Beginning university is an exciting, yet stressful time for many young adults (Von Ah et al. 2004). Many of our first year registrants at the University of Limerick are aged eighteen or nineteen years and they face the challenges of adapting to changes in academic workloads, support networks, a new environment to name but a few. Concurrent with these changes, our students have new responsibilities; more freedom and control over their lifestyle than previously. This transitional period could present an opportune time to establish healthy lifestyle behaviours (Hiza and Gerrior 2002), as health behaviours formed during young adulthood may have a sustaining impact on health across later life (Dinger and Waigandt 1997). Diet is a key determinant of health, being the most modifiable risk factor for health and disease (WHO 1990; WHO 2006), and plays a key role in maintaining a healthy weight as well as encouraging positive lifestyles generally. A systematic review of determinants of eating behaviour in university students by Deliens et al. (2014) identified key factors influencing food choices (Figure 1). This research identified individual, societal and environmental influences; ultimately, the university institution is uniquely placed to affect current eating behaviours and future health of its community.
What do we eat now?
The findings of the Irish Adult and Children Nutrition surveys over the last ten years show that our eating habits are not consistent with optimal health. Excess consumption of saturated and trans fats, sugars and salt and low consumption of fruit and vegetables are concerning trends in the Irish diet (IUNA 2001; IUNA 2017). A recent survey (Ipsos 2016) demonstrated that the Irish dietary guidelines do not seem to be translated into daily food choices or dietary pattern population changes. In the 2016 Healthy Ireland summary report (Ipsos 2016) , just 26% of the Irish population reported that they eat the recommended ≥5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily and 65% report that they consume snack foods or sugar-sweetened drinks daily. In the Student Activity and Sport Study Ireland (SASSI) survey of 8122 students from 31 third level institutes across Ireland, 48.5% of students (41% UL) surveyed reported never or rarely (1-3 times) consuming fresh food weekly. In contrast, approximately 1 in 5 students reported regularly consuming convenience food weekly.
What can we do?
Healthy Ireland (http://www.healthyireland.ie/) is a government led initiative aiming to create an Irish society where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health, and where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society. They have identified both achieving a healthy weight and a healthy diet as key performance indicators and targets in their framework. Part of the Healthy Ireland vision is to work in partnership with Higher Education Institutes in developing a Health Promoting campus model of health promotion. The University of Limerick could influence the health and wellbeing of not only the staff, students and visitors on campus, but also their families and the wider community in which the university resides. UL has the ability to influence decision makers, act as agents of change and to encourage dialogue on optimal nutrition for health. As a research-focussed institution, we can also aim to increase our contribution to the knowledge on nutrition, health and health promotion.
How can the university support dietary behaviour change?
The university should aim to develop and enhance the food and nutrition policies and programmes in the institution to ensure that the UL has a comprehensive response to the Government’s Healthy Ireland framework, with respect to healthy eating. UL should contribute to the promotion of the health and wellbeing of the university community (staff, students and visitors) supported by the development of sustainable research programme in nutrition and health. The programme could aim to produce and disseminate quality evidence to guide healthy eating policy and health promotion in university environments; to increase understanding of the determinants and modifiers of food related behaviours in in university environments and to promote collaboration with non-academic stakeholders (HSE, DoH, DAFM, safeFood etc.).
UL has taught programmes that would support this work through project work and dissertations facilitated by faculty (cross faculty, inter-disciplinary in nature) from among the following programmes:
- Master of Science in Human Nutrition & Dietetics
- Master of Science in Sports Performance
- Master in Marketing, Consumption and Society
- Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Sciences
- Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Health
It is a time of change at the University of Limerick, and it would be wonderful to see improvements to the food offerings, behaviour modification supports and food culture on campus. Research supports that encouraging healthier lifestyles among our students today will have lifelong benefits. UL has high hopes for our graduates; the attributes we aim to instil admirable.
Would HEALTHY not be a worthy addition to our Graduate Attribute list (https://www.ul.ie/ctl/sites/default/files/graduateattributes_050918_hires.pdf)? Surely, we have a duty to impart knowledge and demonstrate practices in support of healthy lifestyles to both our students and staff.
Hopefully, the early steps that have been taken in this domain will be supported and promoted to support better food, better health and better living at the University of Limerick. Watch this space…
Dr Catherine is a performance nutritionist and registered dietician and she lectures on the BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences and MSc Sports Performance courses as well as researching in both food for health and performance nutrition. Dr Norton’s current research interests include optimising nutrition for athletic training and competition with a particular emphasis on peri-training nutrition (PTN). She is also involved in research considering protein intakes (quality, quantity and timing) for the prevention of age related losses in both muscle (sarcopaenia) and bone (osteopaenia). You can contact Catherine via email at Catherine.Norton@ul.ie or view her research profile on Researchgate. 
PESS News & Information 