AT A GLANCE
Survey data on food choices, preferences, and consumption patterns of U.S. college students. Originally published on Kaggle, this dataset examines factors influencing dietary decisions including health concerns, convenience, taste, and cultural background.
Key Highlights:
- Population: U.S. college students
- Source: Kaggle
- Topics: Dietary patterns, health concerns, convenience factors, taste preferences, cultural influences
- Utility: Nutrition research, public health interventions, consumer behavior analysis
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This dataset supports research by nutritionists, policymakers, and health educators developing interventions to promote healthy eating among college students. Researchers can investigate relationships between dietary patterns and health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and compare consumption patterns across demographic groups.
Research Applications:
- Dietary pattern and nutrition analysis among young adults
- Food choice determinants — health, convenience, taste, culture
- Relationships between diet and chronic disease indicators
- Demographic comparisons of consumption behavior
Subject Terms: food choices, dietary patterns, nutrition, college students, obesity, health behavior, United States
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- Geographic Coverage: United States
- Smallest Geographic Unit: Individual student
- Time Period: See data files for specific survey dates
- Universe: College students in the United States
- Unit of Observation: Individual student
- Data Type: Survey data
Data Collection: Survey data collected from U.S. college students, covering food preferences, consumption frequencies, and demographic characteristics. Published on Kaggle.
CITATION
University of Maryland, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences [distributor]. Food Choices. Originally from Kaggle. BSOS Social Science Data Repository, 2026. https://bsos-data.umd.edu/dataset/food-choices-dataset
FILES & DOCUMENTATION
Available:
- cover_sheet_food_choices (DOCX)
- codebook_food (XLSX)
- data_food (XLSX)
Planned Additions:
- Data Dictionary — Food frequency scales, health outcome measures, demographic categories
- Blank Questionnaire — Original survey instrument