Why Do Students Eat Fast Food - Research Proposal Example

Name: Lecturer: Title: Date: Why do students eat fast food? It has been observed that in Australia, highest percentage of young people with obesity or over weight is being registered. In regard to this, any public health ways that can lessen childhood overweight and obese will improve the lifespan of these young people.Fast food has been consideredas one of the greatest contributor to overweight and obese amongst young people. According to statistics carried out, most students have been found to have bought these kinds of food to for themselves over a period of time in spite of their knowledge on the effects of fast food (Poirier et al 2006). Therefore, it is of much importance if we understand why students will opt to buy fast food for their consumption despite knowing the consequences of fast food to health. Measures to be undertaken to combat with feeding of fast food will be based on the information collected from different students. The information will provide the institutions with the relevant information needed so as to come up with better eating habits that can benefit the lives of these students. The learning institutions plus the parents have a role to play as they can provide other food that is nutritious at a cheaper cost or their parents packing for their kids packed lunch that is healthy. (Williams et al 2002). According to a carried out research, several reasons have been pointed out that makes the students buy these kinds of foods. To start with, since most students are far from their parents, they usually feel that they do not want to prepare foods for themselves. This causes the student to go out and search for already available food that will not cost them time in cooking. The other reason that was broadly seen as one of the greatest contributing factor was the issue about advertisement that promotes fast food. Every person will always be carried away by something new that is in the market. Currently many advertisements being broadcasted involves fast food where the students will all times go for what’s being advertised mostly. Additionally, fast food is quick to get as compared to other food that will take time before it is prepared. Since students have a certain time frame at what time to eat, they opt to take what will not take much of their time. Cost is another factor to consider when it comes to students as they want to save part of their money for other purposes. Therefore, as compared to other foods, fast food is inexpensive hence being pocket friendly to the students. Lastly, fast food is easy to get as it is sold everywhere. For this reason every student will get it with ease as compared to other food which has to be prepared at certain centralized location (Finkelstein & Zuckerman 2010). The concept of designed behavior has been preferred as a suitablepattern for this study as it offers an approach that is reductive hence allowing the one testing it to give the intensity on the key detailed questions.Fortunately the approach has effectively given various general behaviors. Three theories have been identified within this approach which are: perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and attitude. Perceived behavioral control replicates anindividual’s insight of their capability to act upon a behavior. For instance, a perception on being short out of time to prepare a meal can persuade one to buy fast food. When one focuses on these beliefs, they are likely to affect their behaviors and intentions.Evaluation and behavioral beliefs usually shape our attitudes since they are of much significance to those individuals. A case in point, a student will opt to buy fast food as they have a positive attitude that they will celebrate their food with their friends. While Subjective norm involves the perception of an individual if people of much importance to an individual think whether the behavior ought to be carried out. If other students are buying these fast foods, what makes this other student not buy (Petty &Brinol 2010). Aim What drives and motivates the students buy fast food is the main aim of this study. The study involves students who are of above 18 years of age to not more than 26 years of age. Method Eight participants were involved in filling in the questionnairewith two males and six females between the age of 18 and 26 years of age. According to their occupation, the two males were employed full time while four females were partially employed but two other females were serving as house wives. According to the analysis they were all well learned and had different skills in different professional fields. Each parent had three kids apart from two parents who had four kids respectively.The selection was carried out through a mutual function attendance with experimenter. For them to fill in the questionnaire, they were contacted through different means of communication that is; telephone, emails and through letters so as to evaluate appropriate time for them so as to conduct the questionnaire.The participants filled and completed in four questionnaires face-to-face while three participants completed their questionnaires via answering through phone call, where the experimenter would read for them the questions and the participants respond to the questions. The three participants agreed to all the questions read to them. The other three participants responded via email sent to them while two other participants responded via writing back to us the questionnaires sent to them in hard copy (Spain & Bianchi 1996). The structuring of the questionnaire was constructed and structured from the concept of designed behavior by the use of perceived behavior, subjective norms and attitude control to create questions. These questions were inquired on a Liker extent; an assessment of 4 was allocated for agreeing strongly response and incremented down to a range of 1 for ‘Strongly Disagree’ reply (Fishbein Ajzen 2005). Results: The results were assembled and viatotaling a weighting to replies, the standard deviation and mean was able to be resulted. The figures worked as follows: for the neutral, they were given a weight of 4 while for them agreed strongly a weight of 4 was given, them that agreed were given a weight of 5, them disagreeing strongly were given a weight of 1 while them that disagreed were given a weight of 2.To get the results, evaluation