Table 2.
The number of meals students used from their meal plan in the 28 days prior to survey, and across the semester (n = 534; mean (sd)).
| Meal Plan Use | Fall 2015 | Spring 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 meals/week | 180 meals/semester A | 14 meals/week | Unlimited Meals | 8 meals/week | 180 meals/semester A | 14 meals/week | Unlimited Meals | |
| Females | ||||||||
| N | 108 | 73 | 111 | 42 | 93 | 63 | 65 | 10 |
| Number of meals in 28 days prior to survey | ||||||||
| Including guest passes | 22.6 (9.3) | 30.5 (14.5) | 33.4 (12.1) | 40.4 (18.9) | 20.4 (8.4) | 30.6 (12.0) | 29.5 (11.4) | 41.3 (23.7) |
| Excluding guest passes | 20.1 (7.8) | 30.4 (14.5) B | 30.9 (10.0) | 38.1 (17.3) | 19.0 (7.2) | 30.6 (12.0) B | 27.8 (10.4) | 36.1 (21.3) |
| Excluding guest passes and weekends | 16.0 (6.4) | 22.0 (9.9) | 23.1 (7.5) | 28.4 (12.1) | 16.0 (5.9) | 24.8 (9.2) | 22.1 (8.0) | 29.7 (16.7) |
| Number meals per semester | ||||||||
| Including guest passes | 87.0 (31.0) | 111.1 (43.2) | 130.5 (42.5) | 164.0 (58.6) | 86.2 (31.0) | 125.1 (41.9) | 123.6 (39.2) | 157.0 (77.6) |
| Excluding guest passes | 79.0 (26.3) | 111.0 (43.2) | 123.3 (38.1) | 155.9 (54.6) | 78.7 (26.6) | 125.0 (41.9) | 117.2 (35.5) | 141.0 (70.6) |
| Excluding guest passes and weekends | 65.5 (20.7) | 87.5 (32.5) | 97.1 (28.4) | 123.4 (40.5) | 66.7 (22.4) | 103.7 (33.4) | 95.9 (26.6) | 118.6 (57.8) |
| Percentage of meals used C | ||||||||
| 28 days prior to survey | 71% | 68% | 60% | 64% | 73% | 53% | ||
| Per semester D | 68% | 62% | 58% | 63% | 70% | 52% | ||
| Males | ||||||||
| N | 30 | 22 | 44 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 26 | 25 |
| Number of meals in 28 days prior to survey | ||||||||
| Including guest passes | 24.9 (7.2) | 33.3 (13.0) | 41.6 (13.3) | 59.5 (23.9) | 24.0 (7.3) | 35.0 (11.6) | 37.3 (11.8) | 64.0 (25.9) |
| Excluding guest passes | 23.0 (6.1) | 33.3 (13.0) | 36.6 (9.7) | 57.2 (22.2) | 22.0 (5.4) | 35.0 (11.6) | 34.2 (10.2) | 61.6 (23.2) |
| Excluding guest passes and weekends | 18.4 (4.7) | 24.9 (9.5) | 26.6 (7.6) | 42.6 (15.7) | 17.9 (4.8) | 28.0 (9.5) | 25.8 (6.9) | 47.8 (17.4) |
| Number meals per semester | ||||||||
| Including guest passes | 99.3 (30.3) | 122.5 (45.6) | 158.1 (42.1) | 232.0 (86.2) | 105.7 (22.5) | 132.8 (40.9) | 154.5 (48.2) | 253.7 (94.9) |
| Excluding guest passes | 89.4 (26.3) | 122.5 (45.6) | 146.4 (35.9) | 224.3 (82.9) | 94.0 (19.2) | 132.4 (40.7) | 142.6 (41.8) | 246.0 (88.2) |
| Excluding guest passes and weekends | 73.9 (20.4) | 99.0 (36.0) | 111.3 (27.5) | 178.0 (62.6) | 80.2 (14.3) | 108.8 (34.3) | 113.8 (30.5) | 198.9 (70.2) |
| Percentage of meals used C | ||||||||
| 28 days prior to survey | 78% | 74% | 74% | 75% | 83% | 67% | ||
| Per semester D | 78% | 68% | 71% | 78% | 74% | 65% | ||
The number of meals males and females used in each semester was significantly different by meal plan (p < 0.001); A 180 meals/semester equates to approximately 11 meals per week with consistent use; B The 180 meals/semester meal plan does not allow guest meals. A few students (n = 4 Fall, n = 7 Spring) used a guest pass prior to changing onto the 180 meals/semester meal plan. A few students on the 180 meals/semester meal plan swiped their meal plan twice in the same minute; the second swipe was classified as a guest meal. C The percentage of meals used was based on the number of meals used (including guest passes) out of the theoretical maximum number of meals a student on each meal plan could use. For students on an 8 (14) meals/week meal plan, the theoretical maximum number of meals a student could have used was: 32 (56) meals in 28 days, 128 (224) meals in the Fall semester, and 136 (238) meals in the Spring semester. The percentage of meals used in the 28 days prior to the survey for students on the 180 meals/semester meal plan was based off a theoretical maximum of 45 meals for the Fall semester and 42 meals for the Spring semester. D The semester length was calculated as 16 weeks for the Fall semester and 17 weeks for the Spring semester. This is less than the actual semester lengths (18 weeks) to account for less purchases made in the first and last weeks of semester, and four days of missing data during the Fall semester.