A collaborative approach to nutrition education for college students.

It is well established in the literature that college students have poor eating habits and that many barriers exist to achieving optimal nutrition for this busy population. Little is known about students' perceptions of this problem or suggestions for improving their dietary habits. Similarly, college health professionals need innovative approaches to nutritional education. In an effort to develop an online nutrition resource specifically geared to college students, the authors assessed the availability of Internet-based nutritional information for this population and conducted focus groups with students and health professionals to identify relevant nutrition concerns. They used concept-mapping techniques to conduct a systematic analysis of the qualitative information generated from their focus group participants. Their findings emphasize the need for targeted resources for college students and the importance of using students' suggestions in developing nutrition programs.