Consumo alimentar entre estudantes universitários: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Entering in higher education requires several lifestyle changes that may lead to unhealthy practices and behaviors. The dietary pattern of university students seems to follow the trend of low intake of natura or minimally processed foods and increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, which is associated with the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. However, there is no systematization of data on the dietary intake of this population. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to perform a narrative review of the food consumption among university students, focusing on caloric and macronutrient consumption, as well as the main foods consumed. This is a narrative review, with data from electronic databases: PubMed, Bireme, Scielo and Academic Google. Data on: type of study, sample number, study location, instrument used, demographic characteristics, food consumption (energy, nutrients and food groups) were extracted and analyzed. All extracted data underwent a standardization process and foods were classified according to the degree of processing according to the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population. The review consisted of nine articles from different countries. There was a consumption of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids within the recommended values and the report of a wide variety of ultra-processed products, especially rich in sugars. The need for interventions on adequate and healthy nutrition in the academic environment is highlighted, in order to promote changes in eating habits and contribute to a better quality of life and academic performance of university students.