Inadequate intake of energy and nutrients: A comparative cross‐sectional study between sport and nonsport science university students of southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate and compare the energy and selected nutrient intakes of sport science and nonsport science university students of Southern Ethiopia. Multiple‐day dietary data were collected from 166 university students (76 sport science and 90 nonsport sciences). Average daily energy and nutrient intake, and inadequate intakes were calculated using NutriSurvey (NS). There were significant differences (p < .05) in the median intakes of energy, total carbohydrate, and vitamin B1 between female students from the sport science and nonsport science groups, but only the median intake of iron was significantly different (p < .05) between the male sport and nonsport science student groups. The prevalence of inadequate intake of vitamin B1 was significantly (p < .05) higher in the male and female from the nonsport science groups compared to the male and female student groups in the sport science, respectively, whereas the prevalence of inadequate iron intake by the male sport science students' group was significantly (p < .05) higher compared to their counterparts. Similarly, the prevalence of inadequate energy among the females from the sport science group was significantly (p < .05) higher compared to the female students from the nonsport science department group. The prevalence of inadequate intake of dietary energy and the majority of the nutrients (protein, fat, vitamin A, B1, B2, and magnesium) were high (>50%) in selected university students. The energy and majority of nutrient intakes by the students in the selected universities of southern Ethiopia were suboptimal. Therefore, activities that will improve the dietary intake of university students should include weekly meal plan revision considering their average recommended nutrient intake (RNI).