Sayeeda Amber Sayed.
A cross-sectional study on eating habits and food related beliefs and knowledge in university students of Karachi, Pakistan.
Pak J Public Health Jan ;2(2):36-42.

Introduction: Sound nutritional practices abound in different socio-cultural groups.A spectrum of diseases ranging from malnutrition to optimal health can often be prevented or alleviated with better nutrition. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases and psychological and behavioral problems. The development and persistence of certain food habits is a combination of bio-psychological, infrastructural, politic-ideological and economic factors. Objectives of the study were to assess eating habits, nutrition-related beliefs and knowledge in university students of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 260 university students in various institutes of Karachi, Pakistan is carried out from March-June 2011. Data is collected by means of self-administered questionnaires to elicit information on health, lifestyle, and usual food intake. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (version 17.0) to determine eating habits and food related beliefs. Results: Less than half of the university students had eaten food from all five core food groups (cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat) daily during the previous week. Knowledge of minimum core food requirements for adolescent health was poor. The major sources of information about food and nutrition were parents, internet, television and magazines, with internet reported to be an important information source for university students. Conclusion: The meal and snack pattern in Pakistani students is very close to the traditional model. For effectively promoting core foods to young people, partnership for health must also include the food industries. Parents, internet and television are the major sources of nutrition information which provides an opportunity to the media and universities to contribute useful nutrition information to improve the adolescent health. Monitoring nutritional requirements and eating habits of youth is essential to improve the health of the nation.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com