ORIGINAL

ORIGINAL Food practices and nutritional status

Collective Health
Saúde Coletiva
of university students who use the
Editor
Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença
University Restaurant
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no
conflicts of interest. Práticas alimentares e o estado nutricional
Received
May 6, 2022 entre estudantes universitários usuários
Final version
May 5, 2023 do Restaurante-Escola
Approved
June 6, 2023
Gabriela Ferreira dos Anjos Araujo1 , Alessandra da Silva Pereira2 , Cláudia Roberta
Bocca Santos3 , Maria de Lourdes Carlos Ferreirinha Rodrigues3 , Simone
Augusta Ribas3

1
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Escola de Nutrição. Rio de
Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
2
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de
Nutrição Fundamental. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
3
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de
Nutrição em Saúde Pública. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Correspondence to: SA RIBAS. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

How to cite this article: Araujo GFA, Pereira AS, Santos CR, Rodrigues MLCF. Food practices and nutritional status
of university students who use the University Restaurant. Rev Nutr. 2023;36:e220106. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-
9865202336e220106

ABSTRACT
Objective
To evaluate the food practices and nutritional status of students who use the University
Restaurant at a public university.

Methods
This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 958 university students. Data related to regular
eating practices (≥5 times/week), routine food consumption and nutritional status were
collected. The association between University Restaurant attendance and dietary practices and
body mass index was reviewed by bivariate logistic regression model and multiple regression.

Results
Students who attended the University Restaurant three or more times a week were more likely
to regularly consume beans (OR: 1.35, p=0.041) and fresh salad (OR: 1.77, p<0.001) and less
likely to have afternoon snack (OR: 0.68; p=0.008). In addition, an association between soda
consumption and overweight was observed.

Conclusion
Thus, the importance of strategies that seek to promote incentives for healthy eating and
lifestyle practices in the university population become evident.

Keywords: Feeding behavior. Nutritional status. Public policy. Students.

https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9865202336e220106 Rev Nutr. 2023;36:e220106 1

 GFA ARAUJO et al. | FOOD PRACTICES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

RESUMO
Objetivo
O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar as práticas alimentares e o estado nutricional de estudantes usuários do
restaurante-escola em uma universidade pública.
Métodos
Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com 958 estudantes universitários. Foram coletados dados relacionados
às práticas alimentares regulares (≥5 vezes/semana), à rotina alimentar e ao estado nutricional. A associação
entre a frequência de ida ao restaurante-escola, práticas alimentares e índice de massa corporal foi analisada por
modelo de regressão logística bivariada e regressão múltipla.
Resultados
Os estudantes que frequentaram o restaurante-escola 3 ou mais vezes por semana apresentaram maiores chances
de consumir regularmente feijão (OR: 1,35, p=0,041) e salada crua (OR: 1,77, p<0,001) e menos chances de realizar
o lanche da tarde (OR: 0,68; p=0,008). Além disso, foi observada associação entre o consumo de refrigerante e
o excesso de peso.
Conclusão
Dessa forma, evidencia-se a importância de estratégias que busquem promover incentivos a práticas alimentares
e de vida saudáveis na população universitária.
Palavras-chave: Comportamento alimentar. Estado nutricional. Política pública. Estudantes.

