P557 - EXAMINATION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS AND ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG STUDENTS IN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

P557

EXAMINATION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS AND ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG STUDENTS IN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

E. Kocyigit^1,*, E. Celik²

¹Nutrition and Dietetics, Ordu University, Ordu, ²Nutrition and Dietetics, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Türkiye

Rationale: Ultra-processed foods are unsustainable and have adverse social, environmental, and public health effects^1,2.This study assessed the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and sustainable nutrition behaviors among health sciences faculty students.

Methods: The study included 321 students (mean age 20.8±2.19 years, 82.9% female). Socio-demographic data, the Sustainable and Healthy Eating (SHE) Behaviors Scale, and the Screening Questionnaire of Ultra Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF) were obtained in face-to-face interviews. University students self-reported their height (cm) and weight (kg) to calculate their BMI. SPSS v26 was used for the statistical analysis.

Results: 34.4% of the students studied nursing, 25.5% studied physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and health management, while 14.6% studied nutrition and dietetics. The average BMI among university students was 22.8±3.55 kg/m². The mean total score of the SHE Behaviors Scale was 3.8±0.79, whereas the sQ-HPF score was 7.6±2.14. 51.7% of students reported receiving nutrition education. The total and subscale scores of the SHE Behaviours Scale showed a negative correlation with the sQ-HPF score (p<0.05). While students who received nutrition education had higher SHE Behaviours Scale scores, their sQ-HPF scores were significantly lower (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Sustainable eating reduces ultra-processed food consumption. Nutrition education promotes healthy eating and reduces ultra-processed food consumption.

References:         1. Forde, C. G., & Decker, E. A. (2022). The importance of food processing and eating behavior in promoting healthy and sustainable diets. Annual Review of Nutrition, 42(1), 377-399.

        2. Fardet, A. (2024). Ultra‐processing should be understood as a holistic issue, from food matrix, to dietary patterns, food scoring, and food systems. Journal of Food Science, 89(7), 4563-4573.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared