Effect of implementation of a University Restaurant on the diet of students in a Brazilian public university

Abstract

Dietary practices of college students were compared before and after implementation of the University Restaurant (UR) and examined according to frequency of UR use. A natural experiment was conducted with students (n = 1131) of a Brazilian public university using a validated self-completed and identified questionnaire that inquired information on practices of substituting lunch and/or dinner with a snack (≥ 5 days/week) and on regular consumption of foods that were markers of a healthy or unhealthy diet. At the second time point, UR use by students was also assessed based on their attendance to it. Changes in food practices were examined by determining differences in proportions between the two assessments. The analysis of the association between UR use and each dietary practice was carried out using multiple logistic regression models. An association was observed between greater UR use and higher frequency of regular consumption of beans, vegetables, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables and fruit and lower frequency of regular consumption of French fries and/or fried snacks. The UR proved to be an environment that facilitated the adoption of healthy dietary practices and promoted improvement in the diets of the students who were more assiduous to the restaurant.

Food consumption on campus is associated with meal eating patterns among college students

“…Most food items of this DP are consistent with Brazilian recommendations for a healthy dinner (10) . UC may contribute to the adoption of healthier eating habits among students, favouring the achievement of their nutritional needs (45) , which is especially important among lower-income students, who showed greater adherence to the 'Beans, rice and processed juice' dinner DP, in the present study. Santos et al (11) found 'Soups and fruits' and 'Coffee with milk and bread' dinner DP, which were not identified in the present study, reflecting singular characteristics of this population group regarding food consumption.…”

“…Most food items of this DP are consistent with Brazilian recommendations for a healthy dinner (10) . University Canteens may contribute to the adoption of healthier eating habits among students, favoring the achievement of their nutritional needs (45) , which is especially important among lower-income students, who showed greater adherence to the "Beans, rice and processed juice" dinner DP, in the present study.…”

Novo cenário da pós-graduação no Brasil diante da Pandemia por SARS-CoV-2/ New scenario in post-graduation in Brazil towards SARS-CoV-2 Pandemia

“…Tratando-se de alimentação, é consenso que a mesma constitui um fator preponderante na manutenção da saúde dos indivíduos. O serviço de alimentação coletiva é oferecido nas universidades públicas pelos restaurantes universitários, produzindo refeições balanceadas com elevado padrão higiênico sanitário (PEREZ et al, 2019). Durante a pandemia de COVID-19 os estudantes ficaram sem acesso a este serviço impactando consideravelmente aqueles em situação maior de vulnerabilidade.…”

Estudo sistemático da carga poluidora do efluente do Restaurante Universitário da UFPa: I-Determinação do coeficiente de retorno e consumo per capita de efluente / Systematic study of the polluting load of process water at the Restaurant of UFPa: Determination of the return coefficient and pollution load per capita

“…O ambiente alimentar organizacional propiciado pelas universidades constitui um cenário estratégico para a promoção de uma alimentação saudável, pois exerce forte influência nos comportamentos alimentares dos indivíduos que frequentam esse ambiente. Sendo assim, o campus universitário merece atenção especial visto que, durante o período da universidade, os alunos adquirem hábitos alimentares que podem persistir na vida adulta, representando assim uma oportunidade única [2].…”