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The impact of healthy eating identity on soldiers’ food choices
Understanding the factors that contribute to healthy eating among military personnel is essential, given the connection between nutrition and operational performance. This study examines how a healthy eating identity influences food choices among Soldiers, an area often overshadowed by standard nutrition education approaches.
A total of 575 Drill Sergeant Candidates participated in a survey to measure their nutrition knowledge, types of eating identity, and eating behaviors, specifically focusing on fruit and vegetable consumption, meal skipping, and dining out frequency. The research employed multiple linear regression models with full-information maximum likelihood estimation, controlling for variables such as race/ethnicity, education, and marital status. This study received approval from both the Department of Defense and the University of South Carolina’s Institutional Review Boards.
Results indicated that possessing a healthy eating identity significantly correlated with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (p < 0.05) and a reduction in meal skipping and frequency of eating out (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher nutrition knowledge was linked to less meal skipping (p < 0.05).
These findings suggest that cultivating a healthy eating identity could be a more effective strategy for encouraging better food choices than relying solely on nutrition education. Identifying critical moments during a Soldier’s career to instill a healthy eating identity and promote beneficial behaviors may enhance the effectiveness of health promotion initiatives. [NPID: Military soldiers, eating identity, nutrition knowledge, fruits and vegetables]
Year: 2026
