A Cross-Sectional Study of General Nutrition Knowledge among Nurses and nutrition specialists
Main Article Content
Keywords
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Abstract
Adolescence is a critical period for establishing healthy eating habits, yet university students often engage in unhealthy dietary behaviors due to increased independence, social influences, and mental stress. Understanding nutrition is essential for making informed food choices and preventing chronic diseases.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the nutrition knowledge of nursing students and explore the relationships between their beliefs regarding diet, disease, and weight management.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 nursing students from a nursing college . Participants completed a validated revised General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ-R). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, univariate, and multivariate analyses. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale in this study was 0.880, and a cutoff of 50% correctness was used to indicate high knowledge levels.
Results: All participants were female, predominantly single (94%). Most students had a normal BMI (68%), with 32% being overweight. Analysis revealed that 57% rated their overall health as good. The only significant predictor of good nutrition knowledge was having children under 18 in the same family.
Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of enhancing general nutrition knowledge among nursing students, considering individual and academic factors that influence nutrition knowledge in college settings.
References
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28. Chepulis, L. M., & Mearns, G. J. (2015). Evaluation of the nutritional knowledge of undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(9), S103–S106. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
29. Buxton, C., & Davies, A. (2013). Nutritional knowledge levels of nursing students in a tertiary institution: lessons for curriculum planning. Nurse Education in Practice, 13(5), 355–360. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
30. Cooke, R., & Papadaki, A. (2014). Nutrition label use mediates the positive relationship between nutrition knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating with dietary quality among university students in the UK. Appetite, 83, 297–303. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
2. Siri, A., Bragazzi, N. L., Khabbache, H., Spandonari, M. M., & Cáceres, L. A. (2016). Mind the gap between high school and university! A field qualitative survey at the National University of Caaguazú (Paraguay). Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 7, 301–308. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
3. Kabir, A., Miah, S., & Islam, A. (2018). Factors influencing eating behavior and dietary intake among resident students in a public university in Bangladesh: a qualitative study. Public Library of Science One, 13(6). doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
4. Alsaffar, A. A. (2012). Validation of a general nutrition knowledge questionnaire in a Turkish student sample. Public Health Nutrition, 15(11), 2074–2085. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
5. Matthews, J. I., Doerr, L., & Dworatzek, P. D. N. (2016). University students intend to eat better but lack coping self-efficacy and knowledge of dietary recommendations. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(1), 12–19.e1. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
6. Burke, M. P., & Huffman, E. (2023). Estimating the number, distribution, and predictors of food pantries in the US. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(3), 182–190. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
7. Al Sabbah, H., Assaf, E. A., Al-Jawaldeh, A., et al. (2023). Nutrition situation analysis in the UAE: a review study. Nutrients, 15(2), p. 363. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
8. Ali, H. I., Elmi, F., Stojanovska, L., Ibrahim, N., Cheikh Ismail, L., & Al Dhaheri, A. S. (2022). Associations of dyslipidemia with dietary intakes, body weight status and sociodemographic factors among adults in the United Arab Emirates. Nutrients, 14(16), p. 3405. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
9. Ng, S. W., Zaghloul, S., Ali, H., et al. (2011). Nutrition transition in the United Arab Emirates. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65(12), 1328–1337. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
10. Saghafi-Asl, M., Aliasgharzadeh, S., & Asghari-Jafarabadi, M. (2021). Correction: factors influencing weight management behavior among college students: an application of the Health Belief Model. Public Library of Science One, 16(5). doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
11. Barzegari, A. A., Ebrahimi, M., Azizi, M., & Ranjbar, K. (2011). A study of nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and food habits of college students. World Applied Sciences Journal, 15, 1012–1017.
