VANCOUVER, Wash. — Do young adults who plan to cook more also eat tend to eat better?
That was one question Sarah Benner-Kenagy wanted to address as her project for the two-year University Honors Scholars Program at Washington State University Vancouver. For her extensive research and the paper that resulted, “The Theory of Planned Behavior and College Students’ Attitudes and Barriers to Cooking,” Benner-Kenagy received the 2014 Student Research Excellence Award from the 91ԹϺ Library. The award comes with a $300 prize.
Benner-Kenagy, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, has always been interested in food and cooking and worked as a pastry chef before returning to school. With her faculty mentor, Renee Magnan, assistant professor of psychology, she reviewed existing literature on the topic, then designed and administered a survey to 277 students aged 18 – 25.
The theory of planned behavior, which links intentions and behavior and is often used in social science research, informed Benner-Kenagy’s analysis of whether norms, attitudes and perceptions of control would predict how often young adults cooked. She also learned that most participants seldom cooked, and that correspondingly they were not getting recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
“One of the strengths of Sarah’s research was that she used material from a variety of disciplines—educational, medical and psychological,” said Karen Diller, associate library director. “She also understood how to synthesize the sources enough to combine them into a new study.”
Benner-Kenagy said the thing she will miss the most now that she is a college graduate is access to the library’s vast collection of databases. She is currently planning to submit her paper to a journal for publication, and next wants to work on a master’s degree in public health and social work.
And, yes, she does cook—at least once a day.
The library will have a display related to Benner-Kenagy’s research in the fall semester.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Karen Diller, 91ԹϺ Library, 360-546-9179, diller@vancouver.wsu.edu
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu