DIETARY PATTERNS OF STUDENTS AT ZAWIA UNIVERSITY, ZAWIA, LIBYA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Aisha A. Alharari*, Mohamed A. Wadan, Amina A. Agina, Sabrine A. Agina and Safa A. Abuajeala

ABSTRACT

Undergraduate students undergo a period of development from puberty to adulthood, where maturity is fulfilled. There are several factors effecting the food patterns of university students. Weight gain during this transition is appearing to be a major issue where the lifestyles of young adults. There is also an increased risk of developing unhealthy food habits with insufficient dietary consumption. Increasing stress levels from college work also contribute to weight gain. 300 students from Zawia University participated in the study. Data was collected from the 1st January until the 30th February 2021. The investigators interviewed each subject and collected information with the aid of a structured questionnaire that included basic information regarding the study subjects. Participants were controlled to be Libyan citizens, free from any chronic diseases, and aged from 19 to 26 years old. SPSS correlation test version 18 was used to analyse data. 65.27 % of male students maintained a healthy dietary pattern, while 58.84 % of the female students maintained a healthy dietary pattern. More married students (5.28 %) maintained a healthy dietary pattern in comparison to single students. Students in the first academic level had better dietary patterns than those in the second academic level by around 2.34 %. Moreover, students in the first level reported a lower vegetarian dietary pattern than second level students. First-level students consumed less high-calorie drinks and cholesterol than the other group of students. There was no significant variation in low-carb food intake between the students. Finally, non-active students in the second level were higher than their counterparts. This study concludes that more male students have healthy dietary patterns than females. Also, married students make more healthier food choices than single students. Second-level students, too, had more healthy food attitudes, compared to level one students.

Keywords: Fast food, healthy food, unhealthy food, dietary patterns, university students.