Diet and behavior

This recent 2019 study provides a novel look into the importance of breakfast intake on cognitive development in primary and middle school students. Yao and co. (2019) used the academic quality monitoring data of basic education students in Jiangsu Province to measure the academic performance of the students. Skipping breakfast was found to be common in students in primary, secondary and middle school. Many factors are involved in determining whether a student has breakfast or not. The analyses demonstrated positive associations between the frequency of breakfast intake and student achievement. Those students in primary school who had breakfast every day in a week scored 31.322 points higher in academic performance than those who did not. The trend continues into middle school; as a 31.355 points difference in performance was observed between the students who had breakfast each day of the week and those who did not, in favour of those who consistently ate breakfast. It is evident in these results, having breakfast every day has a significant effect on cognitive development of young school students in China. [NPID: behavior, breakfast, students, middle school, elementary school, primary school, Jiangsu Province, student achievement, academic achievement, academics, China, cognitive development, cognition]

As one of the first reports of its kind, Matsumoto et. al (2020) investigated whether there was a link between skipping breakfast and the intake of adequate amounts of nutrients in junior high school female students. A self-administered diet history questionnaire was completed by each student (total 516) to identify dietary habits, while a cut point method was used for the nutrient intake adequacy where each diet was assessed based on estimated requirement for 14 nutrients (as per dietary reference intakes for Japanese, 2015 version) and on dietary goal values for 5 nutrients. The study sample was split up into 2 groups based on breakfast consumption frequency: breakfast daily consumers; and breakfast skippers (0-6 days/week). It was found that breakfast consumers ate more vegetables, fruit, dairy products and more frequently consumed the adequate levels of calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamins A, B1, C, compared to breakfast skippers. The results from this study suggest that skipping breakfast was related to insufficient vitamin and mineral intake among Japanese junior high school students. [NPID: behavior, breakfast, junior high school, middle school, female, women, girls, Japanese, vegetables, fruit, dairy, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C, vitamins, minerals]

Since there is a lack of knowledge about how children conceptualise food and the factors involved in their decision making processes according to Ogden and Roy-Stanley (2020), a qualitative study was designed to explore children’s comprehension of food and how their food related decisions are affected. This think-aloud study recruited 27 children all of the ages 9-10, who voiced their thoughts while making different meals and snacks using pictures of food. The results from the thematic analysis revealed the drivers of food decisions were hunger, health, personal liking, emotions and availability while the sources of these drivers included parents, peers and their routine. The food was often thought of as good or bad. Using these themes, the degree of deliberation in the children could be seen when making decisions which could be identified as either automatic, considered or sanctioned. The children were found to be in a transition stage, shifting between a passive child whose decisions are made for them to an active kid with autonomy and agency. Ogden and Roy-Stanley believe the results illustrate the ways in which children begin to internalise messages of others as they grow older, which enables them to take ownership of their own eating behavior. [NPID: behavior, children, decision making, food decision, food pictures, hunger, personal liking, emotions, availability, automatic decisions, considered decisions, sanctioned decisions, autonomy, agency, ownership]

Mounayer and colleagues (2019) state that Mediterranean countries have witnessed a decrease in adherence to their style of diet and have adopted a more westernised dietary pattern recently, so evaluates the association between Mediterranean diet adherence with sociodemographic, lifestyle and anthropometric factors among Lebanese high school students, specifically looking at the correlation between low adherence and breakfast consumption. Six hundred adolescents (268 boys: 332 girls) aged 15-18 were randomly selected from private and public schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were obtained, while the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents was also utilised to determine diet adherence. While girls had a significantly higher adherence rate than the boys (64.2% vs 35.8%, p<0.001), a high proportion of the total subjects showed low adherence (43%). Lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet, incidentally, was associated with high risk of obesity (15.5%), skipping breakfast (69.4%), and unhealthy breakfast choices (17.4%). A significantly higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was seen among the younger adolescents (47.4%), students from public schools (92.6%) and those with the highest grades (25.3%) compared to private school go-ers (7.4%) and older adolescents (18.9%). Mounayer et. al (2019) at the end of the study calls for increased awareness in Lebanese schools, and more support for the children to adhere to the Mediterranean diet, in order to prevent a rise in metabolic diseases in the future. [NPID: behavior, Mediterranean countries, Western diet, Western-style diet, sociodemographic factors, anthropometric factors, Lebanese, high school students, adolescence, Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Mediterranean Diet, breakfast, metabolic diseases]

