Title:

Eating Competence in First-Generation Students at a Large, Northeastern, Public University

Objectives To assess differences in eating competence (EC) between first-generation students (FG) and students with one or more parents who graduated from college, in students 18-24 years old. Methods Data were collected between 2015-2020, from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey, an ongoing, cross-sectional study at a Northeastern university. Participants (n=1974) completed the Eating Competence Satter Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM) and self-reported education status of both parents through an online survey. EC scores range from 0-48, with EC defined as ≥32. Subgroups were Eating Attitudes, Food Acceptance, Food Regulation and Contextual Skills. FG status was determined if both parents did not obtain a college degree. An ANCOVA was used to evaluate mean EC between FG students (n=496) and non-FG students (n=1478). Age, gender, race, Pell Grant status, dining hall usage, athlete status and kitchen availability were covariates. Results FG students had a lower mean EC score than non-FG students (32.7±8.96 vs. 34.0±8.71, p=0.03), although both were considered EC. Mean subscale scores for Food Acceptance (0–9), Food Regulation (0–9) and Contextual Skills (0–12) were lower in FG students (5.1±2.5 vs. 5.4±2.5, p=0.03, 6.3±2.1 vs. 6.6±2.1, p=0.05, and 10.4±3.4 vs. 11.0±3.2, p=0.003 respectively). Conclusions Results suggest FG students have lower EC than their non-FG counterparts, however, neither groups had low EC. Subscores identify where FG students may need more support to achieve higher EC in order to gain more favorable weight and health outcomes throughout life. This research is preliminary, and more research should be conducted in more diverse communities. Funding Sources New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Stations and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project 1010738. Topic: eating competence, eating attitudes, food regulation, food acceptance, contextual skills, first-generation student, college student.

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