Consequences of Picky Eating in College Students

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relation between young adult picky eating (PE) and psychosocial outcomes (eg, social phobia, quality of life) and dietary intake.

Design: Cross-sectional study including demographic, quantitative, and qualitative measures.

Participants: Midwestern undergraduate convenience sample (n = 488) recruited early 2020.

Main outcome measures: Picky eating identity and bias internalization, social phobia, quality of life, and dietary intake.

Analyses: Pearson correlations were conducted among study variables. Independent t tests compared picky eaters and nonpicky eaters on key variables. Qualitative data were coded using content analysis.

Results: Picky eaters reported eating less fiber (t[445] = -3.51; P < 0.001; d = 0.34) and vegetables (t[464] = -3.57; P < 0.001; d = 0.33), and reported more social phobia (t[336.84] = 4.04; P < 0.001; d = 0.39) than nonpicky eaters. Picky eating behaviors were positively correlated with PE identity (r[190] = 0.48; P < 0.001; R² = 0.23) and bias internalization (r[190] = 0.44; P < 0.001; R² = 0.19).

Conclusions and implications: Future research might explore additional factors that theoretically overlap with PE behavior (eg, other eating styles, disordered eating patterns) or play a role in PE (eg, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive difficulties). A greater understanding of these factors may lead to intervention to reduce PE in adults. In addition, validation of the PE identity and PE distress measures is essential for future use and to replicate this study's findings.

Keywords: college students; dietary intake; eating identity; picky eating; well-being.