On-campus food purchase behaviors, choice determinants, and opinions on food availability in a Spanish university community

Martínez-Perez, Naiara; Telleria-Aramburu, Nerea; Insúa, Patricia; Hernández, Idoia; Telletxea, Saioa; Ansotegui, Laura; Rebato, Esther; Basabe, Nekane; Pancorbo, Marian M. de; Rocandio, Ana M.; Izaga, Marta Arroyo

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2022.111789

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Some of these products were characterized by high caloric density, fat (especially SFA), sugar, and salt content. Moreover, these outcomes agree with the opinion of the university community about the FE on campus, more students and staff from OsloMet consider that they are usually able to choose healthy foods compared to those from the UPV/EHU (Martinez-Perez et al, 2022a, 2022b. In this sense, it should be noted that after this study, the UPV/EHU implemented some measures to improve the nutritional quality of the food products, through the bid specifications of contracts related to food services.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…In this sense, it should be noted that in another study in which food outlets at the UPV/EHU were audited from the quality point of view, it was observed that the vending machines got the lowest score compared to other food services (Martinez Perez, 2022). This fact could partially explain the differences in terms of the higher percentage of products with LNQ at the UPV/EHU, in comparison with OsloMet.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The study is part of a broader investigation in which not only the external but also the personal domain of the FE was analyzed (Martinez‐Perez & Arroyo‐Izaga, 2021; Martinez‐Perez et al, 2022a, 2022b). It is a cross‐sectional observational study conducted at two European public universities: OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University (located in Norway, northern Europe) and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (located in Spain, southern Europe).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study is part of a broader investigation in which not only the external but also the personal domain of the FE was analyzed (Martinez-Perez & Arroyo-Izaga, 2021;Martinez-Perez et al, 2022a, 2022b At OsloMet, data were registered before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the main campuses in terms of students and staff numbers, which were the Pilestredet and Kjeller campuses. These two campuses had 19,500 students and 2200 staff in the academic year 2019/20, whereas the campus excluded in the present study, the Sandvika campus, had about 500 students and only 1 employee (Oslo Metropolitan University, 2019).…”

Section: Study Design and Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Availability and properties of commercially produced food products offered in European public universities: A North–South comparison

Martinez‐Perez,

Torheim,

Arroyo‐Izaga

2024

Journal of Food Science

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To date, there are no studies that have compared university food environments (FEs) with different sociocultural contexts. Therefore, we analyzed differences in the availability and properties of commercially produced foods, in a northern and a southern European university (located in Norway and Spain, respectively). A cross‐sectional observational study was conducted at OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University and at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. The nutritional quality of food products was estimated through the following nutrient profiling models (NPMs): those proposed by the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN), the UK nutrient profiling model (UK NPM), the Norwegian Food and Drink Industry Professional Practices Committee (Matbransjens Fagligle Utvalg [MFU]), and a combination of them. In addition, food items were classified using the NOVA system. A total of 251 and 1051 products were identified at OsloMet and the UPV/EHU, respectively. The percentage categorized as low nutritional quality (LNQ) was higher at the UPV/EHU (almost 54.5% of the total products) compared with at OsloMet (almost 40%) (p < 0.001). Most of the products were categorized as ultra‐processed, and there were no differences in the percentage of ultra‐processed foods between the two universities (OsloMet 86.1%, UPV/EHU 83.3%, p > 0.05). A higher proportion of LNQ products was found at the UPV/EHU than at OsloMet, probably due to the government policies and actions for creating healthy FEs. Consequently, there is a need to develop interventions to improve the FE at the UPV/EHU, adapted to its sociocultural context.Practical ApplicationThis study reveals north–south differences in terms of the availability of low nutritional quality food products. In particular, a higher proportion of this type of product was found at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU than at OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University. Our exploratory hypothesis is that this phenomenon is a consequence of the Nordic government policies that have great potential to create healthy FEs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Design and Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Availability and properties of commercially produced food products offered in European public universities: A North–South comparison

Martinez‐Perez,

Torheim,

Arroyo‐Izaga

2024

Journal of Food Science

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“…College students, typically defined as individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, undergo a significant period of transition into adulthood, during which they experience remarkable changes in their dietary behavior and eating habits [ 28 ]. Upon entering college, students are exposed to a new living environment and lifestyle [ 28 ] and are granted autonomy in their food choices [ 29 ], which, coupled with the ease of access provided by the internet [ 30 ], may lead to shifts in their dietary patterns. As a large and influential demographic, the dietary habits of Chinese college students have implications not only for their own health in adulthood, but also for the health of their social network and society at large [ 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between Eating Habits and Sodium Intake among Chinese University Students

Huo

et al. 2023

Nutrients

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(1) Background: Insufficient evidence exists regarding the dietary habits that may contribute to high sodium intake among college students in China. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the dietary sodium intake of college students in Hunan and its association with their dietary habits. (2) Methods: In total, 585 university students from Hunan were recruited for this study. The sodium Food Frequency Questionnaire (sodium-FFQ) and dietary habits were assessed. (3) Results: Excluding cooking salt and high-sodium seasonings, the daily dietary sodium intake among college students in Changsha, Hunan Province, was 1183.74 (563.38, 2054.86) mg/day. A vast majority (89%) of college students reported eating outside of school at least once a week, and approximately one-third (34%) ordered takeaways at least once a week. After adjusting for confounding factors, the associations between the frequency of eating out and ordering takeaways with college students’ sodium intake remained significant. (4) Conclusions: The findings indicate that excessive dietary sodium intake among college students in Hunan is a growing concern. College students who frequently eat out and order takeaways tend to have a higher sodium intake. Future research should focus on identifying the main sources of dietary sodium and developing interventions that promote healthy dietary habits among college students.

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The campus food environment and postsecondary student diet: a systematic review

Caruso,

Schaafsma,

McEachern

et al. 2023

Journal of American College Health

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On-campus food purchase behaviors, choice determinants, and opinions on food availability in a Spanish university community

Cited by 7 publications

References 46 publications

Availability and properties of commercially produced food products offered in European public universities: A North–South comparison

Availability and properties of commercially produced food products offered in European public universities: A North–South comparison

Association between Eating Habits and Sodium Intake among Chinese University Students

The campus food environment and postsecondary student diet: a systematic review

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