TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21

Poster Session: Wellness and Public Health

College Alcohol Environment, Student Alcohol Self-Efficacy and Alcohol Consumption Patterns

Author(s):M.M.Koenings1, K.K. Kattelmann2,M.D.Olfert3, S.A. Nitzke4; 1Nutritional Sciences,RutgersUniv., NewBrunswick, NJ, 2Health andNutritional SciencesDept., SouthDakota StateUniv., Brookings, SD, 3Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia Univ.,Morgantown, WV, 4Nutritional Sciences, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Learning Outcome: To describe the relationships between the college alcohol environmentand student alcohol self-efficacy; and between self-efficacy and alcohol consumptionpatterns.

Guided by Social Cognitive Theory the authors considered an environmental influence onself-efficacy may precede the influence of self-efficacy on behavior. To examine these re-lationships students (n¼988) on 13 campuses provided addresses and completed surveys.Lists of active liquor licenses were obtained from government agencies. Geographic In-formation Systems software was used to calculate the number of alcohol outlets within a2-5 minute walk, 5-10 minute walk, and 10-15 minute walk of where students live. Self-efficacy score was obtained by summing self-efficacy to reduce alcohol consumption, notdrink alcohol at all, and drink only at special occasions (Cronbach a¼0.87). Alcohol con-sumption patterns were compared to the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelinesfor Americans (DGA). The Cochran Armitage Test for Trend indicated that as the number ofalcohol outlets within a 2-5 minute walk, 5-10 minute walk, and 10-15 minute walk ofwhere students live increased, the lower their self-efficacy (p<0.001). Additionally, stu-dents with high self-efficacy were less likely to exceed the 2010 DGA alcohol recom-mendations (OR¼0.31, 95%CI, 0.23-0.43, p<0.001) and less likely to binge drink (OR¼0.12,95%CI, 0.09-0.16, p<0.001), as ascertained by multiple logistic regressions adjusting forgender, year in school, race/ethnicity, residence, smoking status, and a random campuseffect. Results suggest that limiting the number of alcohol outlets within walking distanceof college students and increasing self-efficacy may bring students’ alcohol consumption inline with recommendations. Researchers and practitioners targeting alcohol consumptionof college students should be mindful of the potential influence of the environment andself-efficacy.

Funding Disclosure: Agricultural Experiment Station North Central Research ProjectNC1028/NC1193 and United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Foodand Agriculture, National Research Initiative Grant Number 2009-55215-05460

New Explorations in Updating the Scientific Evidence to Inform the FutureDietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015

Author(s): K.O. Casavale1, C. Rihane2, R. Olson1, S. Bowman3; 1Office of DiseasePrevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and HumanServices, Rockville, MD, 2Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDepartment of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA, 3Agricultural Research Service,US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Learning Outcome: Understand the process used by the 2015 Dietary Guide-lines Advisory Committee to review the scientific evidence and developrecommendations to the Federal government, including areas that would benew to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provides sound advice formaking food and physical activity choices that promote good health and helpprevent disease for Americans ages 2 years and over, including those at risk ofchronic disease. It is based on a rigorous review of scientific evidence througha transparent process and is the cornerstone for all Federal nutrition edu-cation and program activities. The DGA is published every five years, with thenext edition in 2015. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee(DGAC) was established to examine the current scientific evidence and makerecommendations in its report, which will provide the scientific basis fordevelopment of the 2015 DGA by the Federal government. The DGAC used aWork Group to Subcommittee process supported by a Science Review Sub-committee to bring innovative approaches to their work. In addition to re-lationships between diet and health that are the core of current and pastDGACs’ evaluation of the evidence (e.g., food intake and health outcomes),the 2015 DGAC has explored new areas, including dietary patterns andadditional outcomes such as cancer and neurological illnesses, and newtopics such as caffeine intake. Building on the 2010 DGAC’s emphasis on thesocio-ecological model, the 2015 DGAC explored the evidence supportingrecommendations that are both healthy for the individual and sustainable forU.S. resources and practices. These new explorations provide opportunitiesfor future DGA to grow in their capacity to be responsive to the public healthneeds of Americans and our country.

