enrolled in an introductory
nutrition course.
Setting
Large state university.
Participants
159 college students, mean age: 19.9.
Main outcome measures
Intake of whole grains, refined grains, calories, and fiber from food records; BMI
determined from height and weight measurements.
Analysis
Analysis of variance with linear contrasts; participants grouped by BMI category (P < .05).
Results
Average intake of cereal grains was 5.4 servings per day, of which whole-grain intake
accounted for an average of 0.7 servings per day. Whole-grain intake was significantly
higher in normal weight students than in overweight and obese students (based on BMI).
Conclusions and Implications
The low intake of whole grains in this population of college students indicates the
need for interventions aiming to increase whole-grain intake to the recommended minimum
of 3 servings per day. College students who are concerned about their body weight
may be motivated to increase their intake of whole-grain foods; however, their intake
of whole grains is likely to be influenced by the availability of these food items
in campus dining halls and other locations around the college campus.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Funding was received from the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
