eaten: unc - chapel hill an investigative look at the eating habits of freshmen on the university of...
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Eaten: UNC - Chapel HillAn investigative look at the eating habits of freshmen on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.
A Brief Introduction
Research Questions: 1. Have the meal options provided by dining halls on the UNC-CH campus triggered negative influences such as weight gain? 2. How does the student population feel about the nutritional value of these options and the availability of healthy choices?
Much due to our interest in how these questions apply to those who experience the transition into college, we limited our focus to freshmen.
PR Campaign - The Facts
What We Know:
A majority of UNC-CH freshmen students have indicated that maintaining a healthy diet plays an important role in their life.
Based on this outlook, these individuals want:o More information about healthy eating
selections and nutritional informationo Better access to these nutritionally-sound
options
PR Campaign - Objectives
By pairing with Carolina Dining Services to revamp their presence on the UNC-CH campus, we aspire to:o Better inform the UNC student
population of the available healthy eating options and alternatives on campus
o Arouse student interest in pushing for more healthy eating options on campus
Our Sample
UNC First Year Populationo We wanted to reach out to first years, taking a
special interest in those who had meal plans at respective dining halls.
105 Total Respondentso Respondents were contacted in a variety of areas on
campus and utilizing several different methods so as to increase diversity.
Both Genderso We were interested, especially due to our secondary
research findings, in how personal inclinations to healthy food and perceptions of CDS-provided options varied based on gender.
The Gender Gap
When designing the survey and collecting respondents, we tried to achieve a representative sample of the UNC-CH student population.
Gender Divide at UNC-CH (approximate):
Male: 39-40% Female: 59-60%
Gender Divide of Our Survey (approximate): Male: 35% Female: 65%
The Methodology Implemented
The Format of Our Study: • We designed a survey consisting of 15
questions and conducted online through Qualtrics.
Time Span:• The survey was conducted over the
course of two months.
Tactics:• We utilized tactics such as the
snowball effect through social media outlets, face-to-face interaction and word of mouth.
A Closer Look at Methodology
Goal I: Identify the basics of the sample distribution using a more quantitative take. We strove to discover:
• Who constitutes our sample
• Which of these individuals utilizes eating options provided on the UNC campus, including those with a meal plan
• Their geographics, including those which constituted limitations
Who Has a Meal Plan?
The majority of students who use a meal plan on campus use it daily.
Daily2-3 times each week
Once a week3
20
36
Where Do Freshmen Live on Campus?
Residenc
e HallGranville Towers
Off-campus
= 5 people
60% of students do
not have access to a
car
A Continuation of Methodology
Goal II: taking a more qualitative stance, identify our respondents in a more personal light. We asked questions which discovered:
• The degree to which our respondents value nutrition when making an eating selection
• Their opinions of those options provided by CDS in terms of healthiness
• Other influences on eating habits, such as social and peer-related effects (and the degree to which they affected our respondents)
Effects of Visible Nutritional Information
The extent to which listed nutrition facts have an impact on personal eating decisions:
• An overwhelming 80% of the 105 survey participants indicated that the posting of nutritional information beside servings influences their meal choice.
• SD = .7
PR Campaign - The Visual Aspect
"Eat This..Not This"• This caption would be featured on
digital and physical posters displaying two food options with respective nutritional information.o These food options would be specific to those
available on the UNC-CH campus.o "Storming" would be a tactic implemented in
the campaign.o Outlets include: The Daily Tar Heel, on-
campus sites and university-affiliated websites
PR Campaign - The Social Aspect
Awareness Campaign: execution and maintenance utilizing a presence on social media sites and associated techniques.
PR Campaign - Getting Personal
Specific Functions:• Disseminate information about healthy
eating on campus• Encourage students to speak up about
the desire for healthier options• Inform students on how to make better
choices • Interact with students on the topic in
order to increase interest level
• Act as a communication hub to promote beneficial and engaging discussion
A Brief Recap
• UNC freshmen are limited to options provided by the university and within the vicinity of living arrangements.o Study participants indicate that they
realize their eating habits have worsened since their attendance at UNC.
• UNC freshmen still lack full satisfaction with what the university is offering. o As a result, UNC should offer a larger
variety of healthy, nutritionally sound food and dining selections.