Investigating the Correlation between Food Prices and University Students Awareness of the Effects of Fast Food Consumption on their Health

Background: The price of a given food product is an indicative measure of its nutritious value. For this reason, people belonging to low-income groups are specifically vulnerable to malnutrition. This study aims to identify nutritional patterns among students at the Princess Nora University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, quantify students’ level of awareness of health risks associated with fast food consumption, examine how price affects their choice of food, and provide general guidelines for improving students nutrition. Methods: Quantitative data, gathered from distributing a standard questionnaire, was complemented with qualitative observational data using an observation checklist. The sample was 100 female students who eat at the University canteen. The study was conducted between October-December 2015. Data analysis was done using Excel to calculate frequencies of the respective variables. Results: Fast food prices are notably lower than healthier food choices in the University restaurants. Price is indeed a determining factor for food choice among students, which is to be expected given that the majority of them belong to middle or low income social groups. Students seem to be adequately aware of possible health issues originating from fast food consumption, but many choose to ignore them for financial reasons or lack of motivation. Conclusion: A sustained public health effort should be undertaken involving the leadership of the University and the students to ease the financial burden for the less wealthy, and make nutritious food choices available and identifiable.