INTRODUCTION

The food environment has been considered as one of the determinants of food intake and
has been widely studied in recent years [1]. Individual factors, physical, economic, political, and
sociocultural dimensions are constituent factors of the food environment [2]. Organizations that have
food services available, such as universities, should take advantage of this environment to promote
healthy eating habits and Food and Nutrition Security to users, such as employees and students [3].
The beginning of the university period generally includes the transition period between
adolescence and adulthood, a phase that is often characterized as a time of greater autonomy
of the student over his life due to factors such as the separation from the parental home and the
acquisition of new responsibilities [4,5]. Added to this, introduction in the academic environment is
also associated with new social relationships, behavioral and eating habits changes, stress, inadequate
time management, the need to spend more time away from home, and psychosocial instability [5-7].
In this context, college students may be more exposed to nutritionally unbalanced food
combinations usually offered in the fast food model, a dietary pattern that can reflect directly on their
nutritional conditions, contributing to an increased prevalence of overweight in that public [8-11].
Studies indicate that college lifestyle is often characterized by practices harmful to health, such as
consumption of high energy density diet, sedentarism, frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages
and meals skipping; these are risk factors for the development of Chronic Non-communicable
Diseases [12-14].
Healthy eating among college students is a governmental concern worldwide. The
organization food environment, including the university, has been recognized as a strategic site
for health promotion, since the food offered there can have a direct impact on students’ eating
practices [15]. In Europe and in the United States the food environment is composed of a wide variety
of establishments that provide food, such as restaurants, canteens and cafeterias; however, public
policies implemented by colleges to foster access of this population to healthy food vary according
to each country [16-20].

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In general, in Brazil the university food environment is characterized by the type of meal or
service offered and the meals that are available in restaurants, snack bars, fast food and/or canteens
located within or near the university campus [3,15]. In contrast to places that sell ready-to-eat foods,
University Restaurants (UR) tend to present menus that offer their users a nutritionally balanced
and varied diet, helping in the process of food and nutrition education and health promotion [21].
Another relevant point to highlight is that UR play an essential role in the Students Assistance
Policy, since they provide low cost meals subsidized by the Federal Government, which objective is
regularly offer nutritionally balanced meals prepared with safe food, contributing to the achievement
of Food and Nutrition Security for users in the academic community [22].
Considering that the university environment represents a strategic space for the promotion
of healthy eating and Food and Nutrition Security, the present study aimed to evaluate the dietary
practices and nutritional status of college students according to the frequency of the UR use at a
public university in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

METHODS

This work is part of the project Papel Social da Universidade no Fortalecimento das Políticas
Públicas de Segurança Alimentar (Social Role of the University in the Enhancement of Public Policies for
Food Security and Nutrition), which involved teaching, research, and extension initiatives, funded by
the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento
Científico e Tecnológico (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development).
This is a cross-sectional study carried out with a non-probability sample of undergraduate
students enrolled in the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO, Federal University
of the State of Rio de Janeiro). Inclusion criteria were students (undergraduate and graduate) duly
enrolled and attending the University restaurant during the study period. Individuals who were not
students or who presented limitations for performing any phase of the research were excluded. The
project is registered with the Research Department of UNIRIO and was approved by the Research
Ethics Committee, under opinion number 1662.177. Only those who signed the informed consent
form participated in the study.
The UNIRIO spreads over seven campi, distributed in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Urca, Botafogo,
Tijuca and Downtown). The UR in which the present study was conducted is located in the Urca
district and serves the academic community (students, professors, and administrative staff) of
different undergraduate and graduate courses. On the campus where the UR is located classes
of humanities and exact sciences courses are taught; in addition, the educational institution has
inter-campus transportation that circulates with pre-defined schedules.
The UR dining hall deploys 340 seats, distributed over two floors (first floor and mezzanine).
It is open from Monday to Friday, serving approximately 1,200 meals/day (1000 of which are for
students), distributed between lunch (11 am to 2 pm) and dinner (5 pm to 8 pm). UNIRIO community
has priority in the use of the Restaurant. In 2019 the price charged for undergraduate students was
R$ 3.00 per meal, R$ 6.00 for graduate students and R$ 11.00 for the staff.
The meal distribution modality is characterized by mixed type food with self-service for all
preparations, except for the protein dish and vegetarian option, which are portioned. Lunch and
dinner include salad with two types of vegetables or a vegetable and a fruit; white rice, brown rice
and beans; one type of side dish; one protein dish; a vegetarian option (egg-based or vegan) and a
300 ml soft drink, made from concentrated fruit pulp.

