Egbochuku, Obiageli Ogochukwu and Atedhor, Chinwe Nneamaka 

Dept. of Health, Safety and Environmental Education, University of Benin, Benin-City.

Abstract  

Food preferences of undergraduates tend to shift towards convenience, affordability and social influences as they transit towards independent living. This study therefore sought to investigate the determinants of food preferences among undergraduates of universities in Edo state and its implication for health education. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study with a sample size of four hundred and ninety five (495) respondents from three universities drawn from federal, state and private clusters. Items were raised to elicit responses on food preferences of undergraduates including the determinant factors influencing their choices as well as their level of knowledge on healthy nutrition. The survey revealed that snacks, starchy and convenience foods such as noodles were preferred over other healthy options such as unripe plantain, vegetables and fruits. The main drivers of food choices among others for the students were media/advertisement (83.4%), cost (77.0%), availability (69.7%), convenience (67.1%) and stress (57.4%) Almost half of the students (49.5%) were quite knowledgeable about what constitutes a healthy diet. However, this knowledge did not reflect in their food preferences as other factors highlighted above were observed as more effective determinants. The findings suggest that there should be targeted health education programmes to promote healthy eating among undergraduates. Such programmes should take into the psychological and socio-cultural environment where these students live and make their choices. It also highlights the need for institutions to initiate food policies that promote availability and affordability of healthy food choices on campus.