This 2018 randomised, crossover, controlled feeding study compared the perceptions of hunger, fullness and palatability in response to a low added sugar (AS) adequate fiber diet (LASAF; 5% total energy from AS and 13.5 g fiber/1000 kcal) and a high AS low fiber diet (HASLF; 25% total energy form AS and 8.2 g/1000 kcal). The sample population (n=32, 47% male, age 15.3 ± 1.6 yrs., BMI percentile: 47 ± 4) consumed calorie-matched LASAF and HASLF diets for 7 days, separated by a 4 week washout, with bodyweight monitored daily and hunger, fullness, and palatability assessed after each feeding period. The result showed participants remained weight stable, and no differences in weight change was detected between diet conditions. The adolescents reported less hunger and greater fullness on the LASAF compared to the HASLF, whereas no difference in palatability was found between the diets. Since the low added sugar adequate fiber diet was perceived to be as palatable as the high added sugar diet but more satiating, the researchers call for LASAF diets to be investigated further as a strategy for weight control in adolescents. [NPID: behavior, perception, hunger, fullness, palatability, low fiber, fiber, low sugar, weight control]

According to Hilger et. al (2017), young adults have been neglected in health promotion strategies which is why this study aimed to investigate a total of 689 university students from all over Germany on their baseline dietary intake, common barriers to healthy eating, and changes in eating behavior since their first day in university. The data was taken from the cross-sectional online survey in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Study (NuPhA), which recruited students from more than 40 universities. Hilger, Loerbroks and Diehl (2017) found that there was room for improvement in terms of consumption of certain food groups such as fruits and vegetables. Also identified were the main barriers to healthy eating for the academics: lack of time due to studies; lack of healthy meals at the university canteen; and the high prices of healthy food. Cluster analysis indicated the possibility that these barriers to consuming healthy foods in university may only affect specific subgroups such as first-year students. Since matriculation, changes in dietary behavior included the consumption of meat, fish and regular meals but this suggests future qualitative studies are warranted to explore the reason for these changes in behavior, hopefully producing useful information for health promotion strategies in the university setting. [NPID: behavior, public health, health promotion strategies, university students, fruit, vegetables]

Kyrkou et. al (2018) compared the dietary habits of university students residing away from the family home in two different time periods (2006 and 2016), and also explored the possible impact of gender on the behavioral changes in nutritional choices among the same target population. A total of four hundred and five university students (242 in 2006; 163 in 2016) were assessed on their diets using the food frequency questionnaire, while data on demographic and lifestyle factors were also collected. The consumption of several plant-based foods increased over the 10 years, indicating a generally positive change in the students’ eating habits. Gender was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) and changes in dietary attitudes. The authors believe that factors such as the budgetary constraints facing Greece in the last decade, the rise in nutritional awareness and other socio-cultural factors may explain the transition towards healthier and more balanced dietary habits. What would be useful is to be able to deeply understand these relations in order to foster nutritional education and additively improve the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns. [NPID: behavior, university students, college students, college, gender, gender differences, eating habits, students, dietary attitudes, socio-cultural factors, health promotion, health promotion strategies, public health]

Larson and her team (2017) surveyed a total of 2540 adolescents in 2009-2010 to identify individual and environmental influences that make this population eat energy-dense nutrient-poor snack foods. The aim was to inform strategies for reducing the adolescents’ intake of energy-dense snacks. The participants selected from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota schools were 54% female, 80% non-white, and had the average age of 14.5 ± 2.0. Daily servings of energy-dense snack food were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire that asked about consumption of 21 common snack food items, such as potato chips, cookies, and candy. Accounts of the adolescents’ environments were taken from parents/caregivers, friends, school personnel, Geographic Information System sources, and a content analysis of favorite television shows. The factors found to be significantly associated with greater consumption of energy-dense snacks were individual attitudes/behaviors (e.g., snacking while watching television) and characteristics of home/family (e.g., unhealthy food accessibility at home), peers (friends' energy-dense snack food intake), and school (e.g., student snack consumption norms) environments. In total, 25.5% of the variance in adolescents' energy-dense snack food consumption was explained when factors from within each context were examined together. The implications of these results were that if one plans to improve the dietary quality of adolescents’ snack food choices, the following factors need to be addressed: individual; home/family characteristics; peers and school environments. [NPID: behavior, adolescence, snack foods, snacking, potato chips, cookies, candy, television, TV, food accessibility, snack norms, individual environments, school environments, peers]