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Survey data were collected at two time points: between March 11 and 15 and between June 24
and 28, 2019, in the UR. The instrument used in data collection was a questionnaire self-completed
by students, adapted from an instrument previously used in a survey conducted at the University
Restaurant of the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ, University of the State of Rio de
Janeiro) [23].
Before starting the field survey, a pilot test was performed with the instrument. In this stage,
students, scholarship students and volunteers from the nutrition course, were previously trained by
the team of teachers who were members of the project to apply the self-completed questionnaire
and obtain each other anthropometric measurements. During the training, the initial version of the
adapted questionnaire was tested with the field surveyors, to anticipate questions and clarify them
and to improve a better fit of the instrument with the purpose of the study.
After final review, the instrument included 44 questions, open-ended and closed questions,
which addressed issues associated with the students’ eating practices at home and in the UR. Among
the questions included in the questionnaire, the present study focused the review of the descriptive
characteristics, student frequency visit to the UR, eating routine outside the UR, and frequency of
food consumption in the last seven days of the week prior to the study. These last two topics were
detailed in the next section related to eating practices.
To characterize the students, the following questions were asked with the following relevant
response options: gender (female, male, other), age (numeric variable, later recategorized into <20;
20-35; >35 years), type of entry course (descriptive variable later recategorized into human, biological
and exact science areas), aid received from the University (yes (specify) or not), type of paid activity
(yes (specify) or not. The answers were recategorized – does not have; formal or informal job; or
academic scholarship holder), with whom they lived (alone, family, friends, and others (specify)),
and the frequency of consumption of fast food, such as sandwiches, cookies, among others (yes (in
which period of the week) or not). Attendance at the UR was also evaluated by weekly frequency
and later the students were categorized into two groups: regular attendance students who went
3 or more times during the week to the UR and not regular attendance for those who went less
than 3 times a week. The students were also asked about the reasons for using the UR as a place to
have their meals. This was an open-ended question, and the answers were categorized by subject:
price, convenience, curiosity, social relations, meals quality, meal variety, amount of food served,
service, among others).
Besides the application of the questionnaire, the weight (kg) and height (m) of the students
were measured to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2). Weight was measured using a
Supermedy® digital scale with 50 g accuracy and maximum capacity of 150 kg, with the individual
standing on the scale platform, barefoot and wearing light clothes. Height was measured using a
mobile rod stadiometer of the same brand, with 01 cm accuracy, with the individual standing with
the head positioned in the Frankfurt plane, barefoot, feet together, heels in contact with the base of
the stadiometer and non-flexed knees. The nutritional status was classified according to the ranges
proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) [24], being diagnosed as overweight and obese
when the BMI reached a value equal to or greater than 25 kg/m² and with no excess weight when
the BMI remained below 25 kg/m².
Data on food routine and frequency were assessed according to the criteria adopted by
the Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (National School Health Survey) and the Sistema de
Vigilância de Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL, Surveillance of Chronic Diseases
by Telephone Inquiry) [25,26].

