Demographic data of university students.

Physical and social disruptions resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting young adults in higher education. The purpose of this survey research is to unveil COVID-19 related beliefs using the Health Belief Model, and COVID-19 prevention behaviors, including self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption among university students. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 304 male and female undergraduate students from diverse ethnic backgrounds and majors at a New Jersey state university using convenience sampling. Variables measured included frequency of COVID-19 prevention behaviors (e.g.: wearing indoor mask, handwashing), and consumption of fruit and vegetables (dark green and orange vegetables) over the previous week. Health Belief Model constructs were assessed namely perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Statistical distributions were computed for the entire sample and t-tests were investigated for subgroups of age and sex. The sample mean age was 21.7 (SD = 4.7) years with 222 females (73%) and 82 males (27%), and 46% identified as White, non-Hispanics. Participants consumed a mean of 0.95 cups of fruit, 0.81 cups of green vegetables, and 0.46 cups of orange vegetables. Female students practiced more COVID-19 prevention behaviors with a mean difference of 0.26 (p<0.001), perceived greater severity from the virus (Δ = 0.37, p = 0.002) and had stronger perceptions of benefits (Δ = 0.18, p = 0.041), barriers (Δ = 0.21, p = 0.046), and self-efficacy (Δ = 0.20, p = 0.020) than their male counterparts. Older students (aged 23 and above) adopted more COVID-19 prevention behaviors (Δ = -0.35, p = 0.001) and perceived less barriers (Δ = 0.24, p = 0.047) than their younger peers. Nutrition educators and health professionals need to emphasize the importance of adopting preventive health behaviors among university students as strategies to mitigate the severity of COVID-19. Addressing barriers younger male and female students may elevate their motivation and self-efficacy to enact health behaviors.

新冠疫情（COVID-19）所引发的实体与社会层面的冲击，对高等教育阶段的青年群体造成了诸多影响。本项调查研究旨在借助健康信念模型（Health Belief Model），揭示大学生群体中与新冠疫情相关的认知信念，以及新冠疫情防控行为表现，其中包括受访者自我报告的果蔬摄入情况。本研究采用便利抽样法，对美国新泽西州立大学的304名来自不同种族背景、不同专业的本科男女学生开展了横断面调查。本次调研测量的变量包括：新冠疫情防控行为（如室内佩戴口罩、洗手）的执行频率，以及过去一周内的果蔬摄入量（涵盖深色绿叶蔬菜与橙色蔬菜）。同时对健康信念模型的相关构念进行了评估，具体包括对新冠病毒的易感性感知、严重程度感知、收益感知、障碍感知以及自我效能感。研究计算了全部样本的统计学分布特征，并针对年龄与性别亚组开展了t检验分析。本次调研的样本平均年龄为21.7岁（标准差SD=4.7），其中女性222名，占比73%，男性82名，占比27%；46%的受访者为非西班牙裔白人。受访者的平均水果摄入量为0.95杯，深色绿叶蔬菜摄入量为0.81杯，橙色蔬菜摄入量为0.46杯。相较于男性学生，女性学生的新冠疫情防控行为执行频率更高，均差为0.26（p<0.001）；同时她们对病毒的严重程度感知更强（差异值Δ=0.37，p=0.002），对防控行为的收益感知（Δ=0.18，p=0.041）、障碍感知（Δ=0.21，p=0.046）以及自我效能感（Δ=0.20，p=0.020）也更为显著。相较于低年级学生，23岁及以上的高年级学生执行的新冠疫情防控行为更多（差异值Δ=-0.35，p=0.001），且感知到的防控障碍更少（Δ=0.24，p=0.047）。营养教育工作者与健康专业人士需强调，在大学生群体中推行健康防护行为，是缓解新冠疫情严重程度的有效策略。针对性解决青年男女学生所面临的防控障碍，能够提升他们践行健康防护行为的动机与自我效能感。