Impact of nutrition education on university students' fat consumption

Consumer knowledge and perceptions of milk fat in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States

This study examined the relationship between consumers' country of origin: Denmark (DK), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) and their knowledge and perceptions of milk fat. Adult participants answered a web-based survey, and data were collected online from December 2018 to April 2019, in DK, the UK, and the US. A total of 694 participants completed the online survey. Most respondents were between 18 and 39 years old, female, highly educated, and employed. Most UK respondents consumed milk daily (73%), whereas in DK (56%) and the US (46%) consumption was significantly lower. Whole milk and semi-skim milk were consumed less by respondents in DK (20 and 36%, respectively) compared with the UK (50 and 49%, respectively) and the US (47 and 50%, respectively). Danish respondents (53%) consumed more skim milk than respondents from the UK (16%) and the US (19%). Concern about milk fat was higher in DK (60%) than in the UK (34%) and the US (31%). More respondents considered milk fat to be "healthy" or "very healthy" in the UK (31 and 10%, respectively) and the US (37 and 19%, respectively), than in DK (23 and 6%, respectively). Nutritional benefit was the most important reason for perceiving milk fat as healthy in the 3 countries. Awareness of milk saturated fat was higher among respondents from the UK (53%) than from DK (44%) and the US (38%). Results suggest that consumers in DK are different in their perceptions of milk fat, but consumers in the UK and the US share common characteristics.

First-year university is associated with greater body weight, body composition and adverse dietary changes in males than females

Background

The transition from high school to university life is a critical time for change, often accompanied by the adoption of negative lifestyle habits including unhealthy nutrition. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to identify sex-specific changes in dietary intake and diet quality, and associated changes in body weight and composition during first-year university.

Methods

Three-hundred and one students (n = 229 females) completed food frequency questionnaires, and had their body weight, body composition, waist and hip circumference measured at the beginning and end of first-year university. Repeated-measures ANOVAs with covariate adjustments were used with variables for sex (between group) and time (within group) to assess these changes.

Results

Students gained body weight and fat during the year (p<0.001). Body mass Index (BMI) also significantly increased (p = 0.032). Males gained more weight (Male:3.8 kg; Female:1.8 kg), fat mass (Male:2.7 kg; Female:1.5 kg), lean mass (Male:1.1 kg; Female:0.3 kg) and BMI (Male:1.2 kg/m²; Female:0.7 kg/m²; p≤0.001 for interactions), and had greater increases in waist circumference (Male:2.7 cm; Female:1.1 cm) and waist:hip ratio (Male:0.02; Female:0.004; p<0.05 for interactions) than females. Energy intake remained the same over the year in both sexes, accompanied by an increase in alcohol (ethanol) in both sexes but more so in males than females (p = 0.011 interaction). Diet quality decreased, characterized by a reduced intake of healthy foods/beverages (p<0.05) in both sexes such as yogurt, cheese, oatmeal, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables, green salad, fruits, steak, fish, nuts and milk, and an increased consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages (p<0.05) such as donuts/cakes, fried chicken, beer and liquor. Significant interactions between sexes indicated that males displayed a more adverse and lower quality eating pattern which included greater intakes of donuts/cakes, fried chicken, beer and liquor, as well as decreased intakes of eggs and vegetables compared to females. Lastly, some dietary intake changes significantly correlated with fat mass and waist circumference change indicating that poor dietary choices were associated with increased adiposity.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that during first-year university, both male and female students undergo unfavorable changes in nutrition and body weight/composition that significantly differ between sexes, with males showing more adverse changes. Our results can be used to inform effective sex-specific strategies and interventions to improve dietary habits during the transition to university life.

Testing a Beverage and Fruit/Vegetable Education Intervention in a University Dining Hall

OBJECTIVE

To test the effect of a nutrition intervention that included education and 2 labeling components on students' food choices.

DESIGN

Repeat cross-sectional study taking place on 6 dinner occasions before and 6 afterward.

SETTING

The study was conducted during dinner meals in a buffet-style dining hall in a university campus residence, where students paid a set price and consumed all they cared to eat.

PARTICIPANTS

University students (n = 368 to 510) visited the cafeteria on each of the data collection dates.

INTERVENTION

Fruit and vegetable consumption were encouraged; sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was discouraged using physical activity calorie equivalent labeling.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Beverage choices and vegetable/fruit bar visits.

ANALYSIS

Logistic regression was used to compare the proportion of student who selected each beverage, fruit, or vegetable before and after the intervention, while controlling for menu and gender as covariates.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease in the proportion of students selecting a sugar-sweetened beverage before vs after the intervention (49% vs 41%, respectively; P = .004) and an increase in students choosing water (43% vs 54%, respectively; P < .001). There was a significant increase in students who took fruit after the intervention (36%; P < .001) vs before (30%). The number of students visiting the vegetable bar significantly increased from 60% to 72% (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This intervention may be a way to encourage healthy dietary choices in campus dining halls.

