Publication: Fruits and vegetables consumption and its association with sociodemographic factors, body mass index, and waist circumference among undergraduate students in the School Of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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Date
2025
Authors
Idris, Izzatul Azzahrah
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Abstract
Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables plays a critical role in preventing non-communicable diseases and promoting long-term health. However, consumption of fruits and vegetables among university students in Malaysia often falls below recommended levels. This study aimed to assess fruit and vegetable consumption and examine its association with sociodemographic factors, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference among undergraduates from the School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 220 students using convenience sampling. Participants completed anthropometric measurements and a self-administered questionnaire via Google Form, which included items on sociodemographic characteristics such as height, weight, and waist circumference, as well as daily fruit and vegetable intake. The majority of respondents were female (85.9%) and Malay (87.7%). Most participants reported consuming only one serving of fruit (60.9%) and one serving of vegetables (58.2%) per day. The analysis revealed no statistically significant associations between fruit consumption and age (p = 0.532), gender (p = 0.396), ethnicity (p = 0.299), and monthly allowance (p = 0.898). For vegetable consumption, no significant relationships were found with age (p = 0.509), gender (p = 0.714), or monthly allowance (p = 0.350). However, a significant association was identified between ethnicity and vegetable intake (p = 0.015). Additionally, no significant associations were observed between fruit or vegetable consumption and BMI (p = 0.075 and p = 0.769, respectively), nor with waist circumference (p = 0.478 and p = 0.475, respectively). Thefindings of this study indicate that the intake of fruits and vegetables among university students remains below the recommended levels by the Malaysia Dietary Guidelines 2020. It is suggested that future studies should incorporate more detailed assessments of fruit and vegetable intake, including the types and forms of fruits and vegetables consumed (raw, cooked, frozen, or processed), as well as a variety of food preparation methods
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