Analysis of eating habits based on the transtheoretical model for healthy eating behavior among college students

Abstract

Recently high frequency of breakfast skipping and low intake of vegetable are common among adolescents and young adults in Japan. Based on the stages of change, which is a key concept of the transtheoretical model, this study aimed to investigate the actual situation and reveal the problems with regard to eating habits among college students and threw light on the intervention for sensible diet. Data was provided by the sample of 268 participants mean age 19.8 years, SD 1.28 .The results of the questionnaire survey were as follows.Nearly half of participants 48.1 were in earlier stages of change Precontemplation and Contemplation .Participants in earlier stages of change reported higher frequency of breakfast skipping and more unbalanced diets than in later stages of change Action and Maintenance .Participants in earlier stages of change neither cared about their diets nor realized their dietary problems.Participants in earlier stages of change reported feelings of vague lassitude more than in later stages of change.Participants in earlier stages of change evidenced lower interest in cooking, cooking skills, and knowledge about cooking scores than in later stages of change.These results revealed participants in earlier stages of change with eating habit problems show lower competence needed to follow a sensible diet than in later stages of change. Making a classification of sample on the basis of stages of change is useful to identify targets of intervention. In order to establish healthy dietary behavior, it is essential to develop TTM-based dietary education program which promotes such behavior and apply it to college students in earlier stages of change.

Gender Role Orientation with Health Literacy and Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating among Japanese Workers in Early Adulthood

“…In the present study, majority of the participants were categorized as non-gender-typed personalities (i.e., androgynous and undifferentiated), which is consistent with a recent study in Japan ( 22 ). This may partly due to the recent changes in gender norms related to work and household tasks in Japan ( 24 ), and these traits are also seen in the United States. In the previous study, women’s BSRI masculine trait scores increased steadily over the 20-year period ( 13 , 26 ), and the other study showed the significant decrease of women’s femininity scores between 1993 and 2012 ( 26 ).…”

“…Literacy about healthy eating was assessed with the healthy eating literacy (HEL) scale ( 23 ). The HEL consists of five items about food-related factors, and is validated with the transtheoretical model of healthy diet ( 24 ). The HEL is a content-specific version of the HL scale ( 25 ) for food-related information.…”

Mixed-methods research of motivational processes in workers’ adoption of healthy behavior

“…The transtheoretical model (TTM) developed by Prochaska et al reached Japan in the late 1990s [ 30 ]. Research reports of Japanese participants published since 2000 have shown that the higher the stage of behavior change (maintenance and implementation), the higher the breakfast consumption and the better the dietary balance [ 31 ]. There are research reports on exercise items and a scale for maintaining balanced decision-making (κ-coefficient 0.75) [ 32 ].…”