Fast Food Consumption Patterns and Perceived Reasons among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Background: Little is known about fast food consumption, particularly among university students. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the trends in fast food consumption among undergraduate students enrolled in one of the universities in the East Coast of Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 385 undergraduate students from healthcare-related courses (nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, sciences and allied health sciences). A self-developed questionnaire (content validity index = 86.0%; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.678) was administered online via Google Forms. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27, and descriptive statistics were reported in frequency, percentage, and median (interquartile range). Results: About one-third of participants were first-year students (28.8%) with a median age of 22.0 (IQR 3.0), female (70.6%), Malay (98.2%), moderately active (53.0%), had a normal body mass index of 21.36 (IQR 5.3), and spent RM 400 (IQR 200.0) monthly on food. The factors associated with fast food consumption were taste (92.7%), convenience (61.8%), and personal preferences (59.7%). Most of them consumed fast food once a month (42.9%), during dinner (44.7%), and opted for medium-sized meals (67.3%) together with plain water (29.4%) or carbonated soft drinks (22.1%). Their choice of fast food menu included fried chicken (35.6%), burgers (5.5%), pizza (1.8%), French fries (2.3%), and hot dogs (3.1%) for daily consumption. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate moderate consumption of fast food among most undergraduate students, with taste, convenience, and personal preferences being prominent contributing factors. Future interventions should aim at reducing daily fast food consumption among university students to promote a healthier food intake.