Impact of food intolerance on quality of life among university students

Abstract

Background: Food intolerance is prevalent in the modern world. Based on the methods of data collection and definitions it influences up to 15-20 percent of the population. Objective: To find out impact of food intolerance on quality of life among universitystudents. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 students, selected from The University of Lahore through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected about their socio-demographics using self-reported questionnaire and quality of life using QOL-BREF questionnaire. Analysis of association between different variables was done using chi square test. Results: 81 (32%) subjects were male while 169 (68%) subjects were female. 225 (90%) students were undergraduate and 25 (10%) were postgraduate. 209 (83.6%) students were food intolerant while 41 (16.4%) students were having no food intolerance issue. The mean score of subjects in physical, psychological, social and environmental domain of QOL-BREF was 59.80±14.984, 57.92±16.791, 32.47±14.047 and 59.94±15.465 respectively.No significant association was found between intolerance to food and quality of life of subjects. Conclusion: Food intolerance had no impact on quality of life of the subjects. There was no impact of food intolerance on quality of life among university students. Social domain had the minimum score and environmental domain had maximum score among all domains of QOL-BREF