Publication Date

1989

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Parham, Ellen S.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Human and Family Resources

LCSH

College students--Nutrition; Aspartame--Physiological affect; Nutrition--Sex differences

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the use of low-calorie sweeteners in food and beverage intake by college students. The subjects were 193 college students who participated by completing a three-part questionnaire which consisted of 24-hour dietary recall, background information, and frequency of consumption of various sources of sweetness. Intakes of various nutritional components including sugar, were calculated and analyzed from the 24-hour dietary recall. Weekly servings of regular sweets and low-calorie sweets consumed by the subjects were determined by the reported frequency. Most of the low-calorie sweets came from aspartame products, which averaged 6.2 servings/week, while saccharin sweetened food averaged only 1.6 servings/week. Therefore, aspartame and saccharin products were combined for all the statistics as low- calorie sweetener use. The average weekly consumption of regular sweets was 20.5 servings. The most popular low- calorie sweetened food was diet soft drinks. The patterns of food intake and sweetener use were different between the 58 males and the 135 females. Females consumed significantly more low-calorie food than males. The use of low-calorie sweetener was related to their health conditions and diet modification among females, but not among males. While daily sugar intake was positively related to the frequency of low-calorie sweetener consumption in males and significantly higher in male users, the sugar intake was negatively related to the low-calorie sweetener use and significantly lower in females users. Thus, no benefit of low-calorie sweetener use was found among males. However, the female users did reduce their sugar intake which might be beneficial.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 41-44 and 62-65)

Extent

vi, 70 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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