E3 Journal of Medical Research

E3 Journal of Medical Research Vol. 3 (1) pp. 001-005, January 2014; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2276-9900

Nutritional patterns in Iranian university students: comparison between dormitory and non-dormitory states

Abstract

There has been a great deal of interest on the nutritional status and feeding habits of adolescents. This study aimed to assess nutritional conditions of college students in university of medical sciences in Hamadan, Iran. Initial contact with potential subjects was by questionnaires which were distributed dormitory and non-dormitory students with aged 18-25 years. The three-day food record based on food frequency questionnaire comprising 5 food groups of milk, bread, meat, fruits, and vegetables was used to estimate food intake of individual subjects. Comparing food containing score between dormitory and non-dormitory students showed that except for mean score of vegetable consumption that was significantly lower in dormitory residents, the mean scores related to other food components were similar between the two groups. Despite similarity in consumption of the most of food components in both groups, scores of all food components were lower than standardized recommendations in both groups. Also, the dormitory group had lower serum hemoglobin and hematicrit levels than off campus students. Our findings emphasized richer content of nutrients including vegetables as well as higher level of serum hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in off campus states compared with dormitory conditions. There is a need for strategies and coordinated efforts to elevate the tendency of consuming fruits and vegetables among students.

Keywords: Nutritional Status; Students; Hamadan