CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Eating is the crucial things of daily life. The proportion of eating per day is

different between gender, age, activity level and other factors. Man tend to eat more

than a woman therefore the calories need per day between man and woman are

different. According to the “Health Line” article, calories need by an average woman

is about 2000 but for an average man the calories need are more 500 than a woman

which is around 2500. The calories needs can be change depend on the variable

factors. Numerous research has been done, one of it from American Collage Health

Association. The research conducted around 2004, and it state that only 7.3% of

students eat healthily (Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D. Z. 2009)

University students are widely known with their unhealthy eating behaviour. A

research showed that university students having a poor practice of healthy lifestyle

Redhwan Ahmed Al-Naggar, Bobryshev, Y. V., & Nor Aini Mohd Noor (2013). Most

of the university students often neglect their eating schedule or they just skipping their

meal and most frequent meal skip by student was breakfast. One of the researcher

Sakata highlighted, that it has been associated with lower nutritional status and the

risk of cardiovascular diseases if someone skipping their breakfast meal. Skipping

breakfast habits may contribute and further development of obesity Redhwan Ahmed

Al-Naggar, Bobryshev, Y. V., & Nor Aini Mohd Noor. (2013)

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 There are lot factors influencing a bad behaviour of eating habit. The factors

affecting students eating habit can be divided into a several group which is from

individual factors, university characteristics, physical and social environment. Every

groups of those factors listed, they had their sub-factor for example the individual

factors group are because of individual food preferences taste, body image and self-

concept, individual state of mind and others (Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij,

I. D., & Deforche, B. 2014)

In the journal from Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., & Deforche, B.

(2014) also mentioned that university is a critical period for weight gain. This is

because based Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D. Z. in their published paper on

2009, eating habits can contribute among university students based on environmental

factors (Kurubaran Ganasegeran et al., 2012). Majorly, this is where someone’s eating

habits began to develop either it will be a good eating habits or not. When student

come into a new environment of their life and fail to adapt adequately with it, this

could give a negative consequences towards their health. A study showed that stress

of university life and its load would be factors that negatively influence their healthy

diet (Kurubaran Ganasegeran et al., 2012). Also due to the high pressure that has put

on them make them have poor eating habits (Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D.

Z. 2009). An eating behaviour during the academic year can be differ from those

during exam periods, it can be in positive and negative way (Deliens, T., Clarys, P.,

Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., & Deforche, B. 2014)

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 Furthermore Tom Deliens, Peter Clarys, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, and Benedicte

Deforche in 2014 trust that the bad eating habits may remain throughout adulthood.

Unfortunately, bad eating habits is common among young adult and Kurubaran

Ganasegeran had mention that in 2012 due to poor eating habits the risk of getting

chronic disease such as obesity, serious constipation, or even heart disease higher than

a person that having healthy eating habits (Kurubaran Ganasegeran et al., 2012). Thus

a prevention programs countering unhealthy eating habits in university students are

need. One of the best prevention programs can be done to them is give a self-

management skills lessons that can help students to make healthy decisions and to

maintain a healthful lifestyle (Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., &

Deforche, B. 2014). There are many other more things can be done to overcome this

eating habits issues.

In Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam, the students are divided into two (2)

groups which are the resident student who live at collage and non-resident student that

live outside the university area. This two groups of university students have a very

different pattern of eating habit. This is because the resident collage are not allowed to

cook thus the selection of their meals are restricted however for non-resident students

have variety selection of their food. Despite of variety selection of their meals, it not

been any prove that said all the university students that study at UiTM Shah Alam are

having a healthy and balance eating lifestyle.

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1.2 Background of study

College or university is a critical period regarding unhealthy changes in

eating behaviours in students (Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., &

Deforche, B. 2014). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore which factors

influence UiTM Shah Alam students’ eating behaviour, by handing out questionnaire.

Furthermore, our aimed to collect ideas and recommendations in order to know the

development of effective ways in order to improve healthy eating behaviours in

university students. The unaware of taking a nutritional requirement in their everyday

meal and do not maintain their body weight, it will lead to health problem and can

cause poor weight management. (Kurubaran Ganasegeran et al. 2012).

