alexis230123

[alexis230123]

Blog Entry: Dietary Habits and Tobacco Use Among University Students

1. Selected Dataset

I have chosen the NESARC Wave 1 dataset because it provides detailed variables related to tobacco consumption, including frequency, quantity, and contextual factors such as daily habits, emotions, and socioeconomic characteristics. This makes it ideal for studying the relationship between dietary habits and tobacco use among university students.

2. Research Question and Association

Research Question:

Is frequent tobacco use associated with a preference for ultra-processed foods among university students?

Hypothesis:

I hypothesize that university students who smoke more frequently have higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, influenced by irregular eating patterns and factors such as academic stress.

3. Personal Codebook

VariableDescriptionValuesS3AQ3B1Frequency of tobacco use in the last 30 days1=Daily, 2=Weekly, 3=NeverS3AQ4B1Average number of cigarettes smoked per day1-99 cigarettesDiet01Weekly frequency of fast food consumption1=Never, 2=1-2 times, 3=3+ timesDiet02Weekly consumption of sugary beverages1=Never, 2=1-2 times, 3=3+ timesStress01Perceived level of academic stress in the past week1=None, 2=Moderate, 3=High

4. Identification of a Second Topic

Second Topic: Academic Stress I decided to include variables related to perceived stress levels, as it could mediate the relationship between tobacco use and dietary habits.

Additional Variables for the Personal Codebook:VariableDescriptionValuesStress01Perceived level of academic stress in the past week1=None, 2=Moderate, 3=HighSleep01Average hours of sleep on regular nights1=Less than 5h, 2=5-7h, 3=More than 7h

5. Literature Review

Search Terms:

"Smoking frequency AND dietary habits in university students"

"Stress AND tobacco use AND ultra-processed foods"

References:

Smith, J., & Brown, L. (2020). The association between smoking and dietary patterns: A review. Journal of Health Behavior, 45(3), 567–581.

Lee, K., et al. (2018). Stress, tobacco use, and diet among college students. American Journal of Public Health, 108(5), 789–795.

Summary of Findings:

Smith & Brown (2020): Found that frequent smokers are more likely to consume ultra-processed foods, potentially due to irregular lifestyle patterns.

Lee et al. (2018): Identified that academic stress increases both tobacco use and the consumption of unhealthy foods among university students.

6. Final Hypothesis

Based on the literature review and selected variables, I hypothesize that university students who perceive high levels of academic stress and frequently use tobacco tend to consume ultra-processed foods more often. Additionally, academic stress may act as a mediating factor in this association.