Eating Behaviours of British University Students: A Cluster Analysis on a Neglected Issue.

Jina Tanton,Mzwandile Mabhala,Lorna J Dodd,Lorayne Woodfield

doi:10.1155/2015/639239

Jina Tanton, Mzwandile Mabhala + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/639239

Copy DOI

Abstract

Unhealthy diet is a primary risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. University student populations are known to engage in health risking lifestyle behaviours including risky eating behaviours. The purpose of this study was to examine eating behaviour patterns in a population of British university students using a two-step cluster analysis. Consumption prevalence of snack, convenience, and fast foods in addition to fruit and vegetables was measured using a self-report “Student Eating Behaviours” questionnaire on 345 undergraduate university students. Four clusters were identified: “risky eating behaviours,” “mixed eating behaviours,” “moderate eating behaviours,” and “favourable eating behaviours.” Nineteen percent of students were categorised as having “favourable eating behaviours” whilst just under a third of students were categorised within the two most risky clusters. Riskier eating behaviour patterns were associated with living on campus and Christian faith. The findings of this study highlight the importance of university microenvironments on eating behaviours in university student populations. Religion as a mediator of eating behaviours is a novel finding.

Highlights

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continue to be the leading cause of chronic illness, disability, and mortality globally [1]
Low fibre intake and excessive fat intake are reported as distal risk factors for overweight and obesity, which in turn are intermediate risk factors for NCDs [3]
University student populations are widely reported to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including unhealthy eating behaviours such as high consumption of snack foods [9,10,11,12,13], consumption of convenience foods

Summary

Introduction

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continue to be the leading cause of chronic illness, disability, and mortality globally [1]. Higher consumption of convenience and fast foods has been associated with a lower intake of fruit and vegetables [5, 6] and lower diet quality [7]. Sufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables is important as the nutritional content of fruit and vegetables, such as dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes [8].

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion