Fast food consumption habits among young people in south western Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: The study assessed the profile and factors associated with fast food consumption among young people in tertiary educational institutions in Ibadan, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 300 eligible undergraduates in four campuses in Ibadan, Nigeria. Socio-demographic characteristics and information on fast food consumption and other relevant data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistically significant p-value was set at <0.05. SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age was 21.6 ± 3.7 years and females constituted 66% of the participants. Nine out of ten participants had never married, majority were fulltime students and holiday jobs were noted in less than a third. About three out of five participants consumed fast food, which was usually flour-based. The commonest pattern of fast food consumption was lunch, with the commonest frequencies of once a day and thrice a week. The strongest reasons for consumption include being considered nutritious, being readily available, claiming it provides value for money, and being accessible. Conclusion: Fast food consumption was high in this study and this potentially has serious implications on the cardiovascular health of the participants. There is need for concerted efforts by the relevant stakeholders in stemming this tide by encouraging health education for healthy eating among young persons.