Evaluation of Nutrient Intake, Eating Behavior and Health-Related Lifestyles of Korean College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrient intake, eating behaviors and health-related lifestyles of Korean non-nutrition major college students after they took a nutrition course. The subjects were 40 male and 147 female students at a university in Inchon. The results are summarized as follows: Average height of male and female students was 176.2 and 162.0 cm, respectively. Average weight was 66.2 and 52.3 kg, respectively. Average intake of calories, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, niacin, and Ca was lower than Korean RDA. Fe intake of female students was lower than Korean RDA. Most students have had dietary problems such as overeating, eating unbalanced meals, and skipping meals. More than 60% of the students skipped breakfast. The main reason for skipping meals was lack of time. Most students didnt exercise regularly. About 40% of the students took vitamin or mineral supplements. As for smoking and alcohol use, 11.3% of the students drank alcohol and smoked, and 74.2% of them only drank alcohol. More than 30% of the students drank alcohol once a week. Most students ate out twice a week, and chose their based on taste rather than nutritional value. The main reason for eating out was simply to enjoy a meal. More than 60% of the students ate at places in or around campus. After taking the nutrition course, intake of milk and other dairy products, vegetables, fruits and protein-rich foods increased in female students. For both male and female students, intake of fat, sugar, processed foods, soft drinks, fried foods and spices decreased. Therefore, nutrition education had effect on non-nutrition major students, suggesting that proper nutrition education encouraged healthy eating habits on the part of college students.