As urbanization widens especially in Major Township in Kuala Lumpur and

Petaling Jaya, Malaysian are putting in longer working hours and rushing to meet

date-line. This may have resulted in increasingly time-poor for them and family. The

effect of urban lifestyle experience as in modern lifestyle patterns such as more

families eating out and younger generations rely heavily on fast food are common

nowadays as shared by Saw.A.E.H , Asra Zaliza Asbollah, Muhamad Naim Kamari ,

Rohaizah Latif (2017). As these concerns continue, the retailer and restaurant will

become an important hub for health management.

Apparently, the improvement of eating habit and contribution to health

maintenance has contributed to the evolution of the rapid changes in consumers’ food

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consumption these days. Domestically, the trend of eating away from home goes

beyond just satisfying hunger and has become a popular form of entertainment. Based

on a study by Saw., A, .E., H., , Asra Zaliza Asbollah, Muhamad Naim Kamari ,

Rohaizah Latif (2017) despite this, the consumer often face the conflict of making a

choice when there is various alternative presented. In a more define meaning, when

people go out to eat, and they expect to derive pleasure and satisfaction from it,

especially whenever the food is presented in a charming place. In relevant, the

number of new restaurants has increased proportionately to the demand of people who

are eating out more often. Consumers’ are increasingly put a premium on saving time

and eating healthy in a better environment.

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1.3 Problem Statement

To have a good health, people need to eat a healthy meals and a good eating

habits. Especially a student, where a good eating habits will help their brain

functioning effectively besides having healthy lifestyle such as enough sleep,

exercising and other. A bad eating habits will lead to many negative effect such as

gastric, constipation, losing focus and energy, diarrheal and many more. Based on the

observation, most young people in UiTM Shah Alam would prefer less nutritious food

rather than high nutritious food. Students more prefer to eat fast foods or instant

noodles instead of healthy food that contained high fibers, vitamin, carbohydrates and

proteins. Most of students would at least have this kind of meal once a week even

they are aware with the preservatives and additives contain in those foods.

A healthy regular meals to be taken are three (3) meals a day which is breakfast,

lunch and dinner. Instead university student tend to skip one of those meals or some

other case they just having a meal a day. There are several of excuse and factors for

students not following this healthy regular meals. It can be cost, food preference,

availability, time and many other.

An unfortunately case had happen back to end of year 2017, where one of the

student resident in Melati Collage UiTM Shah Alam has died. The report said the

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deceased having a gastric history and she might has bad eating habits. During the

incident day, the student had found died inside her room by her roommate and

deceased had been pick up by ambulance to the Hospital Shah Alam for post-mortem

(Melati Collage staff, 2018). Despite of that, students still ignorant about the

important of good eating habits. Even there are various fatal issues rising, students

still take this issue lightly and they rarely care about their meals either it healthy or

not.

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1.4 Objective of Study

The reason for this study to be conducted is to analyse and investigate the pattern

of Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam students eating habits. There are a few

objectives for this study such as:

 To study the way of eating habits between student staying in collage or

outside the UiTM Shah Alam area.

 To survey the difference of eating habit between resident and non-resident

student UiTM Shah Alam.

 To find out the reason of food selection based from their preference.

1.5 Methodology

In order to obtain the data, this study will be conducted around Universiti

Teknologi Mara Shah Alam. The targeted about 90 students from a few faculty. They

need to answer and submit the questionnaire. This will be distributed among the

student that live in the collage called as resident students and also to the non-resident

students. The questionnaire will be consist of three section and estimated the total

questions will be ask to the student around 10 questions. Student can give their own

opinion. Based from this questionnaire an analysis will be made. This study will be

conducted from March 2019 until May 2019.

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1.6 Previous study

The first study are based on journal from Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D.

Z. (2009) and numerous study and research has been done towards university students

thus it has been found that students practicing poor eating habit. Students that live in

the college and students that live off the college has different percentage of energy

and energy were found in protein that could indicate that this two particular group has

chooses different food for their meal. He also wrote that poor eating habits are an

important public health issue that has large health and economic implications. He

studies about phenomenon of food selection, the health belief model were applied to

predict the like hood of healthy eating among university students. His method is by

applied the health Belief Model and added the self-efficacy in his study. Students are

recruited in his study and this research was part of a larger study containing an

experiment that manipulated participants’ hypothetical health conditions and asked

them to make food product choices (Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D. Z.

2009).

The second study are based from Francesco, B, Francesco, S, Tiziana, Grassi,

Adele, I, Antonella D. D, (2013) and study that has been done at University Salento

towards 193 students, they found that the one that living away from home has risky

eating habits such as consuming frozen meals (Francesco, B, Francesco, S, Tiziana,

Grassi, Adele, I, Antonella D. D, 2013).