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The food frequency was evaluated considering the number of days within the last seven
days that the students consumed meals prior to the data collection. The response options were:
“I didn’t eat that in the last seven days” and the other options ranged from “1 to 7 days during the
last seven days”.
The food groups or the culinary preparations evaluated were: 1) beans, 2) vegetables (cooked
vegetables), 3) salad (fresh vegetables), 4) fresh fruit or fruit salad, 5) french fries and/or fried snacks,
6) sausages (hamburger, sausage, bologna, salami, ham, turkey breast), 7) cookies (sweet, and potato
chips), 8) sweets (cakes, candies, chocolates, chewing gum, candy, or lollipops), 9) soft drinks, and
10) sweetened beverages (juices or soft drinks, mate, natural guarana, other teas, coffee, flavored
waters, isotonic drinks, soy-based drinks, and others). The first four groups were considered healthy
foods and the last six were considered unhealthy foods. Frequency was categorized as: consumption
<5 days/week and ≥5 days/week (regular consumption) [25,26].
Questions were asked in connection with the eating routines regarding the number of meals
(breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner) and the substitution of lunch and/or dinner
by snacks per week, in the seven days prior to the survey. Lunch and dinner were considered
the meals composed of rice and beans, meat and salad, boiled vegetables, soup, pasta, among
others, excluding from this category any kind of sandwich or ready-to-eat meal such as pizza
or lasagna.
Healthy eating routine marker was considered when the frequency of meal consumption
was ≥5 days/week and as a marker of unhealthy eating routine the habit of replacing lunch and/
or dinner by snacks, following the same criteria mentioned above (≥5 days/week). In parallel, the
prevalence of the food groups most consumed by students at lunch or dinner in the UR and the
reason for the respondents’ consumption of such foods was also evaluated.
Descriptive data were presented as absolute values and percentages (%) for categorical
variables. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to review the association of descriptive variables
in relation to the frequency of UR attendance. The association between UR attendance, dietary
practices, and BMI was analyzed by bivariate logistic regression model and multiple regression.
Variables with a p-value <0.2 in the bivariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis,
and those with a p-value <0.05 in the multivariate analysis were associated with UR attendance.
Models were adjusted for sex and age. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. Analyses
were conducted using STATA®, version 17 and Microsoft Office Excel® 2013.

R E S U LT S

Initially in this study, 999 college students were interviewed; however, 41 did not report the
information about attending UR and were thus excluded totaling a final sample for analysis of 957
students. For other variables, there were losses of information due to failing to complete the forms;
the number of participants for each variable studied is described in Table 1. From the total of each
variable assessed, it was found that more than half were female (55.0%), aged between 20 and 35
years (75.5%), enrolled in the humanities disciplines (66.8%), had no job (52.1%), and lived with their
families (82.1%). Female students (p<0.001) and students in the humanities (p<0.01) were found to
have a statistical association regarding attendance at the UR. The descriptive characteristics of the
sample according to the students UR attendance frequency are described in Table 1.
When evaluating the results of the frequency of food consumption, a low regular consumption
in relation to the healthy foods, especially fruit (28.2%) and salad (29.5%) was observed. As for the

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Table 1 – Descriptive characteristics of college students from a public university according to attendance to University Restaurants. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, 2019.

Total <3 times ≥3 times

Variables p-value*
n % n % n %
Gender (n=957)
Female 526 55.0 342 59.6 184 48.0
<0.001
Male 431 45.0 232 40.4 199 52.0
Age Group (years) (n=931)
<20 188 20.2 102 18.1 86 23.5
20 a 35 703 75.5 437 77.3 266 72.7 0.12
>35 40 4.3 26 4.6 14 3.8
Course Type (n=882)
Human 589 66.8 341 66.0 248 67.9
Biologicals 162 18.4 110 21.3 52 14.2 0.01
Exact 131 14.9 66 12.8 65 17.8
Occupation (n=906)
Does not have 472 52.1 266 50.6 206 54.2
Formal Employment 65 7.2 42 8.0 23 6.1
0.40
Informal Employment 106 11.7 58 11.0 48 12.6
Academic scholar 263 29.0 160 30.4 103 27.1
With whom live (n=947)
Alone 83 8.8 48 9.0 35 9.2
With Family 784 82.8 442 83.2 306 80.5
0.41
With friends 67 7.1 36 6.8 31 8.2
Other 13 1.4 5 0.9 8 2.1
Snack consumption (n= 902)
Yes 721 79.9 432 82.4 289 76.5
0.30
No/Does not apply 181 20.1 92 17.6 89 23.5
Nutritional Status** (n=913)
Not overweight 638 69.9 382 70.4 256 69.2
0.71
Overweight 275 30.1 161 29.7 114 30.8

Note: *Chi-square test; **Classified by Body Mass Index.

