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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM67260
Volume:
10 |
9 |
Sep 2026
Pages:
1-15
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
SCHOOL OF SCIENCES
KK MODI UNIVERSITY, DURG
SCHOOL OF SCIENCES
KK MODI UNIVERSITY, DURG
College life brings independent decision-making, which frequently alters personal food choices. This cross-sectional survey examined nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and eating practices, along with everyday barriers faced by students. A structured digital questionnaire was filled out by 35 college students (N = 35). The survey evaluated nutritional knowledge across six questions, attitudes using five Likert-scale items, routine practices across six frequency questions, and primary self-reported barriers. Data were analysed using percentages, means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation coefficients, and independent two-sample $t$-tests. The participants demonstrated high factual knowledge (5.29 ± 1.15 out of 6, or 88.1%) and positive attitudes (20.71 ± 3.41 out of 25, or 82.9%). In contrast, actual dietary practices scored lower (19.94 ± 3.37 out of 30, or 66.5%), with 57.1% consuming fast food often or always and 68.6% drinking sugary beverages regularly. Nutritional knowledge correlated positively with dietary attitude (r = 0.463, p = 0. 0051). However, knowledge had no significant positive link with practice (r = -0.223, p = 0.1979), and attitude did not significantly correlate with practice (r = 0.175, p = 0.3140). Female students had higher knowledge scores than male students (t = 2.825, p = 0.0080). The primary barriers identified were cravings and taste preferences (60.0%), lack of time (51.4%), easy availability of fast food (42.9%), and academic stress (31.4%). These results demonstrate a clear knowledge–practice gap, showing that factual knowledge alone is insufficient to sustain healthy eating in an environment dominated by convenient fast food and academic time pressures.
KEYWORDS
This research aimed to assess the nutritional knowledge, attitudes and eating habits of college students. The results demonstrate an evident knowledge–practice gap. The nutritional knowledge score was high (88.1%) and the attitudes were positive (82.9%); however, eating habits were poor with frequent consumption of fast food (57.1%) and sugary drinks (68.6%) and skipping meals. The nutritional knowledge was correlated with the attitude while neither nutritional knowledge nor attitude was significantly correlated with the practice. Taste craving, lack of time, academic stress, and easy availability of fast food were the major influences on daily eating habits. There are practical and environmental barriers as well as classroom education that must be tackled to improve the nutrition of college students.
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Publication Date
9/13/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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