[Factors Related to Nutritional Intake in Students Attending Universities, Colleges, and Vocational Schools: Focus on Gender and Household Living Arrangement].

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study of students was to analyze nutritional intake factors and their contribution to preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in youth.

Methods: This study was based on the results of the Eating Behavior and Health Awareness survey conducted among university, college, and vocational school students throughout the main island of Japan (1,256 valid responders).

Results: The results of the logistic regression analysis are given below. Variables with significant positive regression coefficients, in the order from higher to lower odds ratios, were as follows: "household living arrangement", "skipping breakfast", and "cooking techniques" were the variables shown in men; "household living arrangement", "instant food intake", "skipping breakfast", "eating out", "stages of change in healthy eating", were the variables shown in women. In contrast, the variable "body mass index (BMI)" exhibited a significant negative regression coefficient in women. Students with low BMI showed a higher probability of exhibiting high nutritional intake.

Conclusion: The variables "household living arrangement" and "skipping breakfast" may be associated with nutritional imbalance in both genders. Future prospective studies on diet and lifestyle factors are needed to clarify this issue further.