eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 2022-07-12 10 7 482 487 10.12691/jfnr-10-7-6 JFNR20221076 article Doreen Liou lioud@montclair.edu 1 Jessica Karasik 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic, causing immense physical, social & emotional repercussions. Unbalanced nutrition and social isolation can lead to compromised immune systems, which can increase vulnerability to this viral infection. There is limited research addressing college students¡¯ beliefs of COVID-19 related to nutrient intake. The purpose of this qualitative study is to ascertain health-related beliefs related to COVID-19 risk and prevention among undergraduate students enrolled in a New Jersey university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five undergraduate, full-time students (18 females, 7 males) between the ages of 18 to 25. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted virtually on Zoom and audio-recorded for transcription. An interview protocol consisted of seven open-ended questions related to COVID-19 using tenets of Health Belief Model. Perceived susceptibility and severity to the virus were ascertained along with perceived benefits of adopting diet-related behavior. Questions pertaining to perceived barriers and self-efficacy were queried. All interviews were transcribed verbatim with qualitative analyses performed by two independent researchers who coded the transcripts to achieve inter-rater reliability. Codes were merged into broad themes to derive an original theoretical framework addressing participants¡¯ risk and prevention of COVID-19. Participants expressed their susceptibility to COVID-19 ranging from low-risk to high-risk based on their age, public exposure, and pre-existing health conditions. Perceived severity included notable physical, mental, and social effects. Perceived benefits included the consumption of fruits and vegetables and vitamin supplementation. Perceived barriers in adopting a healthy diet included financial and time constraints. Nutrition and health practitioners need to assess young adults¡¯ beliefs and susceptibility to COVID-19. Educators should assess college students¡¯ motivation to adopt healthy diets to balance their immune systems. http://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/10/7/6/jfnr-10-7-6.pdf COVID-19 Health Belief Model perceptions beliefs college students