The Effect of Economic Fluctuations on Students' Nutritional Preferences

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to ascertain how Turkiye's economic ups and downs affect the dietary habits of 335 Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University students that participated in the study. To gather information on sociodemocratic spending patterns, consumption patterns throughout the 2021-2022 period, and dining habits, a survey form was employed. Participants in the research were 80.6% women and 19.4% males. Of the participants, 8.7% live in a private dorm, 28.7% live in a public dorm, and 51.9% live at home with their friends. The majority of participants believe that their diet is not sufficient nor balanced (84.8%), and the majority of them attribute this to insufficient income (53.8%). When asked to compare the cost of education between the city where they studied and their hometown, 40.6% of participants said it was higher and 30.7% said it was the same. In addition, they assessed that living expenses in the city of study were higher than those in their hometown. It has been shown that in 2022 compared to 2021, a higher percentage of respondents said they always eat cooked meals, bagels, and pastries, lahmacun and pide. In 2022, compared to 2021, there was an increase in the proportion of those who said they always consumed tea, coffee, herbal tea and milk, and a decrease in the proportion of those who always consumed ayran and fruit juice.