12. Quaidoo, E. Y., Ohemeng, A., & Amankwah-Poku, M. (2018). Sources of nutrition information and level of nutrition knowledge among young adults in the Accra metropolis. Bone Marrow Concentrate Public Health, 18(1), p. 1323. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
13. Cuite, C. L., Dietz, K. E., Bates, R. J., & Brescia, S. A. (2023). Changes in food security status during undergraduate enrollment. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(2), 86–95. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
14. Scalvedi, M. L., Gennaro, L., Saba, A., & Rossi, L. (2021). Relationship between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake: an assessment among a sample of Italian adults. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
15. Lee, J. H., Jung, L. H., & Lee, O. (2022). A study on dietary habits and nutritional knowledge of specialized high school students in Gyeongsangnam-do. Korean Home Economics Education Association, 34(2), 21–40. doi: [CrossRef]
16. Vadeboncoeur, C., Townsend, N., & Foster, C. (2015). A meta-analysis of weight gain in first-year university students: is freshman 15 a myth? Bone Marrow Concentrate Obes, 2(1), p. 22. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
17. Deforche, B., Van Dyck, D., Deliens, T., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2015). Changes in weight, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary intake during the transition to higher education: a prospective study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12(1), p. 16. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
18. Al-Isa, A., & Alfaddagh, A. (2014). Nutritional knowledge among Kuwaiti college students. Health, 06(05), 448–453. doi: [CrossRef]
19. Yahia, N., Wang, D., Rapley, M., & Dey, R. (2016). Assessment of weight status, dietary habits and beliefs, physical activity, and nutritional knowledge among university students. Perspect Public Health, 136(4), 231–244. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
20. El Ansari, W., Suominen, S., & Samara, A. (2015). Eating habits and dietary intake: is adherence to dietary guidelines associated with the importance of healthy eating among undergraduate university students in Finland? Central European Journal of Public Health, 23(4), 306–313. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
21. Alkaed, D., Ibrahim, N., Ismail, F., & Barake, R. (2018). Validity and reliability of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire in an adult student population. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50(7), 718–723. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
22. Kliemann, N., Wardle, J., Johnson, F., & Croker, H. (2016). Reliability and validity of a revised version of the general nutrition knowledge questionnaire. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(10), 1174–1180. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
23. Attlee, A., Abu-Qiyas, S., & Obaid, R. (2014). Assessment of nutrition knowledge of a university community in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 20(3), 327–337.
24. Ul Haq, I., Mariyam, Z., Li, M., et al. (2018). A comparative study of nutritional status, knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) and dietary intake between international and Chinese students in Nanjing, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(9), p. 1910. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
25. Nawsherwan, H. I., Tian, Q., Ahmed, B., et al. (2021). Assessment of nutrition knowledge among university students: a systematic review. Progress in Nutrition, 23.
26. Chen, X., Cui, J., Zhang, Y., & Peng, W. (2020). The association between BMI and health-related physical fitness among Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study. Bone Marrow Concentrate Public Health, 20(1), p. 444. doi: [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef]
27. Hanna, K., Hanley, A., Huddy, A., McDonald, M., & Willer, F. (2017). Physical activity participation and nutrition and physical activity knowledge in university dance students. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 32(1), 1–7. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
28. Chepulis, L. M., & Mearns, G. J. (2015). Evaluation of the nutritional knowledge of undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(9), S103–S106. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
29. Buxton, C., & Davies, A. (2013). Nutritional knowledge levels of nursing students in a tertiary institution: lessons for curriculum planning. Nurse Education in Practice, 13(5), 355–360. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
30. Cooke, R., & Papadaki, A. (2014). Nutrition label use mediates the positive relationship between nutrition knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating with dietary quality among university students in the UK. Appetite, 83, 297–303. doi: [PubMed] [CrossRef]
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Published
Dec 26, 2022
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Hamoud Ayed Aldhafeeri , Ahmad Mekaimi Aldhafeeri, Abdullah Rawaf Alanazi , Fasial Ahmad Alshmmri , Dhari Dghaim Aldhfeeri, Khalaf Munif Abdulaziz Alharbi. (2022). A Cross-Sectional Study of General Nutrition Knowledge among Nurses and nutrition specialists. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 29(04), 683-688. https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v29i04.5474
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All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Hamoud Ayed Aldhafeeri , Ahmad Mekaimi Aldhafeeri, Abdullah Rawaf Alanazi , Fasial Ahmad Alshmmri , Dhari Dghaim Aldhfeeri, Khalaf Munif Abdulaziz Alharbi. (2022). A Cross-Sectional Study of General Nutrition Knowledge among Nurses and nutrition specialists. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 29(04), 683-688. https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v29i04.5474