Research Article
Year 2025,
Volume: 23 Issue: 1, 54 - 68, 25.04.2025
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding nutrition and dietary habits among nursing students.
Method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted between August 2023 and November 2023. The study included 180 nursing students from various academic levels. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The findings revealed that the overall knowledge level of the participants on nutrition was moderate, with a mean score of 3.152±0.297 on a five-point Likert scale. Attitudes towards nutrition varied, with distinct dietary patterns identified among participants. Principal component analysis revealed four dietary patterns, each associated with different food consumption habits. While some dietary patterns were associated with healthier attitudes, others showed mixed correlations. Dietary practices among nursing students indicated varying levels of adherence to healthy behaviours. For example, approximately half of the participants reported regular exercise, while less than half consumed breakfast daily. Additionally, only 46.1% of participants reported daily vegetable consumption, while 28.3% reported daily fruit consumption.
Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of targeted interventions to improve nutrition knowledge and promote healthier dietary behaviours among nursing students.
Keywords
References
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- World Health Organisation. Key facts on non-communicable diseases. 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable diseases. Accessed January 6, 2024.
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- Zaghamir DEF, Ibrahim AM. Efficiency of an intervention study on nursing students’ knowledge and practices regarding nutrition and dietary habits. The Libyan Journal of Medicine. 2023; 18(1): 2281121.
- Chepulis LM, Mearns GJ. Evaluation of the Nutritional Knowledge of Undergraduate Nursing Students. The Journal of Nursing Education. 2015: 54(9), S103–S106.
- Hwang Y, Oh J. Factors Affecting Health-Promoting Behaviors among Nursing Students. International Journal of Environ-mental Research and Public health. 2020; 17(17): 6291.
- Mengi Çelik Ö, & Semerci R. Evaluation of nutrition literacy and nutrition knowledge level in nursing students: a study from Turkey. BMC Nursing. 2022; 21(1): 359.
- Buxton C, Davies A. Nutritional knowledge levels of nursing students in a tertiary institution: lessons for curriculum plan-ning. Nurse education in practice. 2013;13(5): 355–360.
- Allen LN, Wigley S, Holmer H. Implementation of non-communicable disease policies from 2015 to 2020: a geopolitical analysis of 194 countries. The Lancet. Global health. 2021; 9(11): e1528–e1538.
- Cammock R, Tonumaipe’a D, Conn C, Sa’uLilo L, Tautolo ES, Nayar S. From individual behaviour strategies to sustainable food systems: Countering the obesity and non-communicable diseases epidemic in New Zealand. Health policy. 2021; 125(2): 229–238.
- Zeldman J, Andrade JM. Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A System-atic Narrative Review. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences. 2020; 9(2): 43-53.
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- Chao AM, Luong V, Dowd M, Compher C. A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions of Nutrition in Nursing Education. The Journal of Nursing Education. 2020; 59(10): 566–569.
- Tok CY, Ahmad SR, Koh DSQ. Dietary habits and lifestyle practices among university students in Universiti Brunei Darus-salam. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2018; 25(3):56–66.
- Yamamoto R, Tomi R, Shinzawa M, Yoshimura R, Ozaki S, Nakanishi K, Ide S, Nagatomo I, Nishida M, Yamauchi-Takihara K, Kudo T, Moriyama T. Associations of Skipping Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with Weight Gain and Overweight/Obesity in University Students: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Nutrients. 2021; 13(1): 271.
- Rivera Medina C, Briones Urbano M, de Jesús Espinosa A, Toledo López Á. Eating Habits Associated with Nutrition-Related Knowledge among University Students Enrolled in Academic Programs Related to Nutrition and Culinary Arts in Puerto Rico. Nutrients. 2020; 12(5): 1408.
- Mlambo M, Silén C, McGrath C. Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing. 2021; 20: 62.
- Mancin S, Soekeland F, Morenghi E, Andreoli D, Mazzoleni B. Enhancing the teaching of nutrition for nursing students: En-gagement in class through a digital learning environment. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 2024; 19(1): e229-e234.
- Williams SL, Vandelanotte C, Irwin C, Bellissimo N, Heidke P, Saluja S, Saito A, Khalesi S. Association between dietary patterns and sociodemographics: A cross-sectional study of Australian nursing students. Nursing & Health sciences. 2020; 22(1): 38–48.
