Since Web-based interventions have a significantly high rate of attrition ranging from 99.5% to 77.5%, the researcher employed an instrumental case study approach to understand compliance in a Web-portal. The specific issue for this study was attrition rates and how SCT constructs affected eating competence. Qualitative data provided ground zero insight to a complex issue that was further understood. To better understand the phenomenon, participants that registered for the 30-day study and the software developer were interviewed. All interviews (n=6) were transcribed and data from the transcriptions were transformed from dialogues, into categories, then themes, and finally into concepts. Five guidelines to keep attrition rates low was the outcome of the data analysis. Having a nation interested in the Internet and at the same time faced with an obesity epidemic seemed to be a good fit for researching a method to promote eating competence with interactive technology. Eating competence intertwines four components: (1) attitudes about eating and the enjoyment of food (2) accepting new food to add variety to your diet (3) being able to eat the right amount of food and (4) being able to manage food through proper planning, storing, preparing, and offering. With the above information extracted from the literature, it was determined, a serious enough problem existed to justify spending time, money and other resources to develop and implement an intervention. The theoretical framework supporting the development of the web portal is the social cognitive theory (SCT). In health promotion, the purpose of the SCT is to help people stay healthy through good self-management of health habits. This dissertation focused on four constructs: self-efficacy, behavioral capabilities, observational learning, and reinforcement to better understand how eating competence skills were enhanced and attrition rates lowered.

Objective: Determine change in eating competence (EC) and factors related to EC in students enrolled in basic nutrition courses at a major private university. Design: Eating competence was measured by administering the ecSatter Inventory (ecSI) both before and after class intervention. Additional data on eating disorder prevalence, food security, and general demographics were also collected in the same structured survey. Significance identified with p value <0.01. Setting/Participants: This survey was administered to 566 students enrolled in basic nutrition courses at a major private university in the western United States. Analysis: ANOVA was used to determine relationships between ecSI end scores and participant characteristics. ANCOVA was used to determine relationships between change in ecSI scores over time and participant characteristics. Results: Enrollment in NDFS 100 is associated with an overall increase in eating competence (EC). However, students with current eating disorders had a significant decrease in EC during enrollment. Current or past eating disorders and low or very low Food Security Status were associated with lack of EC. Females and younger participants were not eating competent at the course end. Enrollment in NDFS 201 was not associated with significant change in EC. Conclusions: Basic nutrition instruction improves EC among students without eating disorders. Low food security status and presence of an eating disorder may be a barrier to improving EC.