Impact of nutrition education on university students' fat consumption.
OBJECTIVE
University science students who have taken a nutrition course possess greater knowledge of fats than do those who have not; whether students apply this knowledge to their diet is unknown. We measured and compared science students' total and saturated fat intake in the first and fourth years, and evaluated whether taking a nutrition course influenced fat consumption.


METHODS
A sample of 269 first- and fourth-year science students at a small undergraduate university completed a survey with both demographic questions and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire about fats in the diet. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and independent-sample t-tests.


RESULTS
Fourth-year science students consumed fewer grams of total and saturated fat than did first-year science students (p<0.001). Science students who had taken a nutrition course consumed fewer grams of total and saturated fat than did those who had not (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Taking a nutrition course may decrease first-year students' fat consumption, which may improve diet quality and decrease the risk of chronic disease related to fat consumption.
Emrich
Teri E
TE
Department of Human Nutrition, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada.
Mazier
M J Patricia
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009674:Nova Scotia; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
D004041:Dietary Fats