[Factors Affecting Nutrient Intake of Students after High School Graduation: Focusing on Changes in Diet and the Period of Solitary Living].

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aim to establish supportive measures for sustaining a healthy diet in students and young adults after graduating from high school by examining possible factors leading to changes in their daily nutrient consumption. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among university, college, and vocational school students throughout the main island of Japan (total numbers of respondents with valid responses, 1,256) to evaluate their diets using a five-point scale. Two groups were selected based on the status of daily nutrient consumption. One group comprised 258 students who had maintained high nutrition scores (scored ≥ 4 points in all six primary food groups) since their third year in high school (maintained high-score group) and the other group comprised 250 students whose nutrition scores declined after high school (decreased-score group: scored high in the third year of high school but the scores decreased after admission to universities, colleges, and other institutes). By comparing these two groups, we investigated the possible factors affecting the decrease in nutrition scores. RESULTS: As the number of students in "the period of solitary living" and with the behavior of "skipping breakfast" increased, the proportion of students in the decreased-score group was found to increase. The eating behaviors that significantly differed between the students in the third year and those after graduating from high school were "skipping breakfast", "eating out", and "instant food intake" in the decreased-score group in both genders. CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that we must promote measures that address the factors affecting nutrition intake after high school graduation.

[Factors Related to Nutritional Intake in Students Attending Universities, Colleges, and Vocational Schools: Focus on Gender and Household Living Arrangement].

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study of students was to analyze nutritional intake factors and their contribution to preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in youth. METHODS: This study was based on the results of the Eating Behavior and Health Awareness survey conducted among university, college, and vocational school students throughout the main island of Japan (1,256 valid responders). RESULTS: The results of the logistic regression analysis are given below. Variables with significant positive regression coefficients, in the order from higher to lower odds ratios, were as follows: "household living arrangement", "skipping breakfast", and "cooking techniques" were the variables shown in men; "household living arrangement", "instant food intake", "skipping breakfast", "eating out", "stages of change in healthy eating", were the variables shown in women. In contrast, the variable "body mass index (BMI)" exhibited a significant negative regression coefficient in women. Students with low BMI showed a higher probability of exhibiting high nutritional intake. CONCLUSION: The variables "household living arrangement" and "skipping breakfast" may be associated with nutritional imbalance in both genders. Future prospective studies on diet and lifestyle factors are needed to clarify this issue further.