Experiences in Healthy Dieting of Male College Students with Obesity in Korea

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe and understand experiences of healthy dieting in male college students with obesity. METHODS: The interview data were collected from nine male students and analyzed by using descriptive phenomenology of Colaizzi. The procedural steps described the phenomenon of interest, collected participants' descriptions of the phenomenon, extracted the meaning of significant statements, organized the meanings into clusters, wrote exhaustive descriptions, and then incorporated data into an exhaustive description. RESULTS: The findings in 246 restatements, 47 constructed meanings, 31 themes, eight theme clusters, and four categories were deduced. The four categories were “Uneasiness at interpersonal relationships”, “Developing durability in dieting strategies”, “Practicing healthy diets based on information”, and “Perceived on healthy diets as a whole health support strategies”. CONCLUSION: This study described experiences in healthy dieting of male college students who were discharged from military services. These findings have important implications for understanding healthy dieting in young men and must be considered in developing health promotion in youth.