Dietary quality, nutritional status and academic performance in university students in the interior of Pernambuco

Abstract

The dense daily life of the undergraduate favors inadequate nutrition that can trigger a nutritional imbalance favoring weight gain and affecting brain maintenance, cognitive function and consequently influence academic performance. As well as high body weight excess can affect this performance. This study aims to evaluate the association between dietary quality, nutritional status and academic performance of students from a university in the interior of Pernambuco. A cross-sectional study was performed, evaluating body mass index, waist circumference and, through bioimpedance, the percentage of lean and fat mass. Food consumption and academic performance were also analyzed, through the semester average. The sample consisted of 108 participants with a median age of 20 years, most of them female, class C socioeconomic level and Nutrition course. There was a predominance of eutrophy, with normal waist circumference and a higher prevalence of adequacy of fat mass percentage. Only 9.3% of the students had a balanced diet. Body mass index was significantly associated with food intake and was negatively correlated with academic performance.