Abstract
Background: Lifestyle and balanced diet are essential for a healthy life. University students have changed their diet habits;choosing high-fat foods from industrialized sources over healthy foods [1]. This, along with a decreasing intake of fruits andvegetables, leads to overweight and obesity [2]. Mexico is a country with prevalence in overweight and obesity in adults (72.5%);which is serious a health problem, that echoes on the incidence of chronic diseases [3].
Aim: To know the eating behavior of University students.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed considering a sample constituted by 30 University students(18 to 30 years old). They were invited to participate and accepted with informed consent. A validated and reliable instrumentwas used to measure food consumption and food preparation habits.
Results: Data obtained from questionnaire indicated that 53% students choose fruits and 46.7% choose vegetables, due to theirflavor. Regarding the reason for the lack of fruits intake, 33.3% stated that they do not have a personal commitment and 26.6% indicated that fruits are expensive. Concerning vegetables, 33.3% answered that they have no time to prepare them forconsumption. Respecting to food intake outside home; 40% buy lunch on a weekly basis; thus, they rarely have breakfast ordinner outside home. Students eat cookies, soda and sometimes fruits during the day. Solely 16.7% of students had one servingper day of vegetables, and 30% had one intake per day of fruits. Finally, the means of food intake during a day is sweet (Female(60%) and male (50%)) and cookies (female (40%) and male (60%)).
Conclusions: The ingestion of fruits and vegetables is below the recommended by WHO (five servings per day) [4]. Additionally,these students have high ingestion of cereals. With these results, it is necessary to make an intervention to improve foodincreasing intake and vegetables.
Biography:Priscilla Muñiz-Mendoza has her expertise in nutrition and education of health. Recently, she is a student of PhD. Public HealthProgram, with a thesis in relation about student’s nutrition and interventions for better health.