The impact of university students' accommodation environments on their dietary choices

Abstract

As students transition from family homes to university life, they make autonomous decisions, including dietary choices. This phase plays a crucial role in the formation of their eating habits. The research was conducted between February and May 2023, with 430 university students included. Survey questions were applied to the participants to evaluate their socio-demographic characteristics, eating habits, and food consumption. Their food preferences and tendency towards food obsession depending on their living environment were assessed using the \"Power Food Scale\". The mean age of the participants was 21.0 ±2.67, and the mean body mass index was 21.3 ±3.03 kg/m2. The findings revealed that 32.5% of the participants resided with their families, whereas 45.4% were accommodated in dormitories. A statistically significant difference was stated in the frequency of meat products, legumes, pasta, rice, fruit, and vegetable consumption among university students based on their residence (p<0.05). It was determined that the other food preferences questioned by the participants did not have a statistically significant effect on the accommodation environment (p>0.05). The mean nutritional power of the students participating in the research was 2.95 ±0.74. In other words, it has been determined that they are sensitive to foods containing delicious foods. This study can inform the development of targeted strategies to analyse university students' eating habits, address unhealthy eating, and promote better health.