Jurado-Gonzalez Patricia, López-Toledo Sabina, Bach-Faig Anna, Medina Francesc-Xavier
NUTRALiSS, Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain.
Health Sciences and Disease Study Center, Faculty of Dentistry, Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca (UABJO), Oaxaca de Juarez 68120, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Nutrients. 2025 Apr 3;17(7):1263. doi: 10.3390/nu17071263.
: The transition to university life brings significant social, psychological, and environmental changes, making it a critical period for establishing long-term dietary habits. However, many Mexican university students fail to meet national dietary guidelines, increasing their risk of non-communicable diseases. This study examines the determinants of healthy eating among university students in Oaxaca using a holistic, multi-level approach grounded in the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). : A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating ethnography with a validated self-report questionnaire completed by 411 students at the (UABJO). The ethnographic data included observations, field notes, photographs, informal conversations, and 13 semi-structured interviews. Data triangulation provided a comprehensive understanding of dietary behaviors by capturing both self-reported patterns and real-world eating practices and the food environment, as captured through ethnographic methods. The analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests, and parametric tests to assess significant differences. : The findings revealed a decline in diet quality, characterized by low fruit and vegetable intake, high snack consumption, and irregular meal patterns, particularly among students living independently. Key barriers included academic stress, time constraints, low cooking self-efficacy, limited nutritional knowledge, peer pressure, and negative social norms, which contributed to reliance on convenient, processed foods. The lack of healthy food options on campus and the high perceived cost of nutritious food further led students to prioritize cheap, calorie-dense foods over healthier choices. Conversely, enablers included structured university schedules; peer support; hands-on culinary interventions; and improved access to affordable, healthy food. : Addressing these barriers requires multi-level interventions that enhance nutrition literacy, cooking self-efficacy, and peer-led strategies while improving the campus food environment. Future research should explore SCT-based initiatives leveraging social networks and culinary education to foster sustainable dietary behavior change in university settings and assess how these findings can be applied in other socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
向大学生活的过渡带来了重大的社会、心理和环境变化，使其成为确立长期饮食习惯的关键时期。然而，许多墨西哥大学生未能达到国家饮食指南的要求，增加了他们患非传染性疾病的风险。本研究采用基于社会生态模型（SEM）和社会认知理论（SCT）的整体、多层次方法，考察瓦哈卡州大学生健康饮食的决定因素。采用混合方法，将人种志与一份经过验证的自我报告问卷相结合，该问卷由（UABJO）的411名学生完成。人种志数据包括观察、实地记录、照片、非正式谈话以及13次半结构化访谈。数据三角剖分通过捕捉自我报告的模式、现实世界的饮食行为以及通过人种志方法所捕捉到的食物环境，提供了对饮食行为的全面理解。分析包括描述性统计、正态性检验和参数检验，以评估显著差异。研究结果显示饮食质量下降，其特征为水果和蔬菜摄入量低、零食消费高以及用餐模式不规律，尤其是在独立生活的学生中。主要障碍包括学业压力、时间限制、烹饪自我效能感低、营养知识有限、同伴压力和负面社会规范，这些因素导致依赖方便的加工食品。校园内缺乏健康食品选择以及营养食品的高感知成本进一步导致学生优先选择便宜、高热量的食品而非更健康的选择。相反，促进因素包括结构化的大学时间表、同伴支持、实践烹饪干预以及改善获取价格合理的健康食品的机会。解决这些障碍需要多层次干预，以提高营养素养、烹饪自我效能感以及同伴主导的策略，同时改善校园食物环境。未来的研究应探索基于社会认知理论的举措，利用社交网络和烹饪教育在大学环境中促进可持续的饮食行为改变，并评估这些研究结果如何应用于其他社会经济和文化背景。
