Dataset Information

Examining food intake and eating out of home patterns among university students.

ABSTRACT: Eating out of home (OH) is increasingly popular in Balkan countries, among them Albania. To date there is only anecdotal evidence regarding nutritional quality of food consumed OH and the contribution to diet. This study assessed intake of foods and drinks consumed OH and at home (AH), as well as their nutritional contribution to the daily diet of university students in Tirana, Albania. Using a single day Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) 24-hour dietary recall, we examined food intake among 289 students aged 18-24 years old, from three major universities in Albania. Contribution of eating OH to total energy intake per day, as well as to daily consumption of macronutrients by eating OH intensity tertiles were assessed. Foods and drinks consumed OH contributed 46.9% [95%CI:41.4-52.8] of total daily energy intake, representing, on average, 1169.1kcal [95%CI:1088.3-1249.9]. Sweets, soft drinks and meat products were more frequently consumed OH, while fruits and vegetables consumption was extremely low. The average quantity of sugars and dietary fats per day was higher AH, 76.9g [95%CI:70.3-83.5] and 173.7g [95%CI:163.2-184.2] respectively, compared to OH, 33.7g [95%CI:30.4-37.0] and 142.0g [95%CI:131.5-152.5] respectively. Dietary composition of AH intake was richer in sugars, total fats and proteins, while OH intake was richer in saturated fats. The overall diet appeared unhealthy, when nutrients were assessed as energy percentage against WHO proposed nutrient standards for sugar and saturated fats. Eating OH, even though was associated with lower fruits and vegetables intake, was not clearly associated with poor diet quality, as AH foods were also characterized by increased saturated fats and sugars intake as energy percentage. This study provides data on the first assessment of current dietary patterns of the studied population and can be used as baseline for designing and conducting future studies and interventions targeting malnutrition in all its forms.

SUBMITTER: Llanaj E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175278 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Examining food intake and eating out of home patterns among university students.

Llanaj Erand E Ádány Róza R Lachat Carl C D'Haese Marijke M

PloS one 20181008 10

Eating out of home (OH) is increasingly popular in Balkan countries, among them Albania. To date there is only anecdotal evidence regarding nutritional quality of food consumed OH and the contribution to diet. This study assessed intake of foods and drinks consumed OH and at home (AH), as well as their nutritional contribution to the daily diet of university students in Tirana, Albania. Using a single day Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) 24-hour dietary recall, we examined food intake among ...[more]

PMID: 30296258

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Project description:BackgroundFood insecurity, a state of not being able to consistently access nutritious food due to financial constraints, has been associated with poor dietary intake among college students. The extent to which campus food resources contribute to this association is unknown.ObjectivesThis study examined the association between food insecurity and dietary intake in a sample of undergraduate students with unlimited meal plans and dining hall access at a large, public Midwestern university.DesignThe study design is cross-sectional. The data used are baseline data from a broader sugar-sweetened beverage intervention study that were collected using a Qualtrics survey prior to the intervention.Participants/settingThe sample consisted of 1033 undergraduate students recruited from 3 dining halls. The data were collected in November 2018.Main outcome measuresFood security was assessed using the 6-item Short Form Food Security Survey Module. Dietary intake was assessed using the National Cancer Institute 26-item Dietary Screener Questionnaire and the Beverage Intake Questionnaire-15.Statistical analyses performedGeneralized linear regression models were used to examine differences in dietary intake by students' food security status, adjusting for students' sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsIn the sample, 14% of students were food-insecure. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, food-insecure students reported 9% lower intake of fruits (P = 0.02), 9% lower intake of vegetables (P < 0.001), 10% higher intake of dairy (P = 0.002), 6% higher intake of total added sugars (P = 0.01), 10% higher intake of added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (P = 0.01), 4% higher intake of calcium (P = 0.01), and 4% lower intake of fiber (P = 0.01) compared with food-secure students. With respect to beverage intake, food-insecure students had 56% higher intake of total sugar-sweetened beverages (P = 0.002), which was driven by 185% higher intake of energy and sports drinks (P = 0.001), and 121% higher intake of sweetened teas (P = 0.001).ConclusionsDespite having identical food resources within campus dining halls, there were significant differences in the diets of college students by food security status.

Dataset Information

Examining food intake and eating out of home patterns among university students.

Publications

Examining food intake and eating out of home patterns among university students.

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