Nutrition knowledge, attitudes, dietary practices and campus food environment as predictors of nutritional status among Nigerian university students

Abstract

University life is associated with major lifestyle and dietary changes that can negatively affect students’ eating behaviours, particularly within campus food environments. Understanding the interplay between nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward healthy eating and environmental influences is important for developing effective nutrition promotion strategies. This study examined nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward healthy eating, dietary practices, perceptions of the campus food environment and nutritional status among university students in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 188 undergraduate students in a Nigerian university using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward healthy eating, dietary practices and perceptions of the campus food environment. Anthropometric and body composition measurements were also obtained. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Participants demonstrated high nutrition knowledge (mean score: 90.8%) and favourable attitudes toward healthy eating (82.1%). Dietary practices were predominantly moderate (59.1%), while the campus food environment was perceived as moderately supportive of healthy eating. Mean body mass index was within the normal range; however, variations in body composition indicators, including body fat and visceral fat levels, were observed among participants. Attitude toward healthy eating emerged as the only significant predictor of dietary practice (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), explaining 20.6% of the variance in dietary practice scores. No significant associations were observed between nutrition knowledge, dietary practices, cafeteria food environment and nutritional status indicators. Despite high nutrition knowledge and generally positive attitudes, dietary practices among university students remained suboptimal. The findings suggest that improving dietary behaviour among university students may require integrated interventions that combine attitude-focused nutrition education with supportive campus food environments.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Nutrition, 2026 · DOI ↗