THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES AT A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY REGARDING FOODWAYS AND WELLNESS: AN INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

This dissertation study outlines the topic of food and wellness for female undergraduate college students at a private university in the northeastern US. An extensive literature review on the topic of human interactions with food and wellness as well as the potential impact on female undergraduate students is provided, followed by a proposed qualitative study. This dissertation describes the qualitative method of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) using semi-structured interviews and member-checking meetings to learn about the experiences of eight female undergraduate students at a private university’s experiences with food, eating, sourcing, cooking, and sharing and how these behaviors impact and are impacted by their overall wellness. Five themes were pulled from participants’ experiences including (1) Environmental Context and Foodways, (2) Physical Impacts of Foodways Aside from Weight, (3) Connection and Hinderance, (4) Accessibility and Agency, and (5) Oppression and Resistance. These themes and their subthemes as well as similar and differing experiences between participants are shared. Charts are included throughout the Findings Chapter to better illustrate connections between themes. Implications for addressing gaps in clinical counseling work and counselor training will be discussed. Definitions of key terms such as wellness, food insecurity, and food systems are provided and discussed at length, and interview questions are provided in the appendices.