- Kim SO, Kim SM. Nutrition Knowledge, Food Habit Problems and Dietary Attitudes of Nursing Students. Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education. 2015; 21(4): 466–476.
- Liao L-L, Lai I-J, Chang L-C. Nutrition literacy is associated with healthy eating behaviour among college students in Tai-wan. Health Education Journal. 2019; 78(7):756–69.
- Uysal N, Ceylan E, Koç A. Health literacy level and influencing factors in university students. Health & Social care in the Community. 2020; 28(2): 505–511.
- World Health Organisation. Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2018 Geneva World Health Organization. Availa-ble at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514620. Accessed January 6, 2024.
- Brandhorst S, Longo VD. Dietary Restrictions and Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation Research. 2019; 124(6): 952–965.
- Alzaben AS, Alnashwan NI, Alatr AA, Alneghamshi NA, Alhashem AM. Effectiveness of a nutrition education and interven-tion programme on nutrition knowledge and dietary practice among Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University’s pop-ulation. Public Health Nutrition. 2021; 24(7): 1854–1860.
- Riley E, Haggard-Duff L, Long CR. Using an online learning module to teach nursing students about food insecurity as a social determinant of health. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 2020; 15(4): 241–244.
- Egg S, Wakolbinger M, Reisser A, Schätzer M, Wild B, Rust P. Relationship between nutrition knowledge, education and other determinants of food intake and lifestyle habits among adolescents from urban and rural secondary schools in Tyrol, Western Austria. Public Health Nutrition. 2020; 23(17): 3136–3147.
- Van den Berg VL, Okeyo AP, Dannhauser A, Nel M. Body weight, eating practices and nutritional knowledge amongst uni-versity nursing students, Eastern Cape, South Africa. African Journal Primary Health Care and Family Medicine. 2012; 4(1): 323-331.
- Zhu DQ, Norman IJ, While AE. The relationship between doctors’ and nurses’ own weight status and their weight man-agement practices: a systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2011; 12(6): 459-469.
- Sogari G, Velez-Argumedo C, Gómez MI, Mora C. College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behaviour. Nutrients. 2018; 10(12): 1823.
Year 2025,
Volume: 23 Issue: 1, 54 - 68, 25.04.2025
Abstract
References
- World Health Organisation. Nutrition. 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/nutrition. Accessed De-cember 5, 2023.
- World Health Organisation. Key facts on non-communicable diseases. 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable diseases. Accessed January 6, 2024.
- Varì R, d’Amore A, Silenzi A, Chiarotti F, Del Papa S, Giovannini C, Scazzocchio B, Masella R. Improving Nutrition Knowledge and Skills by the Innovative Education Program MaestraNatura in Middle School Students of Italy. Nutrients. 2022; 14(10): 2037.
- Zaghamir DEF, Ibrahim AM. Efficiency of an intervention study on nursing students’ knowledge and practices regarding nutrition and dietary habits. The Libyan Journal of Medicine. 2023; 18(1): 2281121.
- Chepulis LM, Mearns GJ. Evaluation of the Nutritional Knowledge of Undergraduate Nursing Students. The Journal of Nursing Education. 2015: 54(9), S103–S106.
- Hwang Y, Oh J. Factors Affecting Health-Promoting Behaviors among Nursing Students. International Journal of Environ-mental Research and Public health. 2020; 17(17): 6291.
- Mengi Çelik Ö, & Semerci R. Evaluation of nutrition literacy and nutrition knowledge level in nursing students: a study from Turkey. BMC Nursing. 2022; 21(1): 359.
- Buxton C, Davies A. Nutritional knowledge levels of nursing students in a tertiary institution: lessons for curriculum plan-ning. Nurse education in practice. 2013;13(5): 355–360.
- Allen LN, Wigley S, Holmer H. Implementation of non-communicable disease policies from 2015 to 2020: a geopolitical analysis of 194 countries. The Lancet. Global health. 2021; 9(11): e1528–e1538.
- Cammock R, Tonumaipe’a D, Conn C, Sa’uLilo L, Tautolo ES, Nayar S. From individual behaviour strategies to sustainable food systems: Countering the obesity and non-communicable diseases epidemic in New Zealand. Health policy. 2021; 125(2): 229–238.
- Zeldman J, Andrade JM. Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A System-atic Narrative Review. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences. 2020; 9(2): 43-53.
