Diet habits of employees in higher education

Abstract

Introduction: Inadequate nutrition, excessive use of alcohol and tobacco can significantly increase the risk of chronic mass non-communicable diseases, which are responsible for more than two-thirds of deaths in the adult population globally. The aim of this paper is to analyze the risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases among employees in higher education. Material and methods: The research was conducted in the form of a cross-sectional study during May 2022. The surveyed population consists of 31 employees of the College of Vocational Studies in Subotica. The research instrument consists of a survey questionnaire created for research purposes. The data analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS 20. The methods of descriptive statistical analysis, cross-tabulation analysis were applied, and the parametric ch2 test was used to confirm the correlation. Results: A third of the employees have been diagnosed with a chronic disease, most often hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. More than half (58%) of employees eat breakfast, 87% eat lunch and 52% eat dinner regularly. About 60% of employees consume fruits and vegetables at least 5-6 days a week, significantly more often employees over 45. Almost half (42%) of employees consume sweets at least 5-7 days a week, or more often. A quarter (24%) of employees consume alcoholic beverages on a weekly basis. Conclusion: The results of the study show that among employees in higher education there are inadequate eating habits that can increase the risk of chronic mass non-communicable diseases.