Nutritional awareness, eating behaviour, body mass index, and estimated resting metabolic rate in physical education students: A descriptive, analytical and correlational study
This descriptive, analytical, and correlational study of 160 physical education students found that while high nutritional awareness is strongly associated with specific eating behaviors (such as reduced emotional and external eating but increased restrained eating), body mass index and estimated resting metabolic rate show weaker links, suggesting that nutrition education should be tailored to sex and academic level differences.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of a preprint that has not been peer-reviewed. It is not medical advice. Do not make health decisions based on this content. Read full disclaimer
University life often marks the first time young adults have full control over what they eat, free from the structured meals of home. Yet, this freedom comes with a complex web of practical constraints: tight budgets, academic pressure, the layout of the campus food environment, and the simple convenience of grabbing a quick meal. For students training in physical education, the stakes feel even higher. These individuals spend their days moving their bodies, yet a high level of activity does not automatically guarantee a diet that fuels them correctly. Researchers have long wondered how much a student's knowledge about nutrition actually translates into their daily choices, and whether factors like body weight or the body's natural energy needs at rest play a bigger role than we think. Understanding these connections is vital because it helps educators and health professionals move beyond simply handing out facts, aiming instead to support the specific habits that shape a student's health.
A team of researchers at An-Najah National University in Palestine set out to explore these questions among 160 physical education students. They wanted to see if knowing about good nutrition actually changes how students eat, and whether a student's body mass or their estimated resting metabolic rate—the energy their body burns just to keep functioning while sitting still—tells us anything about their eating habits. The study focused on three specific ways people eat: eating in response to feelings like stress or boredom, eating because food looks or smells good, and eating with a conscious effort to restrict intake to control weight. They also measured the students' body mass index, a standard calculation based on height and weight, and used a mathematical formula to estimate how many calories each student burns at rest.
The results painted a clear picture of a group that knows what they should be doing but still faces the usual challenges of university life. The students demonstrated a high level of nutritional awareness, scoring well on questions about maintaining a healthy weight, eating a varied diet, and timing their meals around training. However, their actual eating behaviors were more moderate. They did not eat excessively in response to emotions or external food cues, but they also did not show perfect control. The most striking finding was the strong link between what students knew and how they acted. Those with higher nutritional awareness were less likely to eat when they felt bored or stressed, and less likely to eat simply because delicious food was nearby. Interestingly, these same aware students were also more likely to report consciously restricting their food intake, a behavior that can be a healthy form of planning for athletes but requires careful monitoring to ensure it does not become excessive.
The study also revealed that a student's body size or their estimated energy needs at rest were poor indicators of their eating habits. While the researchers found some small initial links between body weight and eating patterns, these connections disappeared once they accounted for the students' age, sex, and year of study. This suggests that a student's weight or their resting metabolic rate does not drive their food choices in the way that their awareness and self-control do. The researchers also found that eating habits varied significantly depending on whether the student was a man or a woman, and these differences changed as the students progressed through their university years. For instance, men were more likely to eat in response to seeing or smelling food, while women were more likely to report restricting their intake, but these patterns were not the same for first-year students compared to fourth-year students.
Ultimately, the study suggests that for physical education students, the key to better nutrition lies not in measuring their bodies or their metabolism, but in understanding their minds. The researchers found that knowledge and awareness are powerful tools that shape behavior, but they are not a magic switch that guarantees a perfect diet. The gap between knowing what is healthy and actually doing it remains, influenced by stress, the availability of food, and the specific pressures of university life. The findings point toward a need for nutrition education that is tailored to the specific challenges these students face, helping them translate their high level of awareness into consistent, healthy choices that support their active lifestyles.
Drowning in papers in your field?
Get daily digests of the most novel papers matching your research keywords — with technical summaries, in your language.