Abstract
Aim. To study the nutrient and energy intake of modern university students. Materials and methods. 244 students aged 18–23 enrolled in specialist degree programmes were surveyed using a 24-hour dietary recall method adapted for online Google form surveying. The food intake was analysed based on the following aspects: meal frequency, intervals between meals and energy intake.Results. According to the obtained results, 38.93 ± 3.12% of the respondents follow a 3–4 meal-a-day diet, with 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) adhered by 71.31 ± 2.9% of students. In comparison with male respondents, female students were found to be more likely to keep main meals (74.87 ± 3.17% versus 59.65 ± 6.50%, χ2 = 4.94, p = 0.027). Additional meals (second breakfast, afternoon tea, overnight snack) were observed in 64.75 ± 3.06% of the students, with this share being significantly larger among male students (78.95 ± 5.40% versus 60.43 ± 3.58%, χ2 = 6.56, p = 0.011). About 68.44 ± 2.98% of the respondents reported long intervals between meals, which was found to be more typical of female students (71.66 ± 3.30% versus 56.14 ± 6.57%, χ2 = 4.84, p = 0.028). The energy intake of young people was established to correspond to the recommended norm in 27.40 ± 3.69% of cases.Conclusions. The findings emphasize the importance of developing healthy eating habits in modern students, which can contribute to improving their health and increasing their educational performance.
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