Diet Quality Compared to the Nutritional Knowledge of Polish, German, and Slovakian University Students—Preliminary Research

Abstract

The eating habits of students differ significantly from those recommended by health practitioners. The aim of this study was to find differences related to diet quality and knowledge on nutrition among Polish, German, and Slovakian students as well as to examine which factors differentiate the diet quality of students from these three countries. The study was conducted on a group of 394 university students from Poland, Germany, and Slovakia. The assessment of diet quality and knowledge on food and nutrition was done with the use of the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire. The diet of German students was characterized by a significantly higher consumption of legume-based foods, vegetables, and fruit compared to Polish students and Slovakian participants (p < 0.001). The diet of the Poles was characterized by a high consumption of cured meat, smoked sausages, hot dogs, white bread and bakery products, butter, fried foods, and energy drinks. The most important factors significantly associated with diet quality involved the country, place of residence, Body Mass Index (BMI), physical activity, and time spent watching TV or using a computer. Polish students were characterized by the highest level of knowledge on food and nutrition (p < 0.001). However, it was not reflected in their diet. The authorities of universities should aim to provide students with access to canteens on campuses which would offer the possibility of consumption of both affordable and healthy meals.

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“…In general, medical university students should gain more knowledge about the benefits and necessity of healthy habits. These findings are not in accordance with the results observed in previous research, which suggested that the highest level of knowledge on food and nutrition was not connected with a healthier diet [16,17]. Other studies revealed that even students from medical and nutritional university departments showed inadequate awareness on healthy eating habits [16] and did not fulfil the PA and nutritional recommendations [19].…”

“…The nutrition and level of physical activity of university students were alarming and unsatisfying before the pandemic [16,17]. In previous years, there has been a rise in the westernisation of diet among this population [18].…”

“…Moreover, the consumption of meat, animal and vegetable fat (margarine), and sugar [18] increased. Polish university students' diet was characterised by a high intake of cured meat, smoked sausages, hot dogs, white bread, bakery products, butter, fried foods, and energy drinks [17]. What is more, students from Polish universities had the highest scores in the consumption of food of a potentially negative effect on health in comparison to students from Germany and Slovakia [17].…”

“…Polish university students' diet was characterised by a high intake of cured meat, smoked sausages, hot dogs, white bread, bakery products, butter, fried foods, and energy drinks [17]. What is more, students from Polish universities had the highest scores in the consumption of food of a potentially negative effect on health in comparison to students from Germany and Slovakia [17]. They often skipped breakfast, snacked in between main meals, and had insufficient levels of physical activity [19,20].…”

“…Data from previous studies show that the large majority of university students failed to meet recommendations on exercise and had inadequate PA levels [19,21,22]. Despite being aware of the importance of a proper diet and adequate levels of PA, students did not implement these rules into their lives [17,19].…”