Akiy Kenah

James Matens
Elizabeth Phan
Durwood Price
Joshua Williams

Detailed Research Outline:

Food Choice Availability on Campus and Health Status
Introduction and Project Purpose:
Our group will study the availability of healthy and unhealthy food options on
campus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Through an ethnographic study
we hope to find some correlation between students eating habits and their current health
status. Some factors that may be included in the survey portion are the preference
between commuters and on-campus students, variety of foods within locations,
sanitation, and the locations. The research we conduct will further investigate how food
habits within our college community correlate with chronic illnesses and other health
issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure all of which are characterized as
top killers in the United States alone. Understanding the relationship between consumer
demands (college students) and ultimate choices can give us a general consensus on
eating habits on campus.
This topic is worthy of research because it can further educate and raise
awareness to food decisions among students. Concerning the topic of college students
eating habits, everyone has heard of the frequently used phrase, Freshman 15. This
phrase implying that as a college freshman, the student will gain an extra 15 pounds
primarily due to excessive eating and lack of exercise. The feedback we obtain through
the methods of research conducted will not only provide us as a group with data; but also,
in the end, the data may be utilized in an attempt to educate the student population of
UNC Charlotte on their health status and help them to become more aware of their eating
habits and how this in fact does have direct correlation to their health.

Methods and Instruments:

In researching this topic, the collection of data will be heavily dependent on
ethnographic tools. In order to thoroughly explore our question, Exactly how much of a

variety in food choice does a student have on campus? we must first utilize several
diverse methods of research. The methods and instruments of research we wish to use are
surveys, interviews, and online menus of the campus dining halls. The conduction of
these surveys and interviews will begin on the week of April 6th, 2015. The purpose of
our survey is to determine in a broader consensus of the eating habits and preferences
over a large group of 25 to 50 random persons who attend UNC Charlotte. From the
survey questions pertaining to personal details such as height and weight, we can
generate anonymous BMI (body mass index) quantitative data.
Our interview questions will be conducted to obtain a detailed consensus on
personal preferences (eating habits/which foods suit them best), from 15-25 individuals.
The feedback from our interviews will hopefully provide detailed data discussing the
consumers opinion, for example, how their eating habits have changed since attending,
and if they believe they are healthier now than prior to attending college. As one may see,
this data should provide a more detailed response than those of the broad survey
questions.
Furthermore, we will be observing the eating habits within the dining halls in
hope to find even more correlation between health and the style in which students eat on
campus. (Buffet dining style within the dining halls lead to larger portion consumption
eventually leading to a higher obesity rate). This method of observation will provide us
with first-hand primary accounts of dining hall setups, food choices, and the styles of
dining.

Primary Research Methods:

Interview Questions (Students 25 Total):
1. Are you a commuter or do you live on campus?
2. Do you feel that the food choices on campus are adequate?

3. How have your eating habits changed since you began attending UNC Charlotte?

4. What do you think the dining services could do differently to best suit students
restrictions among food?

5. How often do you eat on campus?

6. In your opinion, do you think you are healthier now than prior to attending UNC
Charlotte?

Survey Questions Printed Questionnaire (Students 50-100)

Please circle one answer for each question
1. Demographics
1. What is your age?
1-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
25+
b. What is your gender?
Male
Female
c. Are you a commuter or do you live on campus?
Commuter
On Campus
d. What is your ethnicity?
White
Hispanic/Latino
African American
Asian/Pacific Islander
Native American/American Indian
Other
2. Are you satisfied with your food choices on campus? Yes No
3. How often do you eat on campus? Yes No
4. Do you have any food restrictions? Yes No
5. Do you have a meal plan? Yes No
6. Do you think food costs are fairly priced on campus? Yes No

7. Do you have a history of family disease? Yes No

7. If you answered yes to the previous question please choose one of the diseases that
apply to you.
(cardiovascular disease) (diabetes) (high cholesterol)
9. What is your height range? (50 - 53)

(54 - 57)

(58 - 511)

(60 - 63)

( 64 and taller)
10. What is your weight range? (less than 100) (100 - 120) (120 - 140) (140 160)
(160 -180) (180 - 200)
(200 +)
11. How often do you exercise per week? (0)

(1-2)

(3-4)

(5-7)

Secondary Research Methods:

Menus:
Dining Halls:
SoVi
Crown
Fast Food:
Healthy
o Subway
o Salsaritas
o Zatar
o Einstein Bros
Unhealthy
o Chick-Fil-A
o Wendys
o Bojangles
o Mama Leones
o The Den
o Feisty's
Types of Food Restrictions:
Religious
Vegetarian, vegan, etc.
Athletic diets
Cultural
Allergies
Articles:
Marion Nestles Pushing Soft Drinks

(7+)

Another secondary research method we would like to use is Marion Nestles Pushing Soft
Drinks article. We would like to use this article because it contains detailed facts relating
obesity and and the way people eat. Pushing Soft Drinks will provide our group with
supporting details on the topic of food choices and how they relate to health status.