PD092 - NUTRITION EDUCATION AND FAST-FOOD PERCEPTIONS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: DOES ACADEMIC BACKGROUND MATTER?

PD092

NUTRITION EDUCATION AND FAST-FOOD PERCEPTIONS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: DOES ACADEMIC BACKGROUND MATTER?

L. B. Zorşahin¹, N. Nahya Servi², B. Dağ², A. Dağ^2,*

¹Nutrition and Dietetics, International Cyprus University, Nicosia, Cyprus, ²Nutrition and Dietetics, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Türkiye

Rationale: This study evaluated nutrition education, information sources, and fast-food perceptions among university students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 383 students(197 females, 186 males). Data were collected via questionnaire. Group differences by gender and faculty were analyzed using Chi-square tests.

Results: The proportion of students receiving nutrition education was 71.1% among females and 65.1% among males(p=0.207). The distribution of nutrition information sources were also similar(p=0.218). However, males reported higher reliance on family(28.9% vs. 17.1%), while females more frequently reported dietitians(20.7% vs. 17.4%) and healthcare professionals. The majority of students did not consider fast-food consumption healthy(93.4% females, 95.7% males)(p=0.323). The main reasons for perceiving fast food as unhealthy in both genders were high fat content and unknown content(p=0.909). The rate of receiving nutrition education was similar between Health Sciences and other faculties(p=0.852). However, a significant difference was observed in the sources of nutrition information(p=0.002). Health Sciences students more often used professional sources(34.7%), whereas others relied on family(28.8%). Perception of fast-food as unhealthy was high in both groups, significant differences were found in the reasons for this perception(p=0.001). Health Sciences students more often reported “unknown content”(44.9%), while others emphasized fat content(30.1%).

Conclusion: While gender differences were not significant, differences emerged by faculty. Health Sciences students relied more on professional sources and showed greater awareness of food content. Academic background appears more influential than gender in shaping nutrition knowledge and perceptions, with implications for improving awareness and dietary behaviors in young adults.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared