A diet-based assessment of overall dietary patterns and eating habits in female students

Abstract

  To identify eating habit-related health problems in female students, and to clarify effective educational approaches to encourage their self-care skills, we conducted a survey regarding overall dietary patterns and eating habits. Results obtained from a total of 577 first-and second-year students were summarized as follows: (1) at the nutrient level, calcium, iron and dietary fiber intakes tended to be insufficient, while the amount of total fat exceeded recommended values; (2) food group intake was characterized by marked deficits in all groups except added sugars, sweets and snacks, fats and lipids, eggs and meats; (3) only a small percentage of students had an adequately balanced diet consisting of grain foods, such as a bowl of rice or slices of bread, a protein-rich main dish and vegetable side dishes in each meal; (4) food combination assessment indicated that students who practiced healthy dietary patterns showed sufficient nutrient and food group intakes, proper eating habits and good health conditions; and (5) eating habits of the students had a strong basis in either interest levels toward foods and nutrition or self-management skills.
  These results suggest that dietary behavior can be effectively improved through an educational approach focusing on both overall dietary patterns, which can be assessed at the diet level, and other eating habit-related factors along with self-control or self-monitoring intervention.