Nutrition interventions in higher education students
As unhealthy dietary behaviour and obesity are two main risk factors of cancer, it is of utmost importance to create a shift in younger individuals towards lifelong healthy dietary patterns and less weight gain. The transition from high school to college or university is a well-known and well-studied risk period of weight gain and not meeting the recommended dietary guidelines. Unfortunately, students are an often neglected target group in health promotion efforts. Therefore, the aim of the Foundation Against Cancer project is to develop, implement and test a multicomponent prevention program targeting healthy and sustainable nutrition behaviour and thus avoid weight gain in Flemish higher education students. In the long-term, this will affect the development of cancer (and other noncommunicable diseases).
The first study of this project aims to provide insight into the relevant stakeholders in higher education settings and their perspectives on facilitating and hindering factors of adoption and implementation of intervention strategies. The second study entails the effect and process evaluation of the developed intervention (using a participatory approach) including two college and two university campuses. When proven effective, the intervention can be disseminated among all higher education institutions in Flanders as part of a cancer prevention strategy.