Healthy dietary practices among black South African university students

The aim of the study was to investigate five healthy dietary behaviours among black South African University students. The sample consisted of 370 (46.7%) males and 423 (53.3%) females in the age range of 18 to 25 years (M age 21.0 years, SD=3.48). Results indicate that the incidence of these healthy dietary habits was low. Significant differences with healthy dietary habits were identified for gender, dieting status, dietary health beliefs, internal health locus of control, and risk awareness, but not for age, weight, residential background, socioeconomic status, and health value. Logistic regression with health beliefs, dieting status, gender and knowledge were only significant predictors for a few healthy dietary habits. In conclusion, results give insights into dietary health behavior practices and the factors that influence them, which have practical implications for dietary health promotion. Die doel van die navorsing was om vyf gesonde dieet gedragstyle van swart Suid-Afrikaanse studente na te vors. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 370 (46.7%) manstudente en 423 (53%) vroulike studente in die ouderdomsgroep 18 tot 25 jaar (gemiddelde ouderdom 21.0 jaar en standaardafwyking 3.48 jaar). Die resultate dui daarop dat die insidensie van die gesonde dieetgewoontes baie laag was. Beduidende verskille is ten opsigte van die volgende faktore bevind: geslag, dieetstatus, gesonde gelowe oor dieet, interne lokus van kontrole en risiko bewustheid maar nie vir ouderdom, gewig, residensiële omgewing, sosio-ekonomiese status en gesondheid nie. Logistieke regressie ten opsigte van gesondheidsgelowe, dieet status, geslag en kennis was slegs ten opsigte van enkele dieetgewoontes beduidende voorspellers. Ter samevatting kan gesê word dat die resultate insig gebring het ten opsigte van gesonde dieetpraktyke en die faktore wat daarin 'n rol speel en die praktiese implikasies vir die bevordering van gesonde dieet. Health SA Gesondheid Vol.6(4) 2003: 59-6