NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

College is an important stage for developing eating habits that may continue into adult life. Students often make their own food choices while dealing with academic pressure, irregular schedules, limited cooking skills and financial concerns. This narrative review examines nutrition knowledge among college and university students, factors related to their knowledge, the link between knowledge and eating habits, and the effect of nutrition education. Research from different countries shows that many students have only moderate or inadequate nutrition knowledge, especially about fat, salt and sugar. Female students and students studying health-related subjects often have better scores. Students living with family also tend to have better knowledge than those living independently. Better nutrition knowledge is generally linked with healthier food choices, but knowledge alone does not always lead to healthy eating. Cost, taste, convenience, stress, peer influence and the campus food environment can strongly affect food choices. Classroom education and mobile health tools can improve nutrition knowledge, but these approaches work better when healthy and affordable food is also available. More long-term studies and common assessment tools are needed.