Health and well-being are important aspects today, and a healthy lifestyle is crucial for feeling well. University students often face academic demands and social pressures that can make it difficult to maintain healthy habits. Research shows that physical activity and good dietary habits have positive effects on both physical and mental health. The purpose of this study is to analyze the activity level and fruit and vegetable consumption among university students and to explore any possible relationships between these habits. The study was conducted as a quantitative cross-sectional study with a survey distributed to 72 university students via email and social media. The survey included questions about physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption, where participants' responses were measured on a scale from one to five. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to investigate the relationship between the variables. The study's findings indicate that the majority of university students were moderately physically active, with the largest group of participants (32%) engaging in physical activity 3–4 times per week. Furthermore, the largest group of students (36%) reported consuming fruits and vegetables 1–2 times per day. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient suggested a moderately positive relationship between university students' level of physical activity and their fruit and vegetable consumption. This moderate positive correlation coefficient supports the relationship by showing that changes in physical activity levels are associated with changes in fruit and vegetable consumption, although it's not a perfect linear relationship. The study concludes that university students who engage in physical activity 1–2 times per week, 3–4 times per week, and 5–6 times per week generally exhibit higher consumption of fruits and vegetables compared to participants who reported being physically inactive ("never") or very active ("every day"). This observation suggests that a balanced level of physical activity may be associated with healthier dietary habits among university students. An important conclusion drawn from these results is that extremes in activity levels, such as "never" and "every day," are not always most beneficial for health. Instead, the study indicates that maintaining a moderate and regular level of physical activity could promote a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle for university students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mdh-67762 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Bulduk, Devran, Algaho, Ali |
| Publisher | Mälardalens universitet, Akademin för hälsa, vård och välfärd |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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