College students' attitudes about ways family, friends, significant others and media affect their eating and exercise behaviors and weight perceptions

Objective: This study examined college students' perceptions of how parents, family, friends, significant others, and the media influenced eating and exercise behaviors and weight perceptions. Participants: Forty-one college students, mostly female, participated in interviews. Methods: A Ground...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of American college health 2024-05, Vol.72 (4), p.1296-1308
Main Authors: Nabors, L., Fiser-Gregory, K., Olaniyan, A., Stanton-Chapman, T., Merianos, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
College students
Cooking
Cultural transmission
Eating behavior
Eating behaviors
Exercise
Exercise - psychology
exercise behaviors
Family - psychology
Feeding Behavior - psychology
Female
Friends - psychology
Friendship
Grounded theory
Habits
Healthy food
Healthy habits
Humans
Intervention
Male
Mass Media - statistics & numerical data
Obesity
Perceptions
Prevention programs
Role models
Significant others
Students - psychology
Students - statistics & numerical data
Universities
Weight Perception
weight perceptions
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective: This study examined college students' perceptions of how parents, family, friends, significant others, and the media influenced eating and exercise behaviors and weight perceptions. Participants: Forty-one college students, mostly female, participated in interviews. Methods: A Grounded Theory approach, using open coding and memoing, was used to uncover key themes. Results: Healthy cooking and exercise role models at home were viewed as positive, encouraging healthy eating and exercise. Criticism was perceived as negative for healthy habits and weight perceptions. Friends and significant others who practiced positive health habits and were body accepting were uplifting. Cultural transmission of the thin ideal could occur through the media. Some noted that media messages were becoming more positive. Conclusions: Using peers, especially friends, as collaborators in interventions, and discussing parental influences on eating, exercise, and weight perceptions may positively impact obesity prevention programs and interventions for college students.
ISSN:0744-8481
1940-3208
DOI:10.1080/07448481.2022.2076101