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Abstract
Despite extensive quantitative research on dietary changes of immigrants in the United States, only a handful of studies address the dietary changes international college students' face from their perspectives. This study examines the shifts in dietary patterns and health status of international students using a phenomenological approach. An open-ended survey was conducted with 25 participants at a public university. The results revealed three major themes: 1) changes in types of foods eaten; 2) factors affecting food choice decisions and eating patterns, and 3) health outcomes. The findings point to a resistance in accepting less indigenous foods and a protective negotiation when adopting foreign (US) foods or eating practices. The study will help international students in particular, and immigrants in general, to learn from each other to maintain or improve their health.
Keywords: Eating patterns, food, phenomenological, international students
Introduction
The international student population in the United States has steadily grown for more than half a century and has increased more than 25 times, with current enrollment at 764,495 students (1). Throughout the past decades, many studies have examined international college students' cultural adjustment issues such as culture shock, confusion about role expectations, lack of social support, social selfefficacy, and language barriers, collectively referred to as acculturative stress (2). Individuals experiencing significant amounts of acculturative stress typically encounter a deterioration of overall health status (3).
The transitional period between adolescence and adulthood is known as a critical time for adopting and developing health behaviors related to prevention and wellness (4).
Living independently in new environments, such as those for undergraduate college students, further make this transition an important time. International college students of all ages may face similar issues related to cultural assimilation and stress of transitional periods (5). International student health, particularly nutritional health, is not well known and warrants exploratory and in-depth study.
One of the numerous health related changes that often occurs with immigration is change in diet. It is well known that undesirable changes in diet can lead to lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, and obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer (6). The nutritional health and wellbeing of international students in institutions of higher education in the US is understudied despite the fact that...