Association Between Field of Study, General Nutrition Knowledge, and Healthy Eating Practice Among IIUM Students

Abstract

Background: Adequate nutrition knowledge and healthy eating practices are essential for promoting overall health, particularly among university students who often encounter lifestyle changes and academic pressure that may compromise their dietary habits. The field of study has an impact on students' nutritional knowledge and eating practices, as the nutrition-related courses are often linked to increased awareness regarding healthy eating. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the field of study, general nutrition knowledge, and healthy eating practices among students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 379 undergraduate students from IIUM, recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire consisting of the Malay version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ) and the Starting the Conversation: Diet (STC) tool. Statistical analyses, including One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis H tests, were performed using SPSS Version 29.0. Results: Most participants (64.9%, n = 246) demonstrated good nutrition knowledge, particularly students from dietetics, while only 0.5% (n = 2) exhibited poor knowledge. The average eating practice score indicated a moderately unhealthy dietary pattern, with a mean score of 6.75 out of 14. Interestingly, students from non-health courses reported healthier eating behaviours compared to those from health-related fields. Significant associations were observed between the field of study and general nutrition knowledge (p < 0.001) and between the field of study and healthy eating practices (p = 0.016). Conclusion: The findings suggest that the nutritional knowledge among IIUM students is generally good. Students in the dietetics field reported the healthiest eating practices compared to students in other fields of study. These results highlight the need for interventions that not only provide nutrition education but also promote overall behaviour change strategies.