Eating habits of university students in the Brazilian Amazon

Objective: To describe and analyze the eating habits of a sample of students of both sexes and different age groups of the Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, Amazonia, Brazil. Introduction: Eating habits are developed during infancy and adolescence, and with entrance into the university factors such as social environment and convenience begin to strongly condition eating behavior. In general, studies of other regions of Brazil show a quite inadequate consumption of micro- and macronutrients among university students, which can be detrimental to their health in the future. However, there are no studies of eating habits of Amazonian college students. Methods: The study design was transversal and qualitative. Twenty two randomly selected graduate students from UFPA, between 18 and 27 years old answered a semi-structured questionnaire designed to investigate eating habits and frequency. The sample was closed by the technique of saturation and the answers were analyzed using the technique of content analysis. Results: The majority of college students interviewed have meals in adequate numbers and time periods daily, corresponding to 54.5% and 59.0% of the sample respectively. However, most eat large amounts of foods rich in calories; 81.8% ingest foods from the fats, oils and sugars group. Students also show low intake of essential nutrients supplied by the vegetables and fruits groups. Only 50.0% and 31.1% of students incorporate these foods, respectively, into their daily diet. It was noticeable among the majority of students (59.1%) a lack of concern regarding the nutritional value of the food they eat daily. Conclusion: Better knowledge of the eating behaviors of college students is necessary to improve the public-policy planning for the prevention of chronic diseases. In addition, the integrated work of nutritionists and bioanthropologists in the area of collective/public health may be fundamental to the comprehension and promotion of change in eating patterns among young students.