Study on the Consumption Pattern of Junk Food among University Students

Background: The term junk food refers to fast foods which are easy to make and quick to consume. They are zero in nutritional value and often high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the preference, prevalence and pattern of junk food consumption among university students. Methods: In the current descriptive cross-sectional study, 100 university girls aged 1822 years old were enrolled by convenience sampling method. Data were collected on Demographic profile, Dietary intake, awareness and knowledge about junk foods by using 3 day 24-hour dietary recall, a food frequency questionnaire and a checklist. Results: Consumption of Junk food was found among cent percent study population. Nutrition education programmer was significant at 5 % level. Educational campaigns on healthy lifestyles among young people are advocated. Introduction Background Adolescence is an important growth and development period which has implications for future nutrition status and food consumption habits. [1] Junk foods generally provide large amounts of energy from fats and sugars and too little in the way of complex carbohydrates, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber. The widespread satisfaction with junk food, in general, is due to their convenience, taste and flavor, and reasonable prices, not their nutritional quality. An occasional meal at a fast-food outlet doesn’t hurt, but a steady diet of junk food provides, for the average person, excessive energy and sodium and too little vitamin A, iron, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber, leading to a nutritionally unbalanced pattern of eating. [2] Consumption of junk food is becoming more popular in developing countries. When the young enters university life, they take more control of their lifestyle, in particular food choices and practices, [3] especially if they are away from home. The food consumption patterns and associated nutritional risks specific to university students is a key concern. [4] Whilst there is evidence that food intake patterns are established before adolescence, they may also change substantially during adolescence and these modified food patterns, if unhealthy, are likely to influence health and disease risk in later life. [5] Viner and Barker (2005) have shown that the health outcomes of adults appear to be more strongly associated with adolescent risk factors than those found in childhood. [6] In recent years, nutritional knowledge of university students and their food consumption patterns have received global attention. [7] Thus the objectives of our present study have been framed as • To evaluate the preference, prevalence and Pattern of junk food consumption among university students. [Sivapriya., 1(4): August, 2014] ISSN: 2349-4506 Global Journal of Engineering Science and Research Management http: // www.gjesrm.com (C) Global Journal of Engineering Science and Research Management [1-10] • To formulate, impart and find the impact of nutrition education Materials and methods By means of convenience sampling technique, a premiere college affiliated to the University of Madras was approached to collect data. A sample of 100 girls from the college was selected for the present study. Prior permission was obtained from the principal of the college clarifying the purpose of the study. After permission was obtained, the researcher spoke to the students and oriented them about the purpose and significance of the research. Consent forms were then distributed to the participants and those who were willing to participate in the study were asked to give their written consent and the same was obtained. Collection of data was carried out by perceiving the views and ideas from the girls through filling up of interview schedule, food frequency questionnaire and checklist. Demographic profile, dietary pattern, was elicited using an interview schedule. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was filled by the researcher to study about the food consumption pattern of the participants. Similarly three day 24 hour recall was done to calculate the nutritive value of diet consumed by the subjects before and after nutrition education. Nutrition education was given to the participants after scrutinizing their knowledge and awareness about junk foods using a checklist. Impact of nutrition education was checked by means of the same check list after a week time. The data’s collected were coded and analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 11. Descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation were obtained for age, body mass index. Students’’ test was done to find the difference before and after nutrition education. Result and Discussion Demographic variables and eating patterns of the participants are shown in Table 1 and Table 2. Among the 100 female participants, their mean age was 19.5. Regarding their educational status, 99 % of them were undergraduates. From the table it can be understood that 82 % of them belong to nuclear family. When their BMI was analyzed, 33 % were underweight, 51 % were of normal weight and 14 % were overweight. Obesity in adolescence may be associated with psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and social isolation as well as metabolic complications such as hypertension and insulin resistance.[8] Results predicted that majority of the participants do not exercise and Only 24 % of the subjects had the habit of exercising for about 30 minutes in the form of walking. [Sivapriya., 1(4): August, 2014] ISSN: 2349-4506 Global Journal of Engineering Science and Research Management http: // www.gjesrm.com (C) Global Journal of Engineering Science and Research Management [1-10] Table 1: Demographic variables of the participants