Llanaj et. al (2018) examined food intakes of 289 young students taken from three universities in Albania, to assess their consumption of foods and drinks both at home (AH) and out of home (OH) along with how these relate to nutritional contribution to their daily diet. Through using a single day Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) 24-hour dietary recall, the study assessed the contributions of eating OH to the students’ total energy intake daily and also to consumption of macronutrients. Foods and drinks consumed OH contributed 46.9% of total daily energy intake, representing, on average, 1169.1kcal, although consumption of fruits and vegetables were very low. Out of the house, the more frequently consumed items were sweets, soft drinks and meat products. At home, the average quantity of sugars and dietary fats per day was higher than OH (76.9g vs. 33.7g, 173.7g vs. 142g, respectively). Dietary composition of AH intake was richer in sugars, total fats and proteins, while OH intake consisted of more saturated fats. Although the overall diet appeared unhealthy when nutrients were assessed as energy percentages against WHO proposed nutrient standards for sugar and saturated fats, eating OH was not clearly associated with poor diet quality. The writers believe the data provided can prove useful for designing and conducting future studies and interventions targeting malnutrition in all of its forms. [NPID: behavior, Albania, dietary recall, macronutrients, fruit, vegetables, FV intake, sweets, soft drinks, meat products, sugars, fat, protein, saturated fats, malnutrition]

This 2018 explorative study aimed to qualitatively analyse what U.S. college students perceive as the barriers and enablers that influence healthy eating behaviors. A group of Cornell University students (n = 35) participated in six semi-structured focus groups. With the help of a qualitative software (CAQDAS Nvivo11 Plus), common barriers to healthy eating were identified: time constraints; unhealthy snacking; convenience high-calorie food; stress; high prices of healthy foods; and easy access to junk food. Conversely, enablers to healthy behavior were improved food knowledge and education, meal planning, involvement in food preparation, and being physically active. Parental food behavior and friends' social pressure were considered to have both positive and negative influences on individual dietary habits. Sogari and colleague (2018) point out the importance of consulting college students when developing dietary interventions across the campus as well as considering individual-level factors and socio-ecological aspects in the analysis. [NPID: behavior, college students, university students, college, barriers, food barriers, junk food, meal planning, food preparation, socio-ecological aspects]

Johnson et. al (2019) reported the findings of the Colorado Longitudinal Eating and Physical Activity (LEAP) Study, which was an intervention aimed at improving children’s liking and consumption of a target food via repeated exposure and positive experiential learning. There was consistent evidence supporting the use of repeated exposure to improve liking for new foods but Johnson et. al (2019) believes there is not much information on longitudinal effects lasting greater than 6 months. This quasi-experimental study targeted four sites in rural Colorado (2 intervention and 2 control sites) that housed Head Start preschool programs and matched on state vital statistics for childhood obesity rates. A total of 250 children and families took part (41% Hispanic, 69% low-income), with 143 involved in the intervention and the other 107 in the control group. There were 4 time points used in this study: baseline; post-intervention; one-year (Y1) and two-year (Y2) follow ups. The intervention was called “Food Friends - Fun With New Foods”, was delivered by trained preschool teachers, lasted 12-weeks, and focused on positive and repeated experiences with new foods, while a 5-month (1 unit/month) social marketing “booster program” was delivered in kindergarten (one-year follow up) and 1st grade (two-year follow up). The intervention overall was found to be delivered with good fidelity (87%). An increase in liking for the target food was observed for both intervention and control groups over time (p = 0.0001) but the change in intake between baseline and post-intervention was significantly greater in the intervention group compared to the control (p<0.0001). This trend disappeared when intake between baseline and Y2 follow up was compared. The pattern of consumption of the target food was different over time for both intervention and control groups (p<0.005). Moreover, children in the intervention group who liked the target food consumed nearly double their baseline consumption at post-intervention (p < 0.0001) and maintained this increase at Y2 follow up (p < 0.0001). The researchers conclude this study claiming the Food Friends intervention saw larger improvements in children’s eating behaviors than would be expected with developmentally-based changes in dietary behaviors. [NPID: behavior, Colorado, physical activity, food exposure, experiential learning, preschool, obesity, childhood obesity, low income, hispanic, kindergarten]

