A Study of the Food and Nutrient Intakes of College Students According to their Frequencies of Eating Out

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between the food and nutrient intake status and eating-out practices of college students. A dietary survey of 361 subjects living in urban areas was conducted by using a 3-day diet record method. The average ages of the male and female subjects were 22.0 and 20.6 years old, respectively. Monthly personal expenses of the male and female students were 316,517 won and 296,888 won, respectively. 43.1% of the male and 50.8% of the female students used between one-quarter and one-half of their monthly personal expenses for eating out. Sixty-five percent of the total subjects ate out more than five times a week The average daily total food intake was 1630.7g in the males and 1453.9g in the females. The average percentage of total food intake from eating out (by weight) was 60.6% in the males and 56.2% in the females; foods eaten out were mainly potatoes, meats, processed foods, and beverages. It was found that 40-65% of daily total nutrient intake came from food eaten out. When they ate out, the male students ate slightly higher amounts of protein, fat and vitamin B1, while the female students ate relatively higher amounts of animal protein, fat, vitamin A and cholesterol. The more the subjects ate out, the more the quantity of total food intake increased. This increase resulted from high intakes of beverages and processed foods in the males, while the increase was from total plant foods, mushrooms, beverages, and milk and dairy products, in the females. The dietary variety score (DVS) was significantly increased in the female subjects when they ate out more than once a day; otherwise, the DVS was not significantly different between any of the male and female groups. The intakes of energy, and of many nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and cholesterol, were increased when the female subjects ate out more than twice a day. The mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was at its highest level of 0.65 in the males when they ate out less than once a day, and at its highest level of 0.67 in the females when they ate out more than twice a day.