Overview of Eating Behavior among First-Semester Nutrition Students at Universitas Internasional Batam

Abstract

Background: Eating behavior among university students is an important determinant of health and nutrition outcomes. Although nutrition students possess theoretical knowledge about healthy eating, their actual dietary habits may not always reflect this understanding. This study aimed to describe the eating behavior of first-semester nutrition students at Universitas Internasional Batam.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 14 first-semester students from the Nutrition Program, Faculty of Health and Science, Universitas Internasional Batam. Data were obtained from a self-administered online questionnaire consisting of 23 items assessing various eating behaviors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, dessert habits, and fat and sugar intake control. Affirmative (“Yes”) responses were treated as indicators of healthy behavior. A composite score was calculated as the percentage of “Yes” responses per participant, which was categorized as Non-risk (≥75%), Moderate (50–74.9%), or At-risk (<50%).

Results: The mean percentage of healthy responses was 49.4% (SD 13.5%), ranging from 26.1% to 73.9%. None of the respondents were classified as Non-risk, while 28.6% were Moderate and 71.4% were At-risk. The most frequently reported healthy behaviors were “trying to eat more fruits and vegetables” (92.9%) and “often trying to follow a healthy eating pattern” (85.7%). Conversely, very few respondents reported eating three portions of fruit daily (14.3%) or choosing low-fat snacks (21.4%).

Conclusion: Most first-semester nutrition students demonstrated limited consistent healthy eating behaviors, with the majority categorized as At-risk. These findings highlight a potential gap between nutrition knowledge and dietary practice, emphasizing the need for practical, behavior-focused interventions in nutrition education.

Keywords: Batam, Dietary Habits, Eating Behaviour, Nutrition Students, University