Publication Date

2023

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Lukaszuk, Judith

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

School of Health Studies

Abstract

Background: Food allergies are an increasingly prevalent medical concern in college age students who live on campus and rely on campus dining services to accommodate them. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers along with current dining accommodation services that were available to students with food allergies at Northern Illinois University (NIU).Methods: Twenty-six students who had at least one food allergy and utilized the dining facilities were recruited to complete a cross-sectional survey. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used in this study. Results: The two most common barriers faced were lack of information and communication. Additional barriers included lack of available resources, safety and comfort, and consistency. Four allergy friendly food resources are available at NIU: MyPantry, Pre-Order, Registered Dietitian, and MyDining. However, only 53.3% of students utilized or were aware of these services. Conclusion: Future studies should determine the best method of communicating available allergy friendly dining services that are specifically for students with food allergies. Identifying and marketing the available food allergy accommodations may be pivotal in students choosing a given university and in attenuating a student’s anxiety and fear over food concerns.

Extent

75 pages

Language

en

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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Nutrition Commons

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