Evaluation of student nutrition at the university

Introduction: Healthy eating is associated with maintaining and improving health and academic performance of students. Objectives: To assess the adequacy of nutrition of university students on school and non-school days.

Materials and methods: We examined the diet of fifth and sixth-year students of a military university. On school days (Monday to Saturday), all the students had three meals a day at the university canteen, while on Sunday they had meals made in a hostel kitchen or elsewhere. In September to December, we analyzed one typical weekly canteen menu a month (n = 4) and students’ records (n = 50) of actual food consumption on the day off. We proceeded on the assumption that the absorption of mixed food was 85 %.

Results: We estimated that energy expenditures of the students on school days were 3,172.1 ± 33.5 kcal/day, while their physical activity corresponded to labor intensity group 3 with the physical activity coefficient of 1.9. The only non-school day was characterized by the above parameters of physical activity equaling group 2 and 1.6, respectively. Energy expenditures and the energy value of food consumed generally corresponded to the principles of rational nutrition. Yet, the diet was not balanced in terms of percentage contribution of meals (breakfast – 27.7 %, lunch – 46.4 %, dinner – 25.9 %), the intake of proteins and carbohydrates (54.2 % higher and 19.0 % lower than the physiological requirement, respectively), and the ratio of animal to vegetable proteins (44.3 to 55.7 %). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids provided 12.6 % and 7.5 % of the calorie intake with the norm of < 10 % and 10.0 %, respectively. We observed increased dietary consumption of vitamins B₁, B₂, PP (13.3 %, 94.4 %, 141.5 % higher than the recommended values) accompanied by a 31.4 % and 20.0 % lower intake of vitamins C and B₆, respectively. The dietary mineral intake was characterized by an excessive consumption of sodium (60.6 %), potassium (43.4 %), phosphorus (138.4 %), copper (90.0 %), and zinc (29.2 %) with a deficiency of calcium, magnesium, and iron (40.4 %, 49.3 %, and 42.0 %, respectively). The calcium to phosphorus ratio was 1:2.8 against the appropriate ratio of 1-2:1. On non-school days, we observed a higher intake of fast digesting carbohydrates and saturated fatty acids and a lower dietary vitamin and mineral intake.

Conclusions: We recommend assessment of student nutrition with account for absorption of nutrients following a preliminary estimation of daily energy expenditures establishing the level of physical activity.

1. Batiha A-M. Nutritional behaviors and perceived barriers among university students: A cross-sectional study. Glob J Health Sci. 2018;10(12):21-29. doi: 10.5539/gjhs.v10n12p21

2. Liu X, Chen H, Zhou Q, Zhang H, Asawasirisap P, Kearney J. Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards diet and health among international students in Dublin: A cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(9):3182. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093182

3. Tanton J, Dodd LJ, Woodfield L, Mabhala M. Eating behaviours of British university students: A cluster analysis on a neglected issue. Adv Prev Med. 2015;2015:639239. doi: 10.1155/2015/639239

4. Abraham S, Noriega BR, Shin JY. College students eating habits and knowledge of nutritional requirements. J Nutr Hum Health. 2018;2:13–17. doi: 10.35841/nutrition-human-health.2.1.13-17

5. Sprake EF, Russell JM, Cecil JE, Cooper RJ, Grabowski P, Pourshahidi LK, Barker ME. Dietary patterns of university students in the UK: a cross-sectional study. Nutr J. 2018;17(1):90. doi: 10.1186/s12937-018-0398-y

6. Ilow RA, Regulska-Ilow B, Rуżańska D. Dietary habits of Wroclaw Medical University students (Poland). Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2017;68(1):23-32.