Vilaro et. al (2018) recruited 1149 first-year college students from eight U.S. universities to assess their food choice priorities (FCP) and examine its associations with consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV), fiber, added sugars from non-beverage sources, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). To help determine the students’ influencing factors in making food choices, the Food Choice Priorities Survey was completed, as well as the NCI Dietary Screener Questionnaire. The research inspected the associations between FCP and dietary intake documented from fall 2015 to spring 2016, controlling for sex, age, race, and BMI. FCP importance changed across the freshmen year and significantly predicted dietary intake. The most important FCP were price, busy daily life and preferences, and healthy aesthetic: both price, and busy daily life and preferences (taste, convenience, routine, ability to feel full) predicted lower FV, higher SSB, and more added sugar while the advertising environment was positively associated with SSB intake; while those who endorsed healthy aesthetic factors (health, effect on physical appearance, freshness/quality/in season) as important in terms of food choice, consumed more FV and fiber and less added sugar and SSB. The analyses indicated that FCP and demographic factors explained between 2%⁻17% of the variance in dietary intake across models and that the strongest relationship was between healthy aesthetic factors and SSB (p < 0.01). Since some FCP fluctuated in importance across the first year of college, it may be possible to design an intervention that shifts the students’ FCP in a way that positively impacts their diet quality. [NPID: behavior, college, university, college students, university students, food choice priorities, food choice, fruits, vegetables, fiber, sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages, fiber, added sugar, daily life, FV intake, diet quality]

Kelishadi et. al (2017) selected students aged between 6 and 18 via multistage cluster sampling method from rural and urban areas of 30 provinces of Iran, and asked the subjects to complete a validated questionnaire of food behaviors including questions on snacking and taking/skipping meals. The aim was to assess the relationship between snack consumption and meal skipping in these Iranian children and adolescents. From the selected 14,880 students, a total of 13,486 individuals completed the study (90.6% participation rate). Among them, 32.08% skipped breakfast, 8.89% skipped lunch and 10.90% did not have their dinners. Compared to their counterpart groups, the frequency of meal skipping was higher in girls, urban inhabitants, and students in higher school grades (P < 0.05). The findings also demonstrated a positive association in many types of snack groups between snack consumption and incidence of meal skipping. It was found that meal skipping and snack intake were common among iranian children and adolescents, suggesting evidence-based dietary interventions are warranted to improve the students’ eating habits. [NPID: behavior, Iran, snacking, skipping meals, Iranian children, children, adolescence, urban inhabitants, snack consumption]

The aim of this 2020 study was to determine the association between meal skipping and subjective health complaints among children and adolescents living in Iran. As a part of the fifth national school-based surveillance program (CASPIAN-V) in Iran, a total of 14,400 academics aged between 7-18 years old (mean age 12.3) were selected from 30 Iranian provinces using multistage stratified cluster sampling method. Breakfast was found to be associated with an increase in risk of the following: stomachache (OR = 1.77), backache (OR = 1.68), difficulty getting to sleep (OR = 1.66), feeling nervous (OR = 1.59), and irritability (OR = 1.29). The same pattern was seen in skipping lunch, with greater incidences of stomachache (OR = 1.63), headache (OR = 1.27), backache (OR = 1.58), and also difficulty getting to sleep (OR = 2.07). While dinner skipping was related to 39, 59 and 52% increase in odds of headache, feeling low and difficulty in getting to sleep, respectively, it was associated with decreased odds of stomachache (OR 0.33). Azemati and others (2020) concluded that since meal skipping was associated with some somatic and psychological health complaints among children in this study, regular meal consumption, that is at least three times a day, is highly recommended in this young population. [NPID: behavior, meal skipping, adolescence, Iran, breakfast, stomachache, backache, sleep difficulty, nervousness, irritability, headache, feeling low, low affect]

Since there is evidence that learning is positively affected by breakfast consumption in children, Adolphus, Lawton & Dye (2019) focused on examining the associations between habitual school-day breakfast intake frequency with academic performance among British adolescents. School performance was measured by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), a national academic qualification obtained by most British children/adolescents during secondary education. The 294 participants aged between 16 and 18 (77.2% female) completed a retrospective 7-day food diary and a questionnaire to obtain data on breakfast intake and on their GCSE grades, respectively. Breakfast was defined as any food or drink containing ≥5% of total energy expenditure (TEE) consumed up to 10:00 a.m. on school days. The frequency of breakfast consumption on a normal habitual week was categorized as rare (0-1 school days), occasional (2-3 school days), or frequent (4-5 school days). The results demonstrated that habitual school-day breakfast consumption amongst adolescents was a significant correlate of GCSE achievement, since those “rare” breakfast consumers had a significantly lower capped score and mean point score when compared to frequent breakfast eaters. Moreover, low/middle socio-economic status (SES) adolescents who rarely consumed breakfast were significantly less likely to achieve higher Mathematics grades compared to low/middle SES adolescents who frequently consumed breakfast [adjusted cumulative odds ratio (OR): 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.72]. The team of researchers believe these findings offer potential and should be further explored in well controlled studies. [NPID: behavior, breakfast, children, Britain, academic performance, scholastic performance, low income, middle income, income]

