18th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Nutritional Dietary Analysis and Comparison Between Genders of College Students
Abigail M. Souders
Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentor
The purpose of this study was to determine the relative proportion of college students that meet the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of the most needed nutrients. A total of 450 students (261 females, 189 males) enrolled in a required health and wellness class at a small midwestern university recorded everything they consumed over a three-day period. Both genders had significant deficiencies in the majority of essential nutrients. After factoring out the effect of body weight, a substantial difference between male and female consumption of many nutrients was noted. While both genders had significant deficiencies in iron, folate, and calcium, more women than men were below the RDA for these nutrients. The majority of students consumed fewer calories than the RDA; however, most students over-consumed protein and fat. This study shows that a large proportion of college students have unbalanced diets and therefore fail to get adequate intake of required nutrients.
Keywords: Nutrition, College Students
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 5-2
Location: VH 1000
Time: 8:30