An Investigative Study on University Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards the Food Dome in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Woodman, Alexander

Abstract

Background: Similar to global and regional trends, Saudi students face significant behavioural changes as they leave their home environment, enter university, and develop new habits, which can include unhealthy diets, skipping meals, dining out, and low levels of physical activity (PA). Evidence suggests that nutrition education may improve the overall nutrition knowledge of students, raising awareness of healthy food choices and influencing attitudes towards a healthy diet. The Food Dome dietary guidelines (FDDG) were developed to prevent the most prevalent diet-related health conditions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Aim: This research aimed to explore the relationship between weight, nutritional behaviours, knowledge and attitudes in relation to the FDDG among 18-25-years-old university students in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to address the research aim and objectives. During Phase I, the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS) and Food Dome questionnaire was administered among n = 426 students. During Phase II, focus group discussions were conducted to explore further the knowledge of and attitudes towards the FDDG. The findings from Phases I and II were used to provide short and long-term recommendations for future research, policies, and practice to target knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour to support improving the nutritional and behavioural choices of the target population.
Results: Out of n = 426 participants, n = 200 (47%) were categorised as normal weight; among these, n = 130 (65%) were males and n = 70 (35%) were females. Of n = 426 participants, 113 (26.5%) were overweight and 73 (17.1%) were obese. The findings of the first objective of this study showed that most of the nutritional PA, and sedentary behavioural factors in the questionnaire did not influence obesity amongst the participants. However, in the obese group (n = 73), more of the males that consumed fruits, French fries, cakes, sweets and doughnuts more than three times per week were likely to be obese, which was not the case for female participants. The analysis of milk and dairy product consumption showed that participants who consumed this food group more than three times per week were significantly more likely to be in the normal weight category. In the obese group (n = 73), participants who consumed milk and dairy products were also more likely to be obese than those who consumed this food group less than three times a week or who did not consume it at all. The Food Dome questionnaire findings showed that n = 298 (70%) of students reported that they had never heard about the FDDG, and only n = 47 (11%) participants reported following it. Age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) were not significantly associated with knowledge and behaviour in relation to the FDDG. Qualitative findings showed that the food choices of Saudi students largely depended on time, budget, availability, and taste. The proposed recommendations identified through focus group discussions that may improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour in relation to FDDG included mobile applications (apps), educational programmes, special offers and more availability of healthy restaurants and gyms at the higher educational institutions.
Conclusion: The unique contribution of this PhD study is the depth of insight into Saudi students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in respect of food, food choice, PA and the FDDG, which was previously unknown. Based on the two phases of research, short-term and long-term recommendations were proposed to target knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour to support improving the nutritional and behavioural choices of the target population. These recommendations add a unique contribution to the literature and can be incorporated into a future intervention and evaluated to understand what works and what does not in the Saudi context.

Citation

Woodman, A. (2023). An Investigative Study on University Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards the Food Dome in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 31, 2023
• Award Date: Jun 30, 2023