unhealthy foods, the regular consumption of sugary drinks (47.3%), sweets (24.9%) and cookies
(23.7%) were high. When comparing the results found for the two groups assessed, it was
possible to notice that those who attended the UR regularly (≥3 times a week) had a higher
consumption of salad and that those who did not attend the UR had a higher consumption of
unhealthy foods (Table 2).
Regarding the eating routines, it was observed that more than half of the students assessed
frequently (≥5 times a week) had breakfast (59.1%) and lunch (83.6%), but a little less than half had
dinner (47.0%) with the same frequency. We could observe that snacking in the afternoon (46.4%)
was more recurrent than in the morning (18.6%) and replacing dinner with snacks (14.4%) than
lunch (3.5%) (Table 2).
Regarding food consumption in the UR, it was observed that less than half (45.2%) of
respondents reported consuming all food groups offered in the menu and only 15.5% reported the
habit of consuming fruit. Regarding the use of the UR services, 84.4% of the students reported that
the low cost was the main reason for seeking this establishment, followed by convenience (77.4%)
and quality (33.2%) (data not shown).
When assessing the association between UR attendance and eating routines it was observed
that students who had a higher UR attendance were less likely to snack in the afternoon (OR=0.68,
p=0.01) and more likely to consume fresh salad (OR=1.77 and p<0.01) and beans (OR=1.35 and
p=0.04) (Table 3).

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Table 2 – Frequency of regular food practices according to the use of the University Restaurants. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, 2019.

Total Frequency to UR (times/week)

Food Practices (≥5 vezes) <3 ≥3
n % n % n %
Food Routine
Breakfast (n=905) 535 59.1 319 59.6 216 40.4
Morning Snack (n=901) 168 18.6 92 54.8 76 45.2
Lunch (n=903) 755 83.6 430 57.0 325 43.0
Afternoon Snack (n=898) 417 46.4 258 61.9 159 38.1
Dinner (n=615) 289 47.0 174 60.2 115 39.8
Replacement of lunch with snack (n=898) 31 3.5 22 71.0 9 29.0
Replacement of dinner with snack (n=904) 130 14.4 90 69.2 40 30.8
Frequency of Food Consumption
Vegetables (n=899) 517 57.5 285 55.1 232 44.9
Beans (n=900) 513 57.0 283 55.2 230 44.8
Fruits (n=876) 247 28.2 145 58.7 102 41.3
Salad (n=897) 265 29.5 129 48.7 136 51.3
French Fries (n=902) 19 2.1 11 57.9 8 42.1
Cookies (n=876) 208 23.7 126 60.6 82 39.4
Sausages (n=900) 109 12.1 69 63.3 40 36.7
Candies (n=876) 218 24.9 121 55.5 97 44.5
Sugar-sweetened beverages (n=876) 414 47.3 241 58.2 173 41.8
Soft drink (n=872) 100 11.5 60 60.0 40 40.0

Table 3 – Odds Ratio (OR) of meal pattern food frequency and nutritional status adjusted by gender and age with reference to attendance to the University Restaurants
<3 times/week. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, 2019.

Food Practices and Nutritional Status Adjusted OR* 95% CI p-value**

Bivariate analysis
Food routine (≥5 vezes/semana)
Breakfast (n=905) 0.88 0.66-1.16 0.35
Morning Snack (n=901) 1.21 0.85-1.70 0.28
Lunch (n=903) 1.28 0.88-1.86 0.20
Afternoon Snack (n=898) 0.72 0.55-0.95 0.02
Dinner (n=615) 0.97 0.69-1.37 0.22
Replacement of lunch with snack (n=898) 0.60 0.27-1.34 0.22
Replacement of dinner with snack (n=904) 0.63 0.42-0.96 0.03
Food frequency (≥5 vezes/semana)
Vegetables (n=899) 1.34 1.01-1.77 0.04
Beans (n=900) 1.37 1.03-1.81 0.03
Fruits (n=876) 0.99 0.73-1.35 0.96
Salad (n=897) 1.77 1.31-2.38 <0.001
French Fries (n=902) 0.89 0.34-2.34 0.82
Cookies (n=876) 0.89 0.64-1.23 0.47
Sausages (n=900) 0.75 0.49-1.15 0.19
Candies (n=876) 1.17 0.85-1.60 0.34
Sugar-sweetened beverages (n=876) 0.96 0.72-1.26 0.76
Soft drink (n=872) 0.89 0.58-1.37 0.60
Nutritional Status (BMI) (n=950)
Not overweight 1 - -
Overweight 1.12 0.79-1.58 0.50
Multivariate analysis
Afternoon Snack (n=898) 0.68 0.51-0.90 0.01
Beans (n=900) 1.35 1.01-1.79 0.04
Salad (n=897) 1.77 1.31-2.40 <0.001
Vegetables (n=844) 0.01 -0.15-0.19 0.83
Sausages (n=845) -0.04 -0.26-0.18 0.74