Funding Disclosure: None

September 2014 Suppl 2—Abstracts Volume 114 Number 9

The Influence of Specific Food Labels on College-Aged Students Food Choices andTaste Preferences

Author(s): J. Tannehill, R. Tonnessen, J. Deinzer, P. Policastro; Rutgers, The SateUniv. of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

Learning Outcome: To examine how labeling three food items, “organic”,“low-fat”, and “locally-sourced” affected food choice/taste preference forcollege-aged students.

Specific food labels have the ability to influence consumer choice/tastepreferences. The purpose of this study was to determine if labeling three fooditems, “organic”, “low-fat”, and “locally-sourced” affected food choice/tastepreference for college-aged students. A randomized cross-sectional sampleof college-aged students (n¼110) participated in a food sampling studywithin university dining halls. Students were invited to taste two identicalsamples of each food option: locally-sourced tomato sauce, one samplelabeled “locally-sourced” and one “not local”; organic granola, one samplelabeled “organic” and one “conventional”; low-fat cottage cheese, onesample labeled “low-fat” and one “regular”. Trained interviewers adminis-tered one of two versions of a survey randomized for order of questions,asking students for taste preference and which food option they were morelikely to try. Answers were recorded on a five-point Likert scale ranging from1-5, 1 being “locally-sourced”, “organic”, and “low-fat” and 5 representing theopposing labels. Students strongly favored the “locally-sourced” tomatosauce, rating likelihood to try at 1.60�1.24 and taste preference at 1.89�1.47.Students strongly favored the “organic” granola, rating likelihood to try at1.75�1.45 and taste preference at 1.87�1.42. Students slightly favored the“low-fat” cottage cheese, rating likelihood to try at 1.75�1.94 and tastepreference at 2.1�2.06. Results suggest strong choice/taste preferences forfood options labeled “locally-sourced” and “organic”, while “low-fat” labelsmay be a deterrent for students. These specific food labels used in universitysettings may impact food choices of college-aged students and may be moreinfluential than actual taste.

Funding Disclosure: None

Suggestions for Teaching MyPlate and Its Website in University Nutrition Courses

Author: S.D. Baker; Behavioral Health and Nutrition, Univ. of Delaware,Newark, DE

Learning Outcome: Understand how MyPlate can be taught in the collegesetting.

College nutrition courses can be vehicles to teach not only the science ofnutrition but also provide practical information that impacts students’ foodchoices. To determine if the MyPlate icon and its website can be useful forthis age group, two focus groups were conducted among students taking anintroductory nutrition course at a public university. Students were sent anapproved email inviting them to take part in a focus group to discuss theirperceptions of MyPlate and its use in a college setting. Maximum variationsampling was employed to gather diverse opinions. Twenty-seven studentsrepresenting 16 majors took part. No nutrition majors participated. Eighteenof the 27 participants were female and most (n¼24) were white/Caucasian.The focus group script consisted of open-ended questions about perceptionsof the MyPlate icon and www.ChooseMyPlate.gov site. After asking percep-tions of the icon, the focus group facilitator showed the website and askedstudents’ opinions. Systematic content analysis revealed themes surroundingstudents’ perceptions of the icon and site and guidelines for teaching. Themesthat emerged about the icon are: it is designed for children, does not provideenough information about portion of foods that should be eaten, and thatviewing the icon did not inspire students to visit the site. After viewing thewebsite, most students stated it should be taught in introductory nutritioncourses and these themes emerged: teach the evolution of MyPyramid toMyPlate, spend time teaching MyPlate in detail, demonstrate SuperTracker inclass and use assignments to engage students with MyPlate.

Funding Disclosure: None

JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS A-89