Self-Report Dietary Assessment Tools Used in Canadian Research: A Scoping Review

Choosing the most appropriate dietary assessment tool for a study can be a challenge. Through a scoping review, we characterized self-report tools used to assess diet in Canada to identify patterns in tool use and to inform strategies to strengthen nutrition research. The research databases Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were used to identify Canadian studies published from 2009 to 2014 that included a self-report assessment of dietary intake. The search elicited 2358 records that were screened to identify those that reported on self-report dietary intake among nonclinical, non-Aboriginal adult populations. A pool of 189 articles (reflecting 92 studies) was examined in-depth to assess the dietary assessment tools used. Food-frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and screeners were used in 64% of studies, whereas food records and 24-h recalls were used in 18% and 14% of studies, respectively. Three studies (3%) used a single question to assess diet, and for 3 studies the tool used was not clear. A variety of distinct FFQs and screeners, including those developed and/or adapted for use in Canada and those developed elsewhere, were used. Some tools were reported to have been evaluated previously in terms of validity or reliability, but details of psychometric testing were often lacking. Energy and fat were the most commonly studied, reported by 42% and 39% of studies, respectively. For ∼20% of studies, dietary data were used to assess dietary quality or patterns, whereas close to half assessed ≤5 dietary components. A variety of dietary assessment tools are used in Canadian research. Strategies to improve the application of current evidence on best practices in dietary assessment have the potential to support a stronger and more cohesive literature on diet and health. Such strategies could benefit from national and global collaboration.

The association of eating habits and lifestyle with overweight and obesity among health sciences students in Taif University, KSA

Objectives

This work investigated the impacts of food habits and lifestyle on the prevalence of overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) among health sciences students (HSS) at Taif University, KSA.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 228 HSS in a university setting using a food frequency questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) was used to assess weight gain, and waist circumference (W_C) was employed for the assessment of abdominal adiposity.

Results

The prevalences of OW and OB were 25.9% and 10.9%, respectively, with an overall prevalence of 36.8%. All demographic variables had an insignificant (P > 0.05) effect on W_C. There were significant links between gender, academic year and discipline and BMI (P < 0.05). Smoking, stress, duration of TV viewing, daylight and night sleep had an effect on BMI and W_C but were statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Breakfast, light meals, eating with a family, fast food, and regular and diet soft drinks had insignificant impacts on BMI (P > 0.05). A considerable relationship was observed between consumption of liver and BMI (P < 0.05), while meat, egg, milk, fruit and vegetable, and grain intake had no significant effect on BMI (P > 0.05). All varieties of foods had no significant impact on W_C (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The prevalence of OW and OB was 36.8%. The participants' gender, academic year, discipline, and liver intake had a significant impact on BMI. All other tested variables showed a nonsignificant relationship with W_C.

Level of nutrition knowledge and its association with fat consumption among college students

BACKGROUND

Intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol has been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to explore whether increased nutrition knowledge is associated with a reduction in the consumption of unhealthy fats in a sample of university students.

METHODS

A sample of 231 students, with a mean age of 20 years, was recruited from university campus during spring 2012. Students completed a validated questionnaire related to students' demographic, nutrition knowledge, and daily fat consumption. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, chi-square, and student's t-test.

RESULTS

Results indicate that female students have greater nutrition knowledge than male students (the mean nutrition score for women was 5 points higher than that of men (P = 0.01)). Nutrition knowledge was negatively correlated with fat and cholesterol intake. Students who consumed more than 35 % calories from fat or >300 mg of cholesterol daily had lower mean nutrition scores than those students with lower fat or cholesterol intake (8 points lower and 7.9 points lower, respectively). Using linear regression for nutrition scores on estimated saturated fat intake and cholesterol intake (controlling for gender, height, weight, age, and dieting), nutrition scores were negatively associated with saturated fat intake (-0.15, P <0.0001) and cholesterol intake (-1.38, P <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Students with greater nutritional knowledge consumed less unhealthy fats and cholesterol. This finding magnifies the role of nutrition education as a potential tool in health campaigns to promote healthy eating patterns among college students. Results of this pilot study can inform the design of future nutrition education intervention studies to assess the efficacy of nutrition knowledge on pattern of fat consumption among college students.

University Students Intend to Eat Better but Lack Coping Self-Efficacy and Knowledge of Dietary Recommendations

OBJECTIVE

To assess university students' knowledge, intentions, and coping self-efficacy related to dietary recommendations.

DESIGN

The study used a cross-sectional online survey.

SETTING

Large university campus.

PARTICIPANTS

Students (n = 6,638; 22% response).

VARIABLES MEASURED

Self-efficacy and intentions were measured using 11-point scales. Students' perceived dietary recommendations were evaluated as correct or incorrect.

ANALYSIS

Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square and continuous variables by t tests or ANOVAs. Significance was set at P ≤ .05 and multiple comparisons at P ≤ .01.

