Eating habits in students of a University Campus in Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

The objective of the work was to know the eating habits of students of the University Campus of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, in Jalisco, Mexico. An online questionnaire was applied to 229 students, about the frequency of food consumption, grouping them into three categories of food (not healthy, unhealthy and healthy), hours and number of meals per day, influence of stress on the amount of food consumed and information about breakfast. The results showed that 29.3% of the students followed an not healthy diet, 40.6% unhealthy and 30.1% healthy; 55.5% had the three main meals, 62.9% did not comply with meal times. In stressful situations, 52.4% ingested a greater amount and 31% a smaller amount of food; 96.9% usually eat breakfast. The students surveyed presented an inadequate diet, with a deficient intake of fruits and vegetables, in addition to omitting some meal time and not complying with the recommended feeding schedules. It is essential to promote healthy eating habits in students, as well as implement strategies to access healthier foods in the university environment that allow improving the quality of the diet, which can influence health and academic performance.