Food Choice Motives and Eating Behavior among College Students

This study aims to investigate the relationship between food choice motives and eating behavior and also utilized quantitative research, specifically a descriptive correlational design. Two adapted questionnaires were developed and distributed to 349 respondents selected through stratified sampling. The researchers utilized mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) for data analysis. The findings revealed high food choice motives for health, sensory appeal, convenience, and natural content among students. Similarly, student eating behaviors in terms of uncontrolled eating, restrained eating, emotional eating, social eating, and proactive eating were also found to be very high. With the results of p-value which is 0.050 and (r) value of 0.106 which indicated a significant relationship between food choice motives and student eating behavior. Therefore, the study underscored the importance for students, parents, instructors, and future researchers to prioritize and be mindful of health, sensory appeal, convenience, and natural content when making food choices. Equipping students with information on how to maintain these considerations, such as choosing foods with pleasant aromas, could empower them to make informed dietary decisions