Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Nutr Diet. 2021 Apr;78(2):174-182. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12662. Epub 2021 Feb 2.
University students often cite increased monetary cost as a major barrier to improved eating behaviours. Here, we examine food expenditure behaviours in a sample of Australian university students.
Students (n = 147) collected and analysed a 24-hour food record to determine their food group and nutrient intakes, then costed the food and non-tap water beverages consumed in the amounts recorded. Diet cost and food group expenditure (absolute and relative to total diet cost) were calculated and compared across socio-demographic characteristics. Spearman's Rho correlations and partial correlations (controlling for energy intake) were also used to identify associations between diet cost and intake.
The median (IQR) 24-hour diet cost was $12.42 ($7.06). However, students who worked ≥20 h·wk had a higher diet cost than those who worked <20 h·wk (P = .002) or were unemployed (P = .002). Relative food group expenditure also differed by sex, employment status and whether special dietary requirements were reported (P's < .05). For instance, males reported spending a smaller relative amount on the fruit and vegetables food groups and a larger relative amount on discretionary choices than females (P's < 0.05). Higher diet costs were also associated with greater intakes of the fruit, vegetables and lean meat and alternatives food groups, protein, alcohol, water and calcium, and lower intakes of the grain foods food group and carbohydrate (P's < .05).
These findings provide insight into university students' food expenditure behaviours and may assist health professionals to develop targeted strategies and tailored advice aimed at improving their dietary behaviours.
大学生经常将增加的金钱成本作为改善饮食行为的主要障碍。在这里，我们研究了澳大利亚大学生样本中的食物支出行为。
学生（n=147）收集并分析了 24 小时食物记录，以确定他们的食物组和营养素摄入量，然后根据记录的数量计算所消耗的食物和非自来水饮料的费用。计算并比较了膳食成本和食物组支出（绝对和相对于总膳食成本），并根据社会人口统计学特征进行了比较。还使用 Spearman's Rho 相关性和偏相关性（控制能量摄入）来确定饮食成本与摄入量之间的关联。
24 小时饮食成本的中位数（IQR）为 12.42 美元（7.06 美元）。然而，每周工作≥20 小时的学生的饮食成本高于每周工作<20 小时（P=0.002）或失业的学生（P=0.002）。相对食物组支出也因性别、就业状况以及是否报告特殊饮食需求而有所不同（P<0.05）。例如，男性报告在水果和蔬菜食物组上的相对支出较少，在可自由支配的选择上的相对支出较大，而女性则报告在水果和蔬菜食物组上的相对支出较多，在可自由支配的选择上的相对支出较少（P<0.05）。较高的饮食成本也与水果、蔬菜和瘦肉及替代品食物组、蛋白质、酒精、水和钙的摄入量增加以及谷物食物组和碳水化合物的摄入量减少有关（P<0.05）。
这些发现深入了解了大学生的食物支出行为，可能有助于卫生专业人员制定有针对性的策略和量身定制的建议，以改善他们的饮食行为。
