The dietary habits of Maltese university students

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore university students’ perceived diet and related health practices and whether these varied by gender, faculty and year of course. It also sought to examine the students’ recommendations on what may help them to engage in a healthier diet. Method: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of 494 undergraduate students stratified by gender and faculty. The questionnaire explored various features of the students’ perceived physical and mental health and lifestyle, including diet, the focus of this paper. Results: Half of the students had only between 1 and 2 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, more than half chose the less healthy food, less than half had a regular healthy breakfast, while one third consumed soft drinks. Female students were consistently more conscious of their diet. The students made various recommendations on how the university may help them to make healthy choices, particularly more availability of healthy food on campus. Conclusions: Despite being a highly educated group, the majority of students did not reach the healthy diet benchmarks explored in the study. Further research is suggested to explain the psychological correlates underlying the dietary habits of Maltese university students.