Attitude towards the healthy eating: Is it effective in diagnosis of COVID-19?
Keywords:
Body mass index., COVID-19., Eating habits., Healthy nutrition.Abstract
Objective
Healthy nutritional habits play a critical role in preventing many diseases, including infectious diseases. This study was planned and conducted to determine the protective measures, changes in eating habits, attitudes towards healthy nutrition of participants diagnosed with COVID-19 in during the pandemic.
Methods
873 university students included in the cross-sectional study. A web-based questionnaire was conducted to gather information about demographics, COVID-19 protective measures, eating habits and Attitude Scale for Healthy Nutrition to assess attitudes and thoughts about healthy eating among university students.
Results
The majority (63.9%) of the participants were not diagnosed with COVID-19. Although both groups paid similar attention to COVID-19 measures, diagnosed participants reported increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, eggs and nuts more than those undiagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undiagnosed participants had significantly higher scores for emotion related to nutrition, malnutrition and general health compared to diagnosed participants (p<0.05). An inverse and significant association was observed between the Attitude Scale Healthy Nutrition score and the COVID-19 diagnosis status. After full adjustments, participants in the high group of Attitude Scale Healthy Nutrition score group had lower odds of being diagnosed COVID-19 (Odds ratio: 0.80, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-1.19), than those in the low group.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the eating habits of individuals. Whether or not to be diagnosed was observed as an effective factor in these changes. This study suggests that healthy eating habits and attitude towards healthy nutrition may be associated with the status of diagnosed COVID-19.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hacı Ömer Yılmaz, Çağdaş Salih Meriç, Mustafa Özgür
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