- Volkert D, Beck AM, Cederholm T, Cruz-Jentoft A, Goisser S, Hooper L, Kiesswetter E, Maggio M, Raynaud-Simon A, Sieber CC, Sobotka L, van Asselt D, Wirth R, Bischoff SC. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition and hydration in geriatrics. Clinical Nutrition. 2019; 38(1): 10–47.
- Chao AM, Luong V, Dowd M, Compher C. A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions of Nutrition in Nursing Education. The Journal of Nursing Education. 2020; 59(10): 566–569.
- Tok CY, Ahmad SR, Koh DSQ. Dietary habits and lifestyle practices among university students in Universiti Brunei Darus-salam. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2018; 25(3):56–66.
- Yamamoto R, Tomi R, Shinzawa M, Yoshimura R, Ozaki S, Nakanishi K, Ide S, Nagatomo I, Nishida M, Yamauchi-Takihara K, Kudo T, Moriyama T. Associations of Skipping Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with Weight Gain and Overweight/Obesity in University Students: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Nutrients. 2021; 13(1): 271.
- Rivera Medina C, Briones Urbano M, de Jesús Espinosa A, Toledo López Á. Eating Habits Associated with Nutrition-Related Knowledge among University Students Enrolled in Academic Programs Related to Nutrition and Culinary Arts in Puerto Rico. Nutrients. 2020; 12(5): 1408.
- Mlambo M, Silén C, McGrath C. Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing. 2021; 20: 62.
- Mancin S, Soekeland F, Morenghi E, Andreoli D, Mazzoleni B. Enhancing the teaching of nutrition for nursing students: En-gagement in class through a digital learning environment. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 2024; 19(1): e229-e234.
- Williams SL, Vandelanotte C, Irwin C, Bellissimo N, Heidke P, Saluja S, Saito A, Khalesi S. Association between dietary patterns and sociodemographics: A cross-sectional study of Australian nursing students. Nursing & Health sciences. 2020; 22(1): 38–48.
- Kim SO, Kim SM. Nutrition Knowledge, Food Habit Problems and Dietary Attitudes of Nursing Students. Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education. 2015; 21(4): 466–476.
- Liao L-L, Lai I-J, Chang L-C. Nutrition literacy is associated with healthy eating behaviour among college students in Tai-wan. Health Education Journal. 2019; 78(7):756–69.
- Uysal N, Ceylan E, Koç A. Health literacy level and influencing factors in university students. Health & Social care in the Community. 2020; 28(2): 505–511.
- World Health Organisation. Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2018 Geneva World Health Organization. Availa-ble at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514620. Accessed January 6, 2024.
- Brandhorst S, Longo VD. Dietary Restrictions and Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation Research. 2019; 124(6): 952–965.
- Alzaben AS, Alnashwan NI, Alatr AA, Alneghamshi NA, Alhashem AM. Effectiveness of a nutrition education and interven-tion programme on nutrition knowledge and dietary practice among Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University’s pop-ulation. Public Health Nutrition. 2021; 24(7): 1854–1860.
- Riley E, Haggard-Duff L, Long CR. Using an online learning module to teach nursing students about food insecurity as a social determinant of health. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 2020; 15(4): 241–244.
- Egg S, Wakolbinger M, Reisser A, Schätzer M, Wild B, Rust P. Relationship between nutrition knowledge, education and other determinants of food intake and lifestyle habits among adolescents from urban and rural secondary schools in Tyrol, Western Austria. Public Health Nutrition. 2020; 23(17): 3136–3147.
- Van den Berg VL, Okeyo AP, Dannhauser A, Nel M. Body weight, eating practices and nutritional knowledge amongst uni-versity nursing students, Eastern Cape, South Africa. African Journal Primary Health Care and Family Medicine. 2012; 4(1): 323-331.
- Zhu DQ, Norman IJ, While AE. The relationship between doctors’ and nurses’ own weight status and their weight man-agement practices: a systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2011; 12(6): 459-469.
- Sogari G, Velez-Argumedo C, Gómez MI, Mora C. College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behaviour. Nutrients. 2018; 10(12): 1823.
There are 30 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Health Services and Systems (Other) |
| Journal Section | Original Research |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | April 20, 2025 |
| Publication Date | April 25, 2025 |
| Submission Date | August 25, 2024 |
| Acceptance Date | March 30, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 23 Issue: 1 |
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