Date of Award

Fall 11-15-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Food Science

First Advisor

Simone Camel

Abstract

Food neophobia “the reluctance to try unfamiliar foods” may influence diet variety and cultural food acceptance among young adults. College students represent a critical group for studying this behavior, as they are developing independent eating habits that can persist into adulthood. This study examined the prevalence of food neophobia among U.S. college students and evaluated how academic background, travel, cultural exposure, and demographic factors influence openness to trying unfamiliar foods. A cross-sectional online survey was administered via Qualtrics to 264 college students across the United States. The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS; Pliner & Hobden, 1992) was used to assess reluctance toward unfamiliar foods. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. Group differences were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests, and correlations were examined with Pearson’s r. Statistical significance was set at p< .05. The mean FNS score was 33.74 (SD = 13.32; range 10-65), indicating moderate food neophobia among most participants. Healthcare majors (M = 30.85, SD = 13.86) and nutrition majors (M = 27.15, SD = 13.16) reported significantly lower food neophobia compared with students in other fields (p< .01). Regular consumption of ethnic foods was negatively correlated with food neophobia (r = –0.225, p< .001), suggesting that repeated exposure promotes openness. However, travel frequency and cultural event attendance was not significantly associated with food neophobia, though they were positively correlated with each other (r = 0.256, p< .001). No significant differences were found by gender, year in college, residence type, or international status. Students in nutrition and healthcare programs exhibited greater openness to unfamiliar foods, likely due to hands-on learning and repeated exposure to diverse cuisines within their curriculum. Frequent ethnic food consumption was the strongest predictor of lower food neophobia, indicating that direct sensory experiences are more influential than general cultural participation. Hypothesis 1 was partially supported, as cultural exposure and travel alone did not significantly reduce neophobia, while Hypothesis 2 was supported, confirming lower food neophobia among nutrition and healthcare students. These findings emphasize that experiential learning and repeated exposure may be key strategies to reduce food neophobia and promote dietary variety among college populations.

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