Examining diet quality among postsecondary students: a cross-sectional analysis of personal, social, structural, and environmental correlates.

Abstract

Poor diet quality can negatively affect postsecondary students' physical health, mental well-being, and academic performance. This cross-sectional study examined personal, social, structural, and environmental correlates of diet quality among 1,118 postsecondary students aged 17-25 years enrolled in a postsecondary institution across Ontario, Canada. Participants completed an online survey and the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 total score. Multiple regression showed that higher diet quality was associated with a more positive attitude towards healthy eating (p < 0.001), greater nutrition knowledge (p < 0.001), more frequent dinner preparation (p < 0.001), and living in the family home (p < 0.05). Lower diet quality was linked to not following a special diet (e.g. vegetarian; p < 0.01) and experiencing frequent food insecurity (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that initiatives to improve student diet quality should promote positive attitudes towards healthy eating, enhance nutrition knowledge, and address food insecurity.