Social and psychosocial factors affecting eating habits among students studying at the Syrian Private University: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study

Syrian eating habits are trending towards westernized patterns that are high in carbohydrates, fats, and meat. This accompanied by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has affected young adults’ dietary habits. As a consequence, obesity and overweight young adults are significantly increasing in prevalence. This study aims to assess the pattern of eating habits and their relation with psychosocial factors among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Syrian Private University students using a self-administrated questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: socio-demographic characteristics, eating habits, and psychosocial factors. Each item from the eating habits questionnaire was scored “1” if the response was healthy or “0” if the response was unhealthy. All items were summed and the total score was obtained for each student. Students’ scores were summed and divided by the total number of students to deduce the total mean of eating habits. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate factors associated significantly with eating habit score and psychological factors. Of 728 students included in the study 398 (54.7%) were females. Overweight and obese participants represented 154 (21.4%) and 49 (6.8%) respectively. Around 316 (43.4%) were smokers and 135 (18.5%) drank alcohol. Only 259 (36.0%) students reported they adopted healthy eating habits. Of them, 233 (32%) and 306 (42%) ate meals and breakfast regularly respectively. Participants’ had a moderate eating habits score; the mean total was 5.96 (SD ± 1.95). Multivariate analysis revealed that non-smokers (p < 0.001), exercising (p = 0.002), living with family (p < 0.001), and eating because of feeling happy (p = 0.014) were factors significantly associated with eating habits score and psychological factors. While R(2) adjusted were 0.109 and 0.117 in the first and second model, the total model accounted for 13.2% of variance. Half of the students demonstrated unhealthy eating habits. The identified socio-demographic and psychological factors were significantly affecting students’ eating habits. These findings can be used to provide targeted lifestyle modification advice via health promotion programs towards these specific groups.