“I Know Nothing”: Perceived Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Mississippi College Freshmen Living on Campus
Philip S. Poe, Ph.D; Maxwell C. Moseley; Laura E. Coats, M.S., R.D

Abstract
College freshmen, particularly those living on campus, are at risk for developing eating habits that could lead to chronic disease and obesity from eating an unbalanced diet. This study identifies the perceived barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among freshmen in Mississippi, a state facing acute obesity-related public health crises. Six focus group interviews were conducted with freshman (N=33) from a public university in Mississippi. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Three themes emerged, as participants: 1) Lacked education regarding fruit and vegetable consumption, 2) perceived a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and 3) perceived social influence to eat unhealthily. Practice implications include the need for higher-education leadership to provide increased informational resources about healthy foods to students living and eating on campus while increasing the availability and visibility of fresh fruits and vegetables in student dining and food purchase areas.

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