This 2017 study used the data from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (a prospective Australian pre-birth mother-child dyads study) to analyze the association between maltreatment experienced in childhood with high dietary fat consumption in adulthood, and the potentially predictive role of gender-childhood maltreatment interaction in this relationship. The connection between age at which maltreatment was verified, number of childhood maltreatment cases, and high dietary fat intake-related behaviors, were also explored. The 7223 mother-child dyads enrolled in this study were recruited early on in pregnancy, and followed up 3-5 days postpartum and also when the child was 6 months, 5, 14 and 21 years of age. The cases of child maltreatment between the ages 0-14 years were substantiated by agencies. Complete data on dietary fat intake behaviors after 21 years was gathered for 3766 (47.4% female) participants. The results from unadjusted and adjusted analyses showed a link between confirmed childhood maltreatment (including physical abuse) with behaviors related to high fat consumption. Variables significantly related with high dietary fat intake-related behaviors were: being mistreated between the ages 5-14 years; and two or more substantiations of maltreatment. The influence of gender-childhood maltreatment interaction on the size and direction of the association was insubstantial. Future studies should replicate this correlation between chronic and severe forms of childhood maltreatment with a higher rate of dietary fat intake in young adulthood, while possibly exploring neuro-hormonal mechanisms that may explain this behavior. [NPID: behavior, pregnancy, Australia, childhood, fat consumption, high fat, neuro-hormonal mechanisms, child abuse, child maltreatment]

The purpose of this 2018 study was to find an association between mental health problems, eating behavior patterns, nutrient intakes and health related quality of life (HRQoL) among the 107 Iranian adolescent girls (aged 15-17 years old) signed up from 3 different high schools in Tabriz city, Iran. The dietary information of the adolescents were collected using an Iranian version of the semi-quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), while HRQoL, mental health problems and eating behavioral patterns were assessed by adopting the Short Form 36 (SF-36), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) and Eating Behavioral Pattern Questionnaire (EBPQ), respectively. The most common mental health problem among this young female sample were indicators of conduct problems (25.2%) and indicators of hyperactivity disorders (18.6%). While hyperactive disorders were prevalent in 35.5% of the studied population. The study also found that the young subjects who scored highly for 'snacking and convenience', 'planning ahead' and 'meal skipping' eating habits were significantly likely to show indicators of emotional disorders (P < 0.05). Moreover, those in the highest tertile for the 'low fat eating' eating pattern were associated with reduced risk of developing hyperactivity disorders (P < 0.05). The prevalence of emotional, conduct, and hyperactivity disorders were all lower among participants who scored highly on the vitality and mental health components of HRQoL. Differences in BMI and nutrient intake between the various categories of mental health problems was determined to be insignificant. The data here suggests that unhealthy eating habits such as 'snacking and convenience', 'planning ahead' and 'meal skipping' positively predict "emotional disorders'' while the "low fat" eating pattern was identified as a negative predictor of hyperactive disorders. [NPID: behavior, quality of life, Iran, Iranian adolescent girls, hyperactivity disorders, meal planning, meal skipping, emotional disorders, nutrient intake, vitality, mental health, snacking, convenience, low fat]

Martínez-Lozano et al. (2020) address the lack of studies investigating the relationship between late eating and obesity among children by assessing school-aged children from Spain who ate dinner early and those who have late-night dinners. This study examined the kids on their obesity, metabolic alterations and circadian-related disturbances. The results indicated that late dinner eaters were more likely to be overweight or obese, compared with early dinner eaters. Those kids who had late dinners also produced higher readings for inflammatory markers and had greater waist circumferences. Furthermore, late dinner eaters showed signs of normal sleep–wake cycle disruptions and less stable plasma cortisol levels. These findings hint at how important the timing of food consumption may be among children. [NPID: behavior, obesity, late eating, children, Spain, early dinner, late dinner, circadian rhythm, obesity, overweight, inflammation, waist circumference, plasma cortisol levels, food timing]

