Dietary Practices and Barriers to Adherence to Healthy Eating among King Faisal University Students

Abstract

Proper dietary practices should be developed during the student years that will continue into the future. This study aimed to identify the eating habits and dietary practices among King Faisal University (KFU) students, explore the barriers to adherence to healthy eating, associate the understanding of healthy diets with students’ characteristics, and determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and awareness of the concept of healthy diets, academic discipline, and enrollment in a nutrition course. In this cross-sectional study, students were selected randomly and a questionnaire was distributed using an electronic platform through KFU email. Out of 564 students, nearly half (45.7%) reported eating snacks as their main food, and some (38.3%) reported eating with their family twice daily. The students rarely reported eating with friends (73%) or eating dates (48.8%). Furthermore, many reported that they were not consuming a balanced diet (42.6%). Some students (46.3%) reported taking breakfast daily, and 49.1% reported eating meals regularly. There was low consumption of vegetables (29.3%) and fruits (26.2%) among the students. The barriers to adherence to healthy eating were the availability of fast food (73.2%), high cost of healthy food (72.7%), limited time (59%), and laziness (57.1%). Statistically significant data indicated that the students with a normal BMI were more aware of the concept of healthy diets, studied medical and applied sciences, and were enrolled in KFU nutrition courses.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding dietary habits among medical and non-medical university students

“…Our results were in line with other similar studies in this aspect—low consumption of vegetables and fruits (26.2%) and a high consumption of fast food. [ 6 10 11 12 ].…”

“…These results are in concordance with other studies which identified lack of exercise as one of the common barriers to obesity. [ 10 13 14 ]…”

“…These results are similar to the ones reported by the other researchers as well. [ 10 13 14 ] Alowais et al . [ 15 ] in their study reported that individuals who used dietary supplements in their diet were more likely to make a positive effort to improve their dietary habits.…”

Body Mass Index, Practice of Physical Activity and Lifestyle of Students During COVID-19 Lockdown

“…Computer utilization time was significantly predicted to increase skinfolds in boys and girls and BMI in girls alone. 20 Body fatness did not predict any variation in screen time. 21 Other studies also indicated that the frequency of meal intake contributed to the development of obesity.…”

The Barriers to Sustainable Nutrition for Sustainable Health among Zayed University Students in the UAE

“…They indicated their belief that cooking a healthy meal is time-consuming, requires more effort, and costs more than buying fast food or ready-to-eat food. Students also commented that unhealthy and processed food was easily accessible on their university campus, through vending machines or stores [ 11 , 12 ].…”