Diet Quality among Students Attending an Australian University Is Compromised by Food Insecurity and Less Frequent Intake of Home Cooked Meals. A Cross-Sectional Survey Using the Validated Healthy Eating Index for Australian Adults (HEIFA-2013)

Abstract

Poor diet quality is commonly reported in young adults. This study aimed to measure the diet quality of students attending a large Australian university (including domestic and international students), and to examine the effect of food security status and other key factors likely to impact their diet quality. Using the Automated Self-Administered 24-h recall Australian version, a cross-sectional survey collected dietary recalls from domestic and international students in one university in Sydney. Diet quality was assessed using the validated Healthy Eating Index for Australian Adults (HEIFA-2013) which gives a score out of 100. Food security status was measured by the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. Differences in the mean HEIFA-2013 scores by student characteristics were determined by analysis of covariance. A total of 141 students completed one dietary recall. The mean HEIFA-2013 score for students was low (mean 52.4, 95% CI 50.0–54.8). Food-insecure students had a poorer diet quality (mean 43.7, 95% CI 35.7–51.8) than their food-secure peers (mean 53.2, 95% CI 50.8–55.7, p = 0.027). The mean HEIFA-2013 score was similar in domestic (mean 52.5, 95% CI 49.9–55.2) and international students (mean 51.9, 95% CI 46.3–57.5, p = 0.845). Those reporting self-perceived excellent cooking skills and higher cooking frequency had better diet quality. Interventions to improve food and nutrition knowledge and skills and address food insecurity may help tertiary education students cook more frequently and achieve better diet quality.

Association between food insecurity status, campus food initiative use and diet quality in Australian university students

“…Our study extends this research by demonstrating that food‐insecure students have significantly worse diet quality, in particular, fruit and vegetable quality scores, than that of their food‐secure peers. This is consistent with recent research conducted on another group of Australian university students that reported that food‐insecure, domestic‐enrolled students have significantly worse diet quality scores 10 . However, in that study, food‐insecure students reported consuming fewer wholegrains, and unlike our study, there were no differences in fruit and vegetable intake 10 .…”

“…This is consistent with recent research conducted on another group of Australian university students that reported that food-insecure, domestic-enrolled students have significantly worse diet quality scores. 10 However, in that study, food-insecure students reported consuming fewer wholegrains, and unlike our study, there were no differences in fruit and vegetable intake. 10 Discretionary food intake was not measured in our study, but it has been reported that food insecurity is also associated with higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages 35 and added sugars.…”

“…Our finding that 54% of students surveyed experienced food insecurity exceeds the estimated prevalence of food insecurity of university students globally, namely 42% 3 . Within the Australian context, our findings indicate a higher prevalence of food insecurity than previously published prevalence data among university students (13%–48%) 4–12 . The differences in prevalence between studies may be partly related to the use of different food insecurity measures and the inclusion (or exclusion) of marginal food insecurity from food insecurity estimates.…”

“…3 Within the Australian context, our findings indicate a higher prevalence of food insecurity than previously published prevalence data among university students (13%-48%). [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The differences in prevalence between studies may be partly related to the use of different food insecurity measures and the inclusion (or exclusion) of marginal food insecurity from food insecurity estimates. Our survey results, however, adopt the same survey tool as Kent et al, who estimated the prevalence of food insecurity in students at another Australian university as 42% (8% marginal, 17% moderate and 17% severe food insecurity) in early 2022.…”

“…2 International research reports that university students are more vulnerable to food insecurity compared with the general population. 3 The prevalence of food insecurity among Australian university student populations ranged from 13% to 48%, [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] which varies depending on the study setting, student sample and food security measurement tool used. These prevalence statistics, including the notable variability in the prevalence of food insecurity in this population, reflect published literature from other high-income countries.…”