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Research: Nutritional habits/Weight gain

Many students often have poor dietary habits, characterised by inadequate nutrient intake and a high consumption of unhealthy foods. These poor dietary and sedentary patterns contribute to distress. Healthier dietary patterns are associated with greater resilience. Some research suggests first-year female students experienced significant weight gain, increased waist circumference, and body fat. All students exceeded the recommended intake for saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.

Gallo, L.A., Gallo, T.F., Young, S.L., Moritz, K.M., Akison, L.K., The Impact of Isolation Measures Due to COVID-19 on Energy Intake and Physical Activity Levels in Australian University Students, Nutrients, 2020. (link)

Whatnall, M.C., Patterson, A.J., Siew, Y.Y., Kay-Lambkin, F., Hutchesson, M.J., Are Psychological Distress and Resilience Associated with Dietary Intake Among Australian University Students? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019. (link)

Wilson, O. W. A., Walters, S. R., Naylor, M. E., & Clarke, J. C, Changes in Physical Activity and Motives following the Transition from High School to University. International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education, 2021. (link)

More Articles in Healthy Campus Projects

Research: Can Exercise Improve Stress, Recovery and Academic Performance for University Students?

University students often face high stress and long periods of sedentary study, yet little is known about how daily physical activity influences their stress and academic functioning. This research explored how leisure-time exercise and short activity breaks relate to stress, recovery and perceived study performance among 57 university students over a ten-day home-study period. The […]

Research: Understanding Food Insecurity and Diet Quality In Australian University Students

Food insecurity is an increasing issue in Australian higher education, yet its broader impact on student wellbeing is still not well understood. This research investigated how food insecurity, diet quality, physical activity and social connectedness relate to depressive symptoms in 145 University of Canberra students, using validated measures to capture post-pandemic health and wellbeing patterns. […]

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