Factors influencing eating behavior and dietary intake among resident students in a public university in Bangladesh: A qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundOver the past decades, Bangladesh has made substantial progress in improving higher education, and in part, this was achieved by promoting residence based higher education in public universities. University residency is considered a crucial period for students to develop healthy eating habits and adopt nutritious intake, which comprise a strong foundation for good health throughout life. Although, there is extensive literature on eating behaviors and dietary intake internationally, there appears to be relatively scarce research and analysis concerning Bangladesh. This study aims to address this, by investigating the factors that influence eating behavior and dietary intake.MethodsAdopting a qualitative approach, we conducted 25 in-depth interviews and 13 focus group discussions with students of various disciplines and semesters. We used thematic analysis to analyze the textual data, and methodological triangulation to validate the information provided.ResultsStudent eating behavior and dietary intake are influenced by a variety of factors. Individual factors (cooking skills, food taste, food taboos, and knowledge and perceptions), societal factors (influence of peers and social norms), factors related to university (campus culture and frequency of examination), and environmental factors (availability of cooking resources and facilities and food prices) emerged as the key aspects that determine students’ eating behavior and dietary intake.ConclusionThis is the first study that explored factors influencing nutritional behavior and dietary intake among resident graduates in a Bangladeshi university. The results suggest that resident students have a poor dietary intake that might have a harmful impact on their health, well-being, and academic performance. Therefore, multilevel nutritional interventions may be beneficial to promote healthy eating behavior and dietary intake among university students.

Hubungan Pola Makan Dengan Terjadinya Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd)

“…Mereka melewatkan makan demi mempersiapkan ujian dan mereka hanya mengkonsumsi teh,kopi, dan makanan ringan. 35 Penelitian lain yang dilakukan pada mahasiswa universitas di Jerman menunjukkan bahwa adanya aktivitas akademik mengurangi waktu mereka untuk memasak. 36 Berdasarkan data pada Tabel 2 diperoleh bahwa mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Dokter Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Syiah Kuala yang tidak mengalami GERD (82,4%) lebih banyak dibandingkan dengan mahasiswa yang mengalami GERD (17,6%).…”

Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour and Umami Taste Perception Decreases with Age: Sex-Specific Analysis, Modulation by Genetic Variants and Taste-Preference Associations in 18 to 80 Year-Old Subjects

“…However, another additional factor that is seldom taken into account is that not only is it important to make dietary recommendations on the best composition of the diet to achieve healthy aging but to also study the factors that contribute to their adherence to such recommendations [ 20 , 21 ]. In general, people prefer to eat foods they like [ 21 , 22 , 23 ] and taste is one of the most important factors when making the choices [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 ]. Although there is huge inter-individual variation in the perception of the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami) [ 26 , 27 , 28 ], little is known about the influence of such variation on the intake patterns of certain foods [ 29 , 30 ] or even on preferences for certain tastes [ 26 , 27 , 31 , 32 ], emphasizing the need for further research.…”

Reliability and validity of a General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for adults in a Romanian population

“…In several studies on different populations, it was shown that higher nutrition knowledge was associated with an adoption of healthier lifestyles and food choices [4,5], albeit this association is still controversial or has limited value [6]. Other factors, including social-economic status of the family and traditions, taste preferences, and genetics, are strong drivers that influence individual dietary habits [6][7][8]. Previous research indicated that the food choices of Romanians are largely driven by economic reasons [9].…”