Note: *OR: Odds ratio; **Adjusted for gender and age.

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As for the students’ nutritional status, it was found that 30.1% of the population is overweight
and obese, but no association was observed between regular visits to the UR and nutritional status
(Tables 2 and 3). An association was found between regular consumption of soft drinks and overweight
(OR: 1.84; p=0.005) (data not shown).

DISCUSSION

The university food environment is a relevant subject not only in Brazil, but in the world.
In several countries, universities have been making efforts to develop policies to promote healthy
eating among students.
In the United States, universities typically have different food outlets such as restaurants,
canteens, cafeterias, and vending machines; however, studies show that a high percentage of
American students have been exposed to food insecurity [16,19]. For this reason, universities have
launched different interventions that include the set up of pantries in which students can receive
free food to be prepared later, food vouchers for free meals in the campus dining hall, emergency
assistance funds, and programs to help students obtain public population food assistance benefits
such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program [18,19].
In Europe a wide variety of commercial food outlets have also been observed within the
university campi [11,17,20]. In many countries, such as Belgium, there are no dining halls that provide
meal plans for resident students, but there is the possibility of obtaining weekly financial aid [17]. In
the European Union, the farm-to-fork strategy seeks to ensure food security, adequate nutrition, and
public policies so that the entire population has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and sustainable
food, but no studies were found regarding its application specifically to university students [27].
In Brazil, at the university level, the current initiative is the Plano Nacional de Assistência
Estudantil (PNAES, National Plan for Student Assistance, which offers assistance and seeks to
expand conditions for young people to remain in federal public higher education, with food as one
of the areas for student assistance initiatives [28]. It is up to each institution to decide whether the
assistance will be offered as food allowance or as UR, since the operation of the UR is not guided by
specific Ministry of Education guidelines, and may vary according to the institution [29].
The findings of our study suggest a positive relationship between the use of the UR and
healthy eating practices, since the students who were more assiduous in attending the restaurant
(≥3 times per week) were those who consumed beans and salad regularly (on at least 5 days of the
7 days reviewed) when compared to the less assiduous students (<3 times per week). Regarding
nutritional status, although an expressive rate of overweight students was observed in the study,
no relationship was detected between the frequency of use of the UR and the nutritional status
exhibited by students (p>0.05).
Perez and collaborators (2019) [30] also observed an association between more attendance
to the UR and higher frequency of consumption of beans and vegetables by students of a public
university in Rio de Janeiro. According to the Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira (Food Guide
for the Brazilian Population), an adequate diet should be composed primarily of fresh or minimally
processed foods [31]. For decades, studies have shown the importance of regular consumption of
fruits, vegetables, and greens, since these foods supply the daily requirements of vitamins, minerals,
and fiber that are essential for a good human body development, whether physical or mental [32,33].
Data from the 2017-2018 Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF, Household Budget Survey) showed
that fresh or minimally processed foods accounted for more than half of the calories consumed by

