Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 28;19(10):e0312750. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312750. eCollection 2024.
Eating habits are important determinants of health. Young adults who have recently transitioned to university life experience stress and lack of time, which are major risk factors for poor eating habits. This study's objectives were to identify and compare eating habits between students at health and non-health colleges at Northern Border University (NBU), Saudi Arabia and to determine the relationship between students' eating habits and their sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychological factors.
This comparative cross-section study was conducted on 480 students equally from health and non-health colleges at NBU from March to April 2023. A pre-designed electronic questionnaire was used to collect data on students' sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits, and diet-related psychological factors. Statistical analyses were carried out using STATA/SE version 11.2 for Windows.
Unhealthy eating habits were reported by 44.6% and 41.3% of students at health and non-health colleges, respectively. Most students had irregular meals, skipped breakfast, ate fast food frequently, and consumed insufficient amounts of vegetables, fruits, and water. Parental separation, living away from family predisposed to unhealthy eating habits. Being 21-23 years old, playing sports, and high body mass index were linked to healthy eating habits. Psychological factors such as overeating until the stomach hurts and eating to feel happy were associated with unhealthy eating habits.
Unhealthy eating habits were prevalent among students at NBU irrespective of the type of study. Thus, implementing initiatives to promote nutrition and healthy eating habits within the university environment is crucial for health promotion and well-being among students.
饮食习惯是健康的重要决定因素。刚步入大学生活的年轻人会经历压力和时间不足，这是导致不良饮食习惯的主要危险因素。本研究的目的是确定并比较沙特阿拉伯北方边境大学（NBU）健康和非健康学院学生的饮食习惯，并确定学生的饮食习惯与其社会人口统计学、生活方式和心理因素之间的关系。
这是一项在 2023 年 3 月至 4 月期间在 NBU 健康和非健康学院各抽取 480 名学生的比较性横断面研究。使用预先设计的电子问卷收集学生的社会人口统计学特征、饮食习惯和与饮食相关的心理因素数据。使用 STATA/SE 版本 11.2 for Windows 进行统计分析。
健康和非健康学院的学生分别有 44.6%和 41.3%报告存在不良饮食习惯。大多数学生的饮食习惯不规律，不吃早餐，经常吃快餐，蔬菜、水果和水的摄入量不足。父母离异、远离家庭会导致不良饮食习惯。21-23 岁、运动和高身体质量指数与健康饮食习惯有关。暴饮暴食到胃痛和为了感到快乐而进食等心理因素与不良饮食习惯有关。
NBU 的学生中普遍存在不良饮食习惯，无论学习类型如何。因此，在大学校园内实施促进营养和健康饮食习惯的举措对于促进学生的健康和幸福感至关重要。
