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Eating habits associated with nutrition-related knowledge among university students enrolled in academic programs related to nutrition and culinary arts in Puerto Rico
Eating habits and nutritional status of university students
This research examines the eating habits and nutritional status of university students enrolled in nutrition and culinary-arts programs. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in spring 2019, including a survey assessing eating habits, nutritional knowledge, and cooking techniques among 93 students at Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Puerto Rico. Anthropometric measurements were utilized to estimate nutritional status. The findings revealed that 59% of participants exhibited inadequate body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, inadequate eating habits were noted in 86% of the students, with 68% demonstrating insufficient nutritional knowledge and 41% lacking knowledge in cooking methods and techniques. Notably, eating habits showed a significant association with nutritional knowledge and the academic program, though no correlation was found with cooking methods and techniques. Nutrition and dietetics students demonstrated superior knowledge of nutrition compared to their culinary management counterparts, who primarily exhibited inadequate knowledge. The study concludes that factors intrinsic to student life may exert a more substantial influence on eating habits than academic training alone. [NPID: cooking methods, nutritional knowledge, culinary, eating habits]
Year: 2020