In this 2018 study, young children were examined on certain TV-viewing parameters as well as their adiposity-related features. The purpose was to determine the relationship between these TV-watching parameters and the adiposity in early life. The duration of TV watched was reported by the parent, while measures such as waist circumference, BMI, the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfolds, were inspected when the offspring was ~12, 18, 24, and 36 months of age. Collings et al. discovered one association in this experiment. Every hour spent watching TV per day correlated with a 0.075-cm larger waist circumference in the child, independent of the covariates. The study concludes that TV viewing duration is independently linked with abdominal adiposity in young children. Restricting TV watching from an early age may be an important factor in the prevention of obesity. [NPID: behavior, TV, television, screen time, waist circumference, skinfolds, obesity]

In this 2021 study, the possible effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on French families’ habits were under inspection. Measures were put in place to monitor children’s eating behaviors, parental feeding practices, and parental motivations when buying food before and during the lockdown. Parents completed online surveys on behalf of their children (all aged between 3-12 years). When parents noticed any modifications in their children, it was usually appetite, enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, and emotional overeating that significantly increased during the lockdown. An increase in child boredom was found to strongly predict greater food responsiveness, emotional overeating, and snacking frequency in between meals. Parents who altered their parenting practices generally became more permissive during lockdown, setting less rules, being more soothing with food, and giving the child more autonomy. Also, the lockdown brought more changes in the parents’ behaviors, buying pleasurable and sustainable foods more frequently, preparing more home-cooked meals, and cooking more regularly with the child. Education level and greater stress showed correlations with alterations in parental practices and motivations. This study enhanced our understanding of the different factors that influence families' eating, feeding, and cooking behaviors. [NPID: cooking, parenting, COVID, coronavirus, lockdown, France, French, children, overeating, healthy foods, diets, feeding practices]

The purpose of this 2018 study was to find out the extent to which university students adhere to dietary recommendations. Since patterns in food consumption are often related to habit behavior, this paper also covers the relationship between habit strength and food intake. The 103 study participants attended the University of Hohenheim, and were aged between 18-30 years. Questionnaires were used to measure the students’ habit strength for eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat, convenience foods, sugary and savory snacks, and drinking milk, water and sugar-sweetened beverages. Food intake was assessed two weeks later to make comparisons with dietary recommendations. The data indicated that most of the subjects failed to meet many of the dietary recommendations including for vegetables, fruits, milk, and fish. The recommended daily amount of vegetable consumption was achieved by only 4.2% of the men and 15.4% of the women. Fruit recommendations were met by 20.8% of men and 43.6% of women. However, the majority of the subjects ate sufficient levels of meat, eggs, oils, fats, and water. Concerning meat consumption, 95% of the students were eating 3-6 portions of meat or meat-containing products per week, and over 50% were consuming meat 3 times or less in a week. There were a couple of key differences in meat and oil intake levels among various BMI categories. Those who were overweight or obese were found to be less likely to meet the recommended meat consumption levels, but were more likely to ingest adequate amounts of oils. Habit strength showed strong correlations with the consumption of most food groups. Overall, the sample of university students appeared to find it difficult to adhere to dietary recommendations. More educational support may induce improvements in the students’ diets since habit strength is a strong determinant of food intake. [NPID: behavior, dietary habits, healthy diets, students, university, Germany, fruits, vegetables]

This 2020 study aimed to determine the relationship between eating patterns and sociodemographic among Portuguese university students. Student life often involves changes in eating behaviors and dietary patterns due to the new environment, study stress, time management failures, and busy class schedules. These behavioral modifications may play a part in the impairment of cognitive processing, which influences academic performance and can affect career success further down the line. One hundred and sixty-nine students aged between 18 and 50 years took part in this study, completing questionnaires assessing Mediterranean diet adherence eating behavior. Thirty-three students showed restrained eating behavior, while 73 adults presented with external eating behaviors (related to eating according to external stimuli such as presence of food), and 63 showed emotional eating behaviors. Around 62% of the nutrition sciences students demonstrated emotional eating behaviors. Other than this, restrained eating behaviors were generally linked with being older and having higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The study concludes that studying nutrition sciences was associated with having emotional eating behavior. Furthermore, older university students and those who adhere more closely to the Mediterranean diet were more likely to have restrained eating behaviors. [NPID: eating behaviors, eating habits, Portugal, Portuguese, students, university, cognition, academic performance, restrained eating, emotional eating, external eating, Mediterranean diet]

Associations of emotional behavior with nutritional status and lifestyle habits among schoolchildren aged 5-10 years in Sri Lanka