From the study of Redhwan Ahmed Al-Naggar, Bobryshev, Y. V., & Nor Aini

Mohd Noor. (2013) Universities should emphasize a healthy lifestyle in all faculty

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subject. This is because from a study, it showed a poor practice of healthy lifestyle

among university students. There are various significantly influenced practice, thus it

should be considered when planning preventive measures among university students

(Redhwan Ahmed Al-Naggar, Bobryshev, Y. V., & Nor Aini Mohd Noor. 2013).

The fourth previous study from Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., &

Deforche, B. (2014) state that the study about determinants of eating behaviour in

university students. It also knowing the universities characteristics such as residency,

environment, price, etc that influenced the relationship between university students

and their eating behaviour. Based on this study, it aiming to improve healthy eating

behaviours among university students ( Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D.,

& Deforche, B. 2014).

Lastly , selection of healthy meal is essential to be part of healthy living as it

provide a person with guidelines about the nature of food that can be categorized as

healthy while proposing the food pyramid guide based on the varieties of food offered

to meet the special needs of the body.

1.7 Significant of the study

The finding of the study will benefit both the restaurant owners and the student

itself. The restaurant owner can find about the preferences of the student eating at

their restaurant and vice versa. Firstly, the restaurant owners can detect the percentage

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of the student eating at their restaurant and can change their productivity or menus so

that their can strategies their restaurant economically. This finding also provides

information for students about the most economical places to eat. It also gives student

idea to choose between healthy restaurants. Therefore both of restaurant owner and

the student will act accordingly once they have identified both of each other’s and can

benefit them.

1.8 Scope and limitations

There are several scope and limitation for this study. The analysis will be varied

on the different personality, lifestyle and factors that affect the eating habits on a

students. The data analysis will be fluctuated due to these factors.

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 The results only generalized by UiTM Shah Alam students. Lecturers and staffs

are not involve in this study. The another campuses in Shah Alam also not included in

this study for example University of Selangor and Management and Science

University. Lastly, this study are limited only to certain faculty in Uitm Shah Alam,

the sample size is small and not included all students in UiTM. The outcome findings

are not applicable and generalized to all UiTM students.

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1.9 References

Kris Gunnars (2018). How many calories should you eat per day to lose weight?

Redhawan Ahmed Al-Naggar, Yuri V Bobryshev, and Nor Aini Binti Mohd Noor

(2013). Lifestyle practice among Malaysian university students.

Tom Deliens, Peter Clarys, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, and Benedicte Deforche (2014).

Determinants of eating behaviour in university student: A qualitative study

using focus group discussions.

Kurubaran Ganasegeran, Sami AR Al-Dubai, Ahmad M Qureshi, Al-Adeb AA Al-

Adeb, Rizal AM, and Syed M Aljunid (2012). Social and psychological

factors affecting eating habits among university students in Malaysian

medical school: a cross-sectional study.

Sameer Deshpande, Michael D. Basil & Debra Z. Basil (2009). Factors Influencing

Healthy Eating Habits among College Students: An Application of the

Health Belief Model

Francesco Bagordo, Francesca Serio, Tiziana Grassi, Adele Idolo, and Antonella De

Donno (2013). Dietary habits and health among university students living at

or away from home in Southern Italy

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Adrian Saw Eng Hai, Asra Zaliza Asbollah, Muhammad Naim Kamari, and Rohaizah

Abd Latif (2017). A Study on Eating Habits in a Small Town of Kuala

Lumpur.

1. Deliens, T., Clarys, P., Bourdeaudhuij, I. D., & Deforche, B. (2014). Determinants

of eating behaviour in university students: A qualitative study using focus group

discussions. BMC Public Health, 14(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-53

2. Redhwan Ahmed Al-Naggar, Bobryshev, Y. V., & Nor Aini Mohd Noor. (2013).

Lifestyle Practice among Malaysian University Students. Asian Pacific Journal of

Cancer Prevention, 14(3), 1895-1903. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.3.1895

3. Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., & Basil, D. Z. (2009). Factors Influencing Healthy

Eating Habits Among College Students: An Application of the Health Belief Model.

Health Marketing Quarterly, 26(2), 145-164. doi:10.1080/07359680802619834

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