7. Morris MA, Wilkins EL, Galazoula M, Clark SD, Birkin M. Assessing diet in a university student population: a longitudinal food card transaction data approach. Br J Nutr. 2020;123(12):1406-1414. doi: 10.1017/S0007114520000823

8. Raber M, Chandra J, Upadhyaya M, Schick V, Strong LL, Durand C, Sharma S. An evidence-based conceptual framework of healthy cooking. Prev Med Rep. 2016;4:23-28. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.05.004

9. Hilger J, Loerbroks A, Diehl K. Eating behaviour of university students in Germany: Dietary intake, barriers to healthy eating and changes in eating behaviour since the time of matriculation. Appetite. 2017;109:100-107. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.016

10. Amore L, Buchthal OV, Banna JC. Identifying perceived barriers and enablers of healthy eating in college students in Hawai’i: A qualitative study using focus groups. BMC Nutr. 2019;5:16. doi: 10.1186/s40795-019-0280-0

11. Kodaneva LN, Shulyatiev VM, Razmahova SU, Pushkina VN. Health and lifestyle of medical students. Mezhdunarodnyy Nauchno-Issledovatel’skiy Zhurnal. 2016;(12-4(54)):45-47. (In Russ.) doi: 10.18454/IRJ.2016.54.046

12. Novokhatskaya EA, Yakovleva TP, Kalitina MA. The morbidity of students conditioned by diet character in modern condition of education. Problemy Sotsial’noy Gigieny, Zdravookhraneniya i Istorii Meditsiny. 2017;25(5):281-285. (In Russ.) doi: 10.18821/0869-866X-2017-25-5-281-285

13. Petrova TN, Zuikova AA, Krasnorutskaya ON. Assessment of students’ nutrition in medical university. Vestnik Novykh Meditsinskikh Tekhnologiy. 2013;20(2):72-77. (In Russ.)

14. Melikhova EP, Natarova AA, Vasilyeva MV. [Hygienic assessment of actual nutrition of medical university students.] Simvol Nauki: Mezhdunarodnyy Nauchnyy Zhurnal. 2016;(3-2(15)):178-180. (In Russ.)

15. Chudinin NV, Rakitina IS, Dementyev AA. Nutrient composition of the diet of junior students of a medical university. Zdorov’e Naseleniya i Sreda Obitaniya. 2020;(2(323)):16-20. (In Russ.) doi: 10.35627/2219-5238/2020-323-2-16-20

16. Aminova OS, Uvarova IuE, Tyatenkova NN. Estimating dietary intake and nutritional status of students. V Mire Nauchnykh Otkrytiy. 2017;5(1):4-13.

17. Karabinskaya OA, Izatulin VG, Makarov OA, Kalyagin AN. Hygienic assessment of actual nutrition of undergraduate students of the university. Sibirskiy Meditsinskiy Zhurnal (Irkutsk). 2015;135(4):76-79. (In Russ.)

18. Lebedeva SN, Zhamsaranova SD, Chukaev SA, Dymsheeva LD. Assessment of the nutrition and antioxidant activity of biological liquids in students. Voprosy Pitaniya. 2018;87(1):35-43. (In Russ.) doi: 10.24411/0042-8833-2018-10004

19. Rakhmanov RS, Bogomolova ES, Shaposhnikova MV, Sapozhnikova MA. Assessment of nutritional status of students of medical institute according to the blood biochemical parameters. Sanitarnyy Vrach. 2020;(7):63-70. (In Russ.) doi: 10.33920/med-08-2007-07

20. Setko IM, Setko AG, Trishina SP, Kudisov SA. Hygienic estimation of actual nutrition and alimentary status of medical university students. Zdorov’e Naseleniya i Sreda Obitaniya. 2017;(1(286)):30-32. (In Russ.) doi: 10.35627/2219-5238/2017-286-1-30-32

21. Zambrzhitsky ON, Borisevich YaN. Hygienic assessment of the balance of nutrients in the diets of students. Voennaya Meditsina. 2021;(1(58)):53-57. (In Russ.)

22. Seidelmann SB, Claggett B, Cheng S, et al. Dietary carbohydrate intake and mortality: a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health. 2018;3(9):e419-e428. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30135-X

23. Beketova NA, Kodentsova VM, Vrzhesinskaya OA, et al. Estimation of vitamin status of Moscow students according to data on vitamins intake and their levels in blood. Voprosy Pitaniya. 2015;84(5):64-75. (In Russ.)