RESULTS

Respondents believed that they need fewer vegetables and fruit and more milk or alternatives servings/d than recommended; eg, males aged ≥ 19 years perceived milk or alternatives recommendations to be 4.3 ± 2.1 servings/d, significantly more than the 2 servings/d recommended (P < .001). Students in health sciences or with a food or nutrition course were significantly more likely to claim that they met recommendations (eg, 56% with vs 47% without a food or nutrition course for vegetables and fruit; P < .001); however, they were no more likely to identify them correctly. Males aged < 19 years had higher coping self-efficacy than females aged < 19 years to consume vegetables (68.3 ± 24.2 vs 64.0 ± 24.7; P < .01) and avoid high-calorie foods and beverages (HCFB) (56.2 ± 27.2 vs 49.0 ± 25.2; P < .01) when under stress; however, they had significantly lower intentions to consume vegetables (72.1 ± 24.5 vs 80.9 ± 20.3; P < .01) and avoid HCFB (60.5 ± 30.3 vs 77.7 ± 22.8; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Students do not have adequate knowledge of age- and sex-specific food guide recommendations. Simpler food guide recommendations or age- and sex-targeted campaigns may enhance knowledge. Students intend to consume more vegetables and less HCFB; however, they have low coping self-efficacy, all of which could be targeted in nutrition interventions.

Health at Every Size College Course Reduces Dieting Behaviors and Improves Intuitive Eating, Body Esteem, and Anti-Fat Attitudes

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of a Health at Every Size general education course on intuitive eating, body esteem (BES), cognitive behavioral dieting scores, and anti-fat attitudes of college students.

METHODS

Quasi-experimental design with 149 students in intervention (45), comparison (66), or control (46) groups. Analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey adjusted tests were used.

RESULTS

Mean scores for total general education course on intuitive eating (P < .001), unconditional permission to eat (P < .001), reliance on hunger (P < .001), cognitive behavioral dieting scores (P < .001), BES appearance (P = .006), BES weight (P < .001), and anti-fat attitudes (P < .001) significantly improved from pre to post in the intervention group compared with control and comparison groups.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Students in the Health at Every Size class improved intuitive eating, body esteem, and anti-fat attitudes and reduced dieting behaviors compared with students in the control and comparison groups.

Effect of interventions to improve adolescents’ nutrition knowledge in China

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to improve adolescents’ nutrition knowledge and to examine the effect of interventions component to improve adolescents’ nutrition knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study design was multi-factorial with repeated measures, at two points in time, of dependent samples from three schools, which were randomly selected from 15 middle schools in Miyun County, Beijing, and then randomly assigned to control school or intervention school. The instrument for baseline survey was a 14-item and for follow-up survey was a 26-item, self-administered, structured questionnaire, designed in Chinese.

Findings

– Students’ nutrition knowledge improved significantly in intervention schools after intervention compared with controls. The extent to which students felt that peer support activities were helpful and that what they learned in class about nutrition was helpful, was related to their resultant level of nutrition knowledge.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge there have been no previous studies which explore the effect of specific intervention components on levels of nutrition knowledge among adolescents.

Knowledge, perceptions, and consumption of whole grains among university students

PURPOSE

Differences in knowledge, perceptions, and consumption of whole grains were compared between students who had taken an introductory university nutrition course and those who had not.

METHODS

The sample consisted of two groups: 109 students who had completed a nutrition course and 61 who had not. The two samples were drawn from second-year nursing students and students in second-year psychology courses, respectively. All students completed a 25-item questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to identify associations between completion of a nutrition course and responses.

RESULTS

Nutrition education students had more knowledge of whole grain recommendations, of whole grains available in stores, and of whole grains as a factor in disease risk reduction (p<0.05). In contrast, non-nutrition education students had more knowledge of whole grain health claims, reported a greater preference for the taste of whole grains, and had a greater than mean intake of whole grain cereals (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This prelimary study indicates that completion of an introductory nutrition course has a greater influence on positive perceptions of whole grains than on students' consumption frequency or knowledge of whole grains. Further study may provide more information on nutrition education and whole grains.

Dietary intake and nutrition-related knowledge in a sample of Lebanese adolescents of contrasting socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status (SES) is postulated to be a major predictor of dietary intake and nutrition-related knowledge in adults. To date, very few studies have addressed this effect among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To explore differences in nutrient intake and nutrition-related knowledge among adolescents of contrasting SES in Lebanon.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional survey, 209 males and females, aged 17 to 19 years, were recruited from a private university with high tuition and a free public university in Beirut. The participants completed a multicomponent, self-administered questionnaire that inquired about demographic characteristics and nutrition-related knowledge. Three nonconsecutive 24-hour dietary recalls were obtained through interviews. Energy-adjusted means of dietary intake and age-adjusted nutrition-related knowledge were compared between groups using a general linear model.

RESULTS

Adolescents in the high-SES group consumed more vegetables, meats, and fats and oils (p < .05). Energy and nutrient intake analysis showed that adolescents in the high-SES group consumed significantly higher amounts of calories, protein, fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron (p < .001) and significantly lower amounts of carbohydrates (p < .05). Nutritional knowledge, although high among all participants, was higher in the high-SES group (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although both groups showed good nutrition-related knowledge, SES significantly affected dietary intake in a sample of Lebanese adolescents. This warrants consideration of other factors, such as cost and environment, that may modulate eating behavior among adolescents from different socioeconomic strata.