Horacek publishes research in Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Wednesday, April 13, 2011, By Michele Barrett

Tanya Horacek, associate professor in the College of Human Ecology’s Department of Nutrition Science and Dietetics, published “Identifying Clusters of College Students at Elevated Health Risk Based on Eating and Exercise Behaviors and Psychosocial Determinants of Body Weight” in the March issue of Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Horacek’s research, conducted with colleagues at eight universities in the United States, addresses health concerns pertaining to weight gain and an increase in overweight and obesity rates in college students. The research found that to effectively promote health for college students, it is important to identify subgroups of individuals who are similar to each other – tailoring health messages accordingly. 

The research was conducted as a part of Project Web Health, a grant funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.  Project WebHealth, the eight-state research project was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an online, semi-interactive nutrition and fitness course aimed at improving dietary habits, physical fitness and preventing weight gain.