Examining food intake and eating out of home patterns among university students

Eating out of home (OH) is increasingly popular in Balkan countries, among them Albania. To date there is only anecdotal evidence regarding nutritional quality of food consumed OH and the contribution to diet. This study assessed intake of foods and drinks consumed OH and at home (AH), as well as their nutritional contribution to the daily diet of university students in Tirana, Albania. Using a single day Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) 24-hour dietary recall, we examined food intake among 289 students aged 18–24 years old, from three major universities in Albania. Contribution of eating OH to total energy intake per day, as well as to daily consumption of macronutrients by eating OH intensity tertiles were assessed. Foods and drinks consumed OH contributed 46.9% [95%CI:41.4–52.8] of total daily energy intake, representing, on average, 1169.1kcal [95%CI:1088.3–1249.9]. Sweets, soft drinks and meat products were more frequently consumed OH, while fruits and vegetables consumption was extremely low. The average quantity of sugars and dietary fats per day was higher AH, 76.9g [95%CI:70.3–83.5] and 173.7g [95%CI:163.2–184.2] respectively, compared to OH, 33.7g [95%CI:30.4–37.0] and 142.0g [95%CI:131.5–152.5] respectively. Dietary composition of AH intake was richer in sugars, total fats and proteins, while OH intake was richer in saturated fats. The overall diet appeared unhealthy, when nutrients were assessed as energy percentage against WHO proposed nutrient standards for sugar and saturated fats. Eating OH, even though was associated with lower fruits and vegetables intake, was not clearly associated with poor diet quality, as AH foods were also characterized by increased saturated fats and sugars intake as energy percentage. This study provides data on the first assessment of current dietary patterns of the studied population and can be used as baseline for designing and conducting future studies and interventions targeting malnutrition in all its forms.

外出就餐（Out of Home, OH）在巴尔干国家愈发流行，阿尔巴尼亚便是其中之一。迄今为止，针对外出就餐所摄入食物的营养质量及其对整体膳食的贡献，仅存在传闻性证据。本研究针对阿尔巴尼亚地拉那的大学生，评估了其外出就餐与在家就餐（At Home, AH）时的食物及饮品摄入情况，以及二者对日常膳食的营养贡献。本研究采用单日自动化多步法（Automated Multiple Pass Method, AMPM）24小时膳食回顾法，对阿尔巴尼亚三所主要高校的289名18至24岁大学生的食物摄入情况进行了调研。研究评估了外出就餐对每日总能量摄入的贡献，以及按外出就餐强度三分位分组后的宏量营养素每日摄入量变化。外出就餐摄入的食物与饮品占每日总能量摄入的46.9%[95%置信区间：41.4–52.8]，平均每日能量摄入达1169.1千卡[95%置信区间：1088.3–1249.9]。甜食、软饮与肉制品的外出就餐频率更高，而水果与蔬菜的外出就餐摄入量则极低。每日糖类与膳食脂肪的平均摄入量在家就餐时更高，分别为76.9克[95%置信区间：70.3–83.5]与173.7克[95%置信区间：163.2–184.2]；而外出就餐时分别为33.7克[95%置信区间：30.4–37.0]与142.0克[95%置信区间：131.5–152.5]。在家就餐的膳食构成中，糖类、总脂肪与蛋白质的占比更高，而外出就餐的膳食则以饱和脂肪占比更高。若以世界卫生组织（World Health Organization, WHO）提出的糖类与饱和脂肪营养标准，按能量占比评估营养素摄入情况，则整体膳食看起来并不健康。尽管外出就餐与较低的水果、蔬菜摄入量相关，但并未明确与膳食质量不佳存在关联——这是因为在家就餐的食物，其饱和脂肪与糖类的能量占比同样偏高。本研究为本次调研人群当前膳食模式的首次评估提供了数据支撑，可作为未来针对各类营养不良问题设计与开展相关研究及干预措施的基线参考。