Defining a snack self-definitions and snack patterns of college freshmen

A consistent definition for snacks has not been developed in dietary research despite the significant contribution of snacks to overall dietary intake. The purpose of this research was to examine self-reported definitions of a snack and to examine snacking patterns among a college freshman population. Aim 1 consisted of a qualitative analysis of self-definitions of the word "snack" (n=663). Aim 2 consisted of a quantitative analysis of snack patterns reported from seven-day food records (n=105). Participants were 18-19 year old entering freshman of a large state university. Aim 1 participants responded to the question "How would you define the word 'snacks'?" and responses were categorized based upon emergent themes. Aim 2 dietary intake was measured using seven-day food records entered into Nutrition Data System for Research for analysis. Results showed that the three largest snack definition categories were Not a Meal (72%), Small Portion (39%), and Hungry (26%). Twenty-eight percent of respondents' snack definitions were counted in two of the three categories and 12% were counted in all three. All participants consumed at least one snack during the seven-day period. Snacks contributed less calories to overall dietary intake but had a higher energy density than lunch and dinner. The contribution of snacks to participants' dietary intake increased on weekend days versus weekdays. In conclusion, defining a snack appears to have multiple criteria that may be subjective. Snack choices may be of dietary concern as they are more energy dense than meals. Providing a consistent definition of a snack in dietary assessment research may be needed to determine trends and associations of snack patterns and obesity. Future research examining snack definition criteria should consider the types of food individuals choose to consume as snacks, motivations to snack, and how these differ on weekdays and weekends.