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the Brazilian population, with prominence of rice and beans, fruits, pasta, vegetables, roots, and
tubers [34].
Regarding beans, it is worth mentioning they are important in the diet of college students,
for being a source of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, besides providing satiety due
to the high content of fiber present in their composition [33]. Because it is a legume with high
consumption by the Brazilian population, beans are considered an important source of protein,
especially due to the lower cost compared to products of animal origin [35,36]. According to the
2017-2018 POF, it was observed that the Brazilian population had a high consumption of beans
(60%) and the analyses indicated that the population that reported consumption of beans had a
fiber consumption 20% higher compared to the population average [34].
It is worth considering that the intake of vegetables and fruits remains a challenge in the
university food setting, since the rate of regular healthy foods consumption found was low, especially
in relation to fruit (28.2%) and salad (29.5%). Data from a narrative literature review that evaluated
the food consumption of college students pointed out that in most of the 37 studies assessed, 8 of
which were conducted in Brazil, low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and cereals was observed,
and two of these studies showed a high consumption of legumes, especially beans [37]. Another
study conducted in Germany with 689 students from 40 German universities reported that the
consumption of specific food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, also needed improvement [11].
The last VIGITEL Survey conducted in Brazil ratified that the frequency of regular consumption
of fruit and vegetables in the adult population was low (34.4%), but still remained above that found
in our study [26]. At the population level, when comparing the results of the 2008-2009 POF survey
with the one performed in 2017-2018, we could notice a small reduction in the consumption of fruits,
vegetables and legumes, which was already far below the recommendations [34].
A possible explanation for the reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables among students
would be the fact that they have less time available and irregularity in the frequency and hours of
meals [21]. The location of the UR in the Urca neighborhood may have been another limiting factor
for part of the students who study basic subjects at other campi of the University, since most of
them are concentrated in the Downtown neighborhood, a distance that makes it difficult for them
to go to the UR.
A recent systematic review of 11 studies found that although the quality of the diet of college
students is more susceptible to family structure and socioeconomic status, the diet tends to become
poorer due to the higher consumption of salt, fat, and added sugar observed on the university
campus [20]. It is also worth mentioning that access to fresh food, due to the need of preservation,
may become less practical for students when compared to pre-cooked and ready-to-eat foods. In
addition, they are usually less available near universities and more expensive when compared to
ultra-processed foods [38].
Regarding the consumption of unhealthy foods, although it was observed that the consumption
of some of these foods was lower (<5 times per week) among students who attended the UR on
a regular basis, no statistical association was found. On the other hand, a significant percentage
of regular consumption of sugary drinks was found among college students as well as a statistical
association between regular consumption of soda and overweight students. A study conducted
with 524 American college students showed that the excessive consumption of sugar increased 1.2
times the chance of being overweight [39].
Data from the 2017-2018 POF indicate that foods considered to be associated with an
unhealthy diet (sugary drinks, sweet cookie, sweets, cold cuts and sausages, pizza, and sandwiches)

