ABSTRACT
Background: The world has experienced a pandemic in the last 100 years which has caused abrupt changes in mobility and lifestyle habits. Objective(s): To identify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the purchase and consumption of food in university students. Method(s): Prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study of 335 university students. The evaluation instrument consisted of general data, food shortages and price increase, changes in habits and healthy eating, with 11 questions in total. An analysis was made with descriptive statistics and Pearson's Chi-square with statistical significance level of p<0.05. Result(s): The most used modality of purchase before and during the confinement was face-to-face (53.73%), showed a significant relationship between the consumption of food of low biological value (junk) under factors of anxiety, depression, boredom and a relationship between students' eating and interest in healthy eating with Pearson's Chi-square values of 26.09 and 72.81 respectively. Conclusion(s): There were no changes in the modality of acquiring their food, modifications are observed in the consumption of junk food and interest in maintaining a healthier diet during the confinement by COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.