Nutritive value of meals, dietary habits and nutritive status in Croatian university students according to gender

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate daily menus at students' restaurants and to report dietary habits and other health-related behaviour of Croatian university students (n=2075) according to gender. A specially designed self-administered questionnaire was used. One hundred and twenty daily menus were chosen by random sampling, and the nutritive value was calculated using food composition tables. Daily menus on average provide an adequate amount of energy, protein and most micronutrients: 88.2% of daily menus provide a balanced intake of protein, fat and carbohydrates, 22.5% of daily menus provide more than 300 mg of cholesterol, and 58.8% have more than 25 g dietary fibre. On average, students had 2.4 meals and 1.3 snacks per day. Breakfast was the most often skipped meal. Red meat, cereals and fast food were consumed more often by males (P<0.05). Low-fat dairy products, whole grain products and breakfast cereals were consumed more often by females (P<0.05). The most common choice for snacks was fruit. Males exercised more than females (4.4 h/week versus 1.6 h/week; P<0.05). A higher percentage of females (29.8%) than males (17.2%) smoked cigarettes. For alcohol consumption it was vice versa: 88.9 and 84.8% of males and females, respectively. A total of 80.4% of students were well nourished. This study showed that meals offered at students' restaurants are adequate. Dietary and other health-related behaviour differed according to gender. Clustering of some behaviours was observed.

Correlates of meal skipping in young adults: a systematic review

“…Chung et al 2003 [37]KoreaCross-sectionalCollege students; 180 (100% F)20.41 ± 1.82 yearsQ: What is your breakfast status? (Rarely eating, Frequently eating or Daily eating) “Rarely eating” or “Frequently eating”74.4% skipped BBMI: (0 TMS)7. Coli ć Bari ć et al 2003 [38]CroatiaCross-sectionalUniversity students; 2075 (53% F)21.7 ± 2.0 yearsSpecially designed FFQNumerical;Regular B, defined as having B 6 or 7 times per weekB consumed on 3.4 days/week,L 6 days/week,D 4.7 days/week.32.2% F and 25.7% M consumed B regularlySEX: (F + L, +D)BMI: (+BS)EXERCISE: (3.5 h versus 2.6 h of exercise per week -BS)8. Danquah et al 2010 [39]GhanaCross-sectionalUniversity students; 150 (75% F)64.6% 21–30 yearsQ: Do you eat breakfast? (Yes/No) “No”25% skipped B,8% skipped L,5% skipped DETHNIC: (Caucasian -BS)SEX: (F + BS)AGE: (15–20 years -BS)COURSE TYPE: (Science students + BS)Reasons for skipping B:-No time (57%),-Not hungry (22%),-Eat late at night (5%),-Busy schedule (3%),-No reason (13%).Reasons for skipping L:-No time (50%),-Not hungry (25%),-No reason (3%),Reasons for skipping D:-No time (38%),-Busy schedule (12%),-Watching my weight (50%)9.…”

“…The included studies were conducted in 15 countries: seven from the United States [1, 12, 31, 36, 44, 62, 63], five from Japan [32, 33, 52, 53, 56] five from Turkey [49, 51, 59–61] three from Nigeria [34, 50, 57] two from Korea [37, 47], Ghana [35, 39] and Poland [54, 55] and one from China [45], Croatia [38], Egypt [41], Greece [43], India [40], Iraq [46], Saudi Arabia [42] and the United Arab Emirates [48]. …”

“…Of the 35 included studies, 17 consisted of primarily female participants (>50%) [1, 12, 31, 35, 38–40, 43–45, 47, 50, 51, 58, 61–63], 10 included female participants only [32, 37, 41, 42, 48, 52, 53, 55, 56, 59], six consisted of primarily male participants (>50%) [33, 34, 36, 49, 57, 60]. One study had an even distribution of male and female participants [54], and one study failed to report the sex distribution of its participants [46].…”

“…The included studies used a variety of different methods to assess and define meal skipping. Dietary intake methods were used by six studies; four used 24 h diet recalls [12, 49, 53, 57], one used food records [44], and one used a specially designed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) [38]. This specially designed FFQ collected information on the self-reported number of meals and snacks consumed daily.…”

Breakfast, attachment styles and health of female university students

“…Giugliano (2004) stated that healthy individual is one who is mentally developed, easily establish social relationships, active and attentive in daily life because switch from childhood to adolescents, and then adolescents to adulthood and then older age is the toughest phase of life and many people find it difficult to adapt this change. Switch from one age group into two is the crucial time for individuals to set their eating habits because with increasing the age person's body needs more utilization of energy (Colic, Lukesic, & Satalic, 2003). The person who can easily adjust with this evolution is thought to be a healthy person.…”