Dietary Behaviours of University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Comparative Analysis of Nursing and Engineering Students

Abstract

The university stage is a crucial stage that influences the decision-making process of students. At this stage, they acquire dietary habits that are guided by their likes, beauty ideals, biological influences, and economic factors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities closed and turned to online teaching, changing their life habits under the duress of confinement. The aim of the present work was to identify the dietary behaviours of nursing and engineering degree students at the University of Huelva during the period of confinement, in addition to identifying the factors influencing these habits. The methodological strategy employed was mixed in nature. In this sense, a cross-sectional descriptive study was first performed, followed by a phenomenological qualitative study that was descriptive in nature. Examination of outcomes revealed the presence of four lines of argument founded on the influence of context, life habits, emotional changes experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the factors facilitating or limiting adaption to this period. Taking into account that confinement, restrictive measures, the absence of family, closeness and affection, and training influenced changes to feeding habits and approaches to consumption, universities could carry out interventions oriented in this line to favour healthy eating habits.