Eating behaviour among undergraduate students: Comparing nutrition students with other courses

-
Poínhos, R., Alves, D., Vieira, E., Pinhão, S., Oliveira, B. M., & Correia, F. (2015). Eating
behaviour among undergraduate students: Comparing nutrition students with other courses. Appetite, 8428-33. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.09.011

Even though there have been limited studies in regards the relationship between dietetic students and eating behaviours; some studies have revealed that nutrition students have a higher prevalence of Eating Disorder risks. This study compares nutrition and non-nutrition students against eating dimensions such as: external eating, binge eating, and negative emotional eating.

Convenience samples of 154 nutrition/food science students and 263 students in other undergraduate courses were selected for this study. Both male and female Portuguese students between the ages of 18 and 27 signed a written consent to have their data analyzed separately over the course of six months. Self-reported anthropometric measurements with calculations, Eating Behavior questionnaires and Body Mass Index (BMI) were administered during class to all participants. Data collected included; self-reported anthropometric measurements with calculated BMI, the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) consisted of an emotional 13 item scale and an external 10 item scale, Binge Eating Scale (BES) included 16 items, and a General Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (GESES) with five. Each eating behavior dimension was compared against both the nutrition students and the non-nutrition students.

Results revealed that female nutrition students had the lowest BMI between the two samples, and both male and female reported increased control of both rigid and flexible eating behaviors. Females displayed the highest restraint when it came to food intake and binging behaviors. This study showed that a relevant relationship between the eating behavior dimensions exists among nutrition students. Dietary restraint in both sexes of nutrition students confirms data from a previous study, reporting over 40% of female dietitians display dietary restraint. Ridged control seems to be described by dichotomous attitudes concerning food, leading to exacerbated weight gain and dietary issues. “Some authors suggest that the selection of a nutrition course is influenced by one’s own personal experiences regarding food and weight control or by prior tendency to disordered eating behaviors.” Although some limitations such as self-reported anthropometric measures and use of convenience samples, the results or conclusions of this study were not compromised.

MA




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Milk Mythbusters

-
Image
Just like with any nutrition topic, the facts about milk can become convoluted pretty quickly. Whether you drink milk for the protein, the nutrients, the flavor, or just like to switch it up, there are pros and cons to every kind. Here are some quick nutritional facts about each type to help you decide which is best for you. Animal-Based Milks  Whole Milk: The original diary drink. It gets a bad rap, but what whole milk has going for it, is that it’s in its proper nutritional form. Whole milk contains all of its original fat-soluble vitamins, A, E, D, & K, along with the fat to help you absorb them all. It also has the proper concentrations and ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or your omega-3s and omega-6s, so that they are metabolized as they should be. The downside is that whole milk is calorically dense, meaning that a little goes a long way. You don’t need much to get what you need, so just don’t overdo it!  2% Milk: The fat content of 2% milk is about half of that in who
Read more