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had their consumption by the Brazilian population related to reduced fiber intake means and with
an increased consumption of energy, saturated fat, and trans fat [34]. In a study conducted with
1220 Chinese university students, a positive and significant association was found between the
consumption of ready-made snacks rich in fats and sugars and high BMI [40].
Soft drinks are classified as sugary; despite presenting low individual consumption regularity,
adding up the frequency of consumption of these two variables (soft drinks and sugary drinks)
a regular consumption by more than half of the students is observed. The high consumption of
these beverages may be a determining factor for a reduction in the consumption of other healthier
beverages such as milk and natural fruit juices, causing a lower intake of vitamins and minerals [41].
The frequency of sugary drinks consumption found in the study population may be related
to the fact that college students often choose fast and cheap foods, such as fast food, and these are
usually consumed together with sugary drinks such as soda [39,42]. It is worth noting that in the last
decade the consumption of sugary drinks has increased alarmingly among young adults, due to their
low cost, social marketing, and because they strain an ever smaller rate of the family budget [26].
Therefore, the main strategies advocated by regulatory agencies are the reduction of added sugar
in these products and the taxation of sugary drinks and processed foods of low nutritional value [41].
Studies have shown an association between consumption of sugary drinks and increased
BMI, risk of type 2 diabetes Mellitus, dental caries, decreased bone mass, dyslipidemia, gastritis,
cardiovascular diseases, and insulin resistance [43-45]. Due to the high consumption prevalence
in the college population, it is important to enhance the need for efforts on food and nutrition
education within the university itself seeking to raise awareness of the population about the negative
consequences of the high consumption of these products for health and intervention strategies
that seek to reduce their availability in the university environment, i.e., it is necessary to adopt
encouragement measures, support and protection in the college space.
As for the college students eating routine, we observed a greater recurrence of replacing
dinner with snacks with higher energy density compared to lunch. According to Santos et al. [46],
it is common for young people to replace their main meals with fast and less healthy snacks due to
personal budget limitations to purchase healthy foods. The fact that more than half of the study
population has no professional occupation enhances this trend. Perez et al. [23] found in their
investigation a reduction in the rate of students who replaced dinner for snacks after the UR was
opened in a public university in Brazil. This fact corroborates the idea that the University may be
an environment that promotes healthy eating practices in its population.
We observed that students who attended the UR more regularly were less likely to consume
afternoon snacks replacing dinner. However, when adjusting the model, only the association of lower
frequency of snack consumption remained statistically significant, which may be associated with
other factors, including socioeconomic factors, not addressed in this study.
However, when asked about the consumption of quick snacks, almost 80% responded that
they used this eating practice. The habit of eating snacks is directly associated with the new lifestyle
found when entering university, characterized by less time available and consequently the search
for more practical diets. Due to the low nutritional quality of the foods that are usually accessible
and preferred, the influence of snacks on the eating habits of college students can become harmful,
affecting the diet quality [23,47].
It was found that students from the humanities area attended most the UR, since the
population we studied was composed predominantly of students from this area. This fact is explained

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 GFA ARAUJO et al. | FOOD PRACTICES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

considering that the UR is located next to where classes in this area are mainly taught. When
compared to studies that evaluated the dietary practices only of students in the health area, more
satisfactory results were found for the health maintenance of the individuals assessed [48]. This
can be explained by the fact that students who attend health courses are more informed about the
importance of making healthier food choices and how they should be made.
Although no association between BMI and the use of the UR was found, a considerable rate
of overweight was observed in the population studied. Similar results were found by Peltzer et al.
[49] in a survey conducted with 15,746 students in 22 countries, aiming to identify the prevalence
of overweight in the population. Such results are consistent with those found in the 2019 Pesquisa
Nacional de Saúde (National Health Survey), where a high prevalence of overweight Brazilian adult
population was observed [50]. This evidence is of concern, since overweight is characterized as a
risk factor for the development of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases [26,43].
We should notice that the cross-sectional design was a limitation of the study, which prevented
the identification of the causal relationships between dietary practices and determining factors.
Regarding the study design, it is important that future studies review the socioeconomic conditions of
the population investigated. As for the potential of this study, the sample size and the methodology
used should be validated and used in studies in the area.

CONCLUSION

The UR proved to be a food space inserted in the university with the potential to positively
impact on the dietary practices of college students, since the more assiduous students consumed more
beans and the non-assiduous ones consumed more unhealthy foods, justifying the implementation
of public policies aimed at this public. A low consumption of healthy foods was found, especially
regarding fruits and salads, and a high consumption of sugary drinks, sweets, and cookies. New
studies are needed to further evaluate the impact that this food environment can generate in the
university population.
In the current context of the country, marked by economic and social crisis, college students’
diet can be impacted, since many students have financial difficulties to feed themselves adequately. In
this connection, it is the government’s role to develop public policies that enable access to healthy and
quality food for this population. Thus, the government’s surveillance on the university environment,
both in general and regarding food, is essential to promote the quality of academic education and
ensure students’ health and well-being.

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CONTRIBUTORS

AS PEREIRA, CRB SANTOS, and MLCF RODRIGUES, contributed to the research design, data collection,
analysis of results, and critical revision of the article. GFA ARAUJO and SA RIBAS contributed to the organization,
data analysis and interpretation, writing, and critical revision of the article. All authors approved the final
version of the manuscript.

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