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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jannette Berkley-Patton, PhD¹, Ann D. Chapman, MS, RD², Robert R. Basow, BS, MBA³, and Melissa G. Smith, MS, CHES². (1) Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4825 Troost Avenue, Suite 211, Kansas City, MO 64110, 816-235-6710, berkleypattonj@umkc.edu, (2) Student Health Services, University of Kansas, Watkins Memorial Health Center, 1200 Schwegler Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, (3) KU School of Journalism, University of Kansas, Stauffer-Flint Hall, 1435 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045

Background: Advocating for and implementing strategies to promote healthy food selection for college students, faculty, and staff is important for impacting health across the lifespan. The Better Bites program at the University of Kansas was developed by a campus taskforce to promote healthier food options and to reduce healthy food selection barriers on campus. This program used comprehensive social marketing strategies similar to those used in restaurants and grocery stores to prompt healthy food selection (Better Bites logos at point of purchase in campus dining, vending machines, and convenience store venues; free healthy food campaigns; web menus). Methods: An ongoing case study to examine implementation of Better Bites and students' attitudes and behaviors related to food selection and Better Bites was conducted over a two-year period. Assessments included use of student focus groups, key administrator interviews, observational surveys, and student attitude and behavioral surveys. Results: Overall findings suggested that most students felt it was important to have healthy food choices on campus, preferred eating healthy food when available, and recognized the Better Bites logo whether they ate on campus or not. Interviews with key administrators provided information on how to better implement Better Bites and resulted in further collaboration with campus departments and increased healthier food options. Conclusions: The Better Bites program successfully used social marketing strategies to advocate for and promote healthy foods on a college campus. This case study describes a model for health promotion through developing collaborative campus and vending partnerships, resulting outcomes, experiences, and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives:

• -Describe a process for developing a campus-wide healthy food program
• -Create a marketing plan for program promotion in school settings
• -Assess implementation of a healthy food program and impact on students

Keywords: School Health, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 5053.0 kb)