Dietary Habits, Nutritional Status, and Socioeconomic Factors Among University Students in Punjab, Pakistan: A Multicity Nutritional and Social Survey

Abstract

University students represent a nutritionally vulnerable population due to rapid lifestyle transitions, academic stress, irregular eating schedules, financial constraints, and increasing dependence on convenience foods. Poor dietary habits established during early adulthood contribute to obesity, undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and reduced academic performance later in life. In Pakistan, limited multