Dietary Practices and Classroom Performance among University Students: A Study of Healthcare Behaviors

Abstract

The dietary habits of students are being considered an academic issue as these habits of students have the potential to affect energy, attention, attendance, and learning outcome levels. This paper explored the interaction between dietary habits and academic performance in the classroom of Pakistani university students. The quantitative and cross-sectional survey was done among 300 students of selected institutions of higher education in the public sector in Pakistan. The instrument was inclusive of poor dietary habits, food-related knowledge, perceived health outcomes, classroom attendance, school attendance, fatigue, and post-breakfast sleepiness, homework, and school grades. Descriptive results indicated that there was a common preference in fast food, fried snacks, sweet foods, and flavour-based food preferences despite that a considerable proportion of the students were aware of the negative health impacts of junk food. Classroom indicators were mostly favorable, specifically attendance, homework, engagement, and alertness but skipped meals, exhaustion, and sleepiness were also significant classroom issues. The relationship between the health-practice score and the grades was weak and statistically significant. The results suggest that universities must consider the incorporation of nutrition education, healthier campus food choices, breakfast-friendly practices, and student wellness services into academic support policies.