Thesis (M.A.)--Oregon State University, 1995. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

The ambiguous nature of social interactions between coeds may lead to under reporting of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment has been studied using mostly cross-sectional methods for over 30 years. However, despite decades of research, prevalence rates of sexual harassment have been found to vary considerably across and within studies. This inconsistency in findings makes drawing conclusions about the prevalence of sexual harassment challenging. Thus, the focus of the field should shift to identifying what behaviors are perceived to be sexual harassment and how that perception may vary by context. To reduce the ambiguity surrounding the labeling of an interaction as sexual harassment, experiments are needed to isolate unique facets of an interaction. Developing a greater understanding of what occurs when someone is sexually harassed is warranted given that the occurrence of sexual harassment has numerous negative consequences for everyone involved. Cognitive appraisals and changes in negative emotional affect were examined in undergraduate women. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control (non-sexual harassment interaction) or experimental (sexual harassment) condition that utilized validated video stimuli developed by the researcher. Context was also manipulated as both behavioral interactions took place in a classroom setting and a party setting. Learning the internal processes that occur during the event-moment of sexual harassment can lead to the development and dissemination of guidelines for college students regarding what constitutes sexual harassment within and across contexts. Results from this line of research can inform prevention programming for college students.

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Although research describing relationships between psychosocial factors and various eating patterns is growing, a model which explains the mechanisms through which these factors may operate is lacking. A model to explain overeating patterns among normal weight college females was developed and tested. The model contained the following variables: global adjustment, eating and weight cognitions, emotional eating, and self-efficacy. Three hundred ninety-one participants completed the following self-report indices: the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised, the Student Adaptation College Questionnaire, the Weight Efficacy Life-Style Questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiological Studies on Depression, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Emotional Eating Scale, the COPE, the Dutch Eating Behaviors Questionnaire - Restraint Scale, and a self-reported frequency of current eating patterns. Forty participants were excluded based on responses suggestive of obesity (BMI>27.3), severe dietary restraint, or bulimia nervosa, resulting in a final sample of 351. Correlational matrices, factor analysis and structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.B were progressively used to develop the best measurement model and assess the goodness of fit of the proposed structural model. The model provided an excellent fit to the data (GFI=.95; AGFI = .92; RMSEA = .048) and explained as large amount of the observed variance in overeating patterns among normal weight college females (R² = .78). An alternative model, which included dietary restraint as a predictor variable was also tested and compared to the proposed structural model. On all indices of model fit and model parsimony, the proposed model without dietary restraint appeared superior. Moreover, dietary restraint was not a significant direct contributor to the explanation of overeating patterns among normal weight college females. In the final structural model, all variables had a significant direct effect on eating patterns (p < .01). Further examination revealed a large total effect of adjustment as well as a strong direct influence of emotional eating on overeating patterns (direct effect =.52, p <.001). Because emotional eating captures the extent to which negative emotions produce an urge to eat, treatment and prevention programs should specifically target acquisition and practice of alternative coping strategies for dealing with negative emotions. / Ph. D.

Research has indicated that college-age women are not consuming the recommended daily servings of dairy foods, and therefore, have inadequate calcium intakes as well. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 29 college women to explore their perceptions, opinions, thoughts, and feelings about dairy foods. Single, non-Hispanic white females, aged 19-22, enrolled in state-funded colleges and universities in Virginia were recruited for the study. Discussion questions addressed preferences for dairy foods, advantages and disadvantages of dairy foods, factors that influence dairy consumption, and ideas for product improvements. Focus group discussions were audio taped, transcribed by the researcher, then checked for accuracy by a Virginia Tech undergraduate student. Major themes and subthemes were identified, and results were reported in the following theme categories: 1) health and nutrition perceptions of dairy foods, 2) external influences on dairy food consumption, 3) characteristics of dairy products, and 4) ideas for product improvements. Women in this study perceived the high calcium content of dairy foods to be a health benefit. Women thought calcium was important for the prevention of osteoporosis; however, most women did not seem to perceive osteoporosis as an immediate health concern. A predominant theme throughout all focus groups was that college women thought many dairy foods were high in fat. Use of calcium supplements as well as other vitamin/mineral supplements to meet nutrient requirements was common among this sample of college women. Other factors that influenced women's dairy food choices included family influences (especially mothers), college lifestyle, and media sources. Specifically, mothers encouraged women to drink milk during childhood and to use supplements. Women's busy lifestyles at college influenced them to choose convenient dairy foods. Women's concern with body weight and image played a role in their lower fat dairy food choices. Sensory characteristics of dairy foods, particularly taste, were important to the college women's dairy food choices. Women wanted convenient and "easily accessible" dairy foods, and their ideas for product improvements included smaller package sizes, easier opening of packages, and improved availability of low fat dairy options in restaurants and dining halls. Nutrition educators should strive to emphasize the importance of adequate dairy food consumption to college women now to prevent osteoporosis in the future. Continued promotion of low fat dairy choices is important to help ensure that women receive adequate intake of calcium and other important nutrients. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to determine the riboflavin intake in food and the excretion in the urine and feces of young college women living in the home management house and eating a self selected diet from a common food supply.

The purpose of this study is to determine the nicotinic acid values of the food consumed and the urinary and fecal excretions of young college women on self-selected diets.