Eating habits of Polish university students depending on the direction of studies and gender

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the eating habits of students in the field of management and engineering of food products compared to students from faculties not related to food science. Furthermore, another aim is to conduct gender-wise assessment to determine the type of eating habit, i.e., careful or binge eating. Design/methodology/approach The research involved 400 students from all years of study. The survey was conducted in 2017–2018 and the selection of the sample was intentional. The research used a questionnaire form. Additionally, χ2 test was performed to assess the statistical independence of characteristics. Findings It is found that most students who pledge proper nutrition are women. The majority of respondents ate 3–4 meals in day and regular consumption of breakfast was declared among 42 percent of respondents. The consumption of sweet snacks between meals is reaffirmed by the half of the respondents. Students of the food sciences more often than others believed that they eat healthier and more regularly, although students of non-food directions most often declared intake of five or more meals a day. Research limitations/implications An important limitation of the conducted study is a relatively small research sample. It consisted of university students from one of the largest academic centers in Poland. The results cannot be generalized to all students in this country. In the future, a similar survey should be conducted on a larger scale and cover all similar fields of management and engineering of food products in Poland. In addition, it would be worth expanding the research and examine graduates who found employment in the food industry. Practical implications The results of the conducted research are a good source of information on the differences in the way of feeding studying women and men. While such studies are not very revealing, the comparison between students in food and non-food fields can be considered a novelty. The described results can be used by the students themselves, but above all, by the authorities of universities conducting food science programs. Social implications The students do not eat properly which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and can deteriorate mental and physical endurance damaging overall health. Originality/value The described research is important due to the observed deteriorating eating habits and growing overweight of young adults in developed countries like Poland. They show that education of food technologists, even at the academic level, does not always allow to avoid mistakes in their own nutrition.

Balancing Act: Exploring the Interplay Between Lifestyle Habits and Nutritional Status Among University Students. A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A study conducted by [16] found that daily breakfast intake among Polish university students (42%) was lower than the 58% reported in the present study. On the number of meals, half (50%) of Polish students consumed 3-4 meals per day while the study results indicated that only 36% consumed 3 meals a day.…”

Gender Differences in Eating Habits of Polish Young Adults Aged 20–26

“…Many students are for the first time in their life completely responsible for buying food and planning or preparing meals [ 5 , 6 , 37 , 38 ]. This is due to the decrease in involvement of children and youth in preparation of family meals, which results in the lack of cooking skills among young adults [ 31 ].…”

“…The estimated frequency of skipping meals in the young adult population ranges from 24 to 87% and is higher compared to other age groups [ 41 ]. Kowalska and Tarnowska [ 31 ] showed that women more often declared healthy eating. Most students ate 3–4 meals a day, and regular breakfasts were declared among 42 percent of respondents.…”

“…In many works, the authors point to differences depending on gender in observing the principles of a healthy lifestyle, including eating behaviours [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

Examining the Role of Anxiety and Depression in Dietary Choices among College Students

“…Women were also found to have denser nutritional consumption and better adherence to recommended dietary guidelines compared to men (i.e., higher heathy eating index (HEI) component scores [ 29 ]). Additionally, there is strong evidence for sex differences in food choices based on motivation [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. In general, women tend to make food choices based on nutritional and health reasons while men are more likely to prioritize cost and taste [ 31 , 32 , 34 ].…”