Determinants of healthy eating and physical activity in commuter college students: a qualitative study

Objective. This study explored facilitators and barriers of healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA) among commuter college students and opportunities for campus-based interventions to support these behaviors. Participants: Participants were 39 undergraduates (56.4% female, 73.0% students of color, 19.6 ± 2.5 years) attending an urban commuter college. Methods: Six semi-structured focus groups (mean duration = 55.8 ± 17.2 min) were conducted. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed and transcripts were coded in NVivo 2020 Plus using thematic analysis. Results: Determinants of HE and PA were classified as personal, social, and environmental and encompassed factors unique to the commuter experience. Key themes for campus-based interventions reflected relevant barriers and included providing education, creating a campus community oriented to eating healthy and being active, and building off-campus partnerships to support these behaviors. Discussion: Approaches for implementing initiatives to support HE and PA in a commuter college setting are discussed.