values were multiplied with weighted belief values for those queries, then averaged by summing up mean replies and dividing by the number of belief queries in that classification.So as to get the final mean total for perceived behavioral control, subjective norm an attitude, we repeat each respondent result (Streiner& Norman 2008). Table 1 – Results of Perceived Control, Subjective norm and Attitude questions Perceived Control Mean = 11 Subjective Norm Mean = 14 Attitude Mean = 6 These results reveal that normative beliefs are the major drivers for students in this study buying fast food. Table 2: Details of Attitude results Belief X Evaluation Mean If one eats fast foods for more once per week, the chances of one being obese are high x am concerned about child obesity 11 When one becomes used to consuming fast food, it will lead to high blood pressure x I mind about high blood pressure 12 When one consumes fast food it can mess up with children’s regulation energy intake x when it comes to children’s ability in energy intake regulation it is of great importance to me 12 The broad scope of answers for these queries gave a reasonable score in general for the mean attitude. Table 3: Subjective Norm results details Belief X Evaluation Mean I strongly believe that a good number of families purchase fast food x I compare my behavior to those who surround me 20 According to my mother’s belief, buying fast food is okay xthe opinion that my mum has is significant. 15 Fast food is fine that’s how my partner thinks x opinions about food it is my partner who shapes it and comes with conclusions. 10 There was a strong concurrence to all queries in this part, leading to directive beliefs being the most important driver of buying fast food. Table 4: Details of Perceived Control results Belief X Evaluation Mean My mum usually comes home tired x she don’t have to cook 8 Fast food is always ready x I only have to buy fast food as my friends do 8 Instead of wasting time in cooking x I can save time by doing other things instead of cooking I just buy packed fast food. 10 The broad scope of answers for these queries gave a reasonable score in general for the mean perceived control results. Discussion The main intention of this study was to work out main drivers of students choosing to purchase fast food for their meals. In general of this review, it has been found out that perceived behavioral control have the mostpersuasive factors in shaping the behavior. An optimistic attitude to purchase of fast food was established to have some impression on students buying it in this review. A good number of students believed that for their sake of enjoyment small amount of fast food are not harmful to their health. Some parents however in this review they were not associated with buying fast food for their kids as a form of a celebration but several of them associated fast food with rewarding special days like birthdays and celebration moments. Different cultures have different believes and so that’s why some parents believes fast food is for certain occasions while others fast food is meant to make the children happy (Failinger, 2003). From the subjective norms, the general results show how students feel okay and enjoy fast food as social groups are authoritative on behaviors to deal with dietary when they looked at directive influences. It is opposite to what the review indicated, probably due to the little sample size reviewed here. In the replies for Perceived Control Beliefs, students indicated that they settled that fast food channels can provide an easy solution and save their time and during busier periods. Since everyone is busy carrying out their studies, most students who are in this position will just opt to rely and depend on taking fast food as a significant source of meal (Mills & Marchant-Forde 2010). Due to the fact the small sample size is not a real representation of the population; this made the review of the study limited. The participants were well educated individuals which do not reveal a broadvariety of demographics inside the population. Younger students who have different views were not included in the participation as the participants were above 26 years of age. In addition, the study plan excludes the assembling of the extent replies to give way better consideration of behavior drivers (Dalton, 2004). Therefore, according to the outcomes of the above findings, parents will go for fast food that is time saving. To solve this issue, there is need for the public health nutrition programs in future prospects to come up with fast meal which is health related and has no impact on individual’s health so as to lessen the use of fast food which is the only available meal for people who are much committed in their work places.In addition, obligatory nutritional labeling would allow students make informed choices when they are taking to consideration the buying of fast food, to assist correct their opinion that fast food in control is harmless (Thaler & Sunstein 2008). In conclusion, many are the reasons that will make students buy fast food. In the current society, students are much overwhelmed by increasingly pressurized study work issues that consume almost all of their time from a time perspective and this review found that this is one of the key factors contributing to purchases of fast food. According to the research, most students want to maintain their social influences about their food choices however; several students acknowledge that they buy fast food for them to enjoy and celebrate with their friends under certain occasions that will need them buy fast foods. Moreover, additional studies on a more diverse and a larger sample are required, starting with some qualitative studies to make sure that all the main drivers of food that is junk and fatty food purchasing are evaluated (Martens 2005). Reference Dalton, S. (2004). Our overweight children: What parents, schools, and communities can do to control the fatness epidemic (Vol. 13).Univ of California Press. Failinger, M. A. (2003). Too Cheap Work for Anybody but Us: Toward a Theory and Practice of Good Child Labor. Rutgers LJ, 35, 1035. Finkelstein, E. A., & Zuckerman, L. (2010). The fattening of America: how the economy makes us fat, if it matters, and what to do about it. John Wiley & Sons. Fishbein, M., &Ajzen, I. 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