Abstract

CERVERA BURRIEL, Faustino et al. Food habits and nutritional assessment in a university population. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2013, vol.28, n.2, pp.438-446. ISSN 1699-5198.  https://dx.doi.org/10.3305/nh.2013.28.2.6303.

Introduction: The university students are in critical period for the development of life styles which are very important for their future health. The eating behaviour of other students, the alcohol consumption, their economic situation and the ability of cooking make them change their dietary habits. In Spain there are a few studies on the quality of the diet in this population group. Most of them show Spanish students' diet does not follow an adequate Mediterranean dietary pattern. Objectives: To describe the dietary habits of a population of university students and to assess the quality of their diet. Methods: Cross sectional study conducted on a sample of 80 students from the Faculty of Nursing of Albacete (University of Castilla-La Mancha). Nine 24-hours follow-ups questionnaires were self-administered in three different seasons. The quality of the diet was assessed by the IAS and the MDS2. In all tests a level of significance p < 0.05 was considered. Results and discussion: Students' diet is slightly low in calories. The contribution of the macronutrients to the total daily energy intake showed a diet high in protein (17%), lacking in carbohydrates (40%) and high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The consumption of simple sugars is almost the double of the recommended amount. Meat products are the main source of fat while fish accounts for only 3,1%. The intake of meat and dairy products is much higher than the one of other Mediterranean university students. More than 91% of the students need "diet changes" in order to acquire healthier dietary patterns. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was only 53%.

Keywords : Health eating index; University population; Food habits; MDS2 index; Mediterranean diet.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )