title: Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors Related to Eating Out among University Students in China.
abstract: In many countries the frequency of eating out has steadily increased over the last few decades, and this behavioris often associated with unhealthy dietary patterns. This study aimed to describe the levels of knowledge, attitude, and behaviors (KAB) related to eating out among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the college town in Chongqing, China with a total of 1634 participants. The mean eating out related KAB scores were: knowledge 11.5 ± 2.9, attitude 17.0 ± 2.8, and behaviors 24.2 ± 4.8 (possible total scores: 20, 24, 40 respectively). As the level of knowledge increased, the percentage of highly satisfactory attitude and behaviors increased. Only 10% of the participants did not eat out for lunch and dinner during weekends in the last month. Gender, ethnicity, mother's education, monthly boarding expenses, living place during the study, and the frequency of eating out for breakfast were statistically associated with the scores of KAB. In conclusion, Chinese junior students had poor knowledge of and behaviors towards eating out and ate out frequently. Educational interventionsto improve knowledge related eating out are needed in order to promote healthy eating out behaviors among Chinese university students.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health &amp; Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. m18323165365@163.com.|Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. m18323165365@163.com.|The Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. m18323165365@163.com.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health &amp; Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. 15025357020@163.com.|Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. 15025357020@163.com.|The Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. 15025357020@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health &amp; Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. bairuixue999@163.com.|Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. bairuixue999@163.com.|The Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. bairuixue999@163.com.
authors.forename: Ruixue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health &amp; Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. ava11@126.com.|Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. ava11@126.com.|The Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. ava11@126.com.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Behavioral &amp; Environmental Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39213, USA. manoj.sharma@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia. zumin.shi@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Zumin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Lipid &amp; Glucose Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 40016, China. xiaoxq@cqmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoqiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Global Health Program, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan 215347, China. Abu.Abdullah@bmc.org.|Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Abu.Abdullah@bmc.org.
authors.forename: Abu S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health &amp; Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.|Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.|The Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. zhaoyong@cqmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitude; behaviors; eating out; knowledge; university students