Assessment of feeding habits and lifestyle of undergraduate students in Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Feeding habits and lifestyle influence the nutritional and health status of all humans especially students of tertiary institutions.

Objectives. The study assessed the feeding habits and lifestyles of university undergraduates.

Methodology: The study design was a cross-sectional survey with a total of 400 undergraduate students randomly selected from various departments and faculties of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, using a multistage sampling technique. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data and analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. (P < 0.05).

Results: Four hundred students between ages 15 and 34 years with a mean age of 21.7±22 participated in the study. Male respondents were 138 (34.5%), and 262 (65.5%) were females. Exactly 97.5% were single, while 10 (2.5%) were married. A total of 144 (36.0%) of respondents reported eating only homemade food, while 256 (64.0%) ate at least 1-5 times a week outside of home. A total of 201 (50.2%) reported they were usually very hungry before eating meals, 170 (42.5%) were a little bit hungry before eating meals, and 29 (7.2%) normally ate as at when due even when they were not hungry at all. Current use of alcohol among respondents revealed female respondents, 69 (54.8%), consumed alcohol more than their male counterparts 57 (45.2%). Ten, (3.8%) of the female respondents were current smokers as against the male respondents, 6 (4.4%). Most of the students, 250 (62.5%) were not engaged in regular exercise.

Conclusion: The feeding habits of most students studied need much to be desired, while few among them had unhealthy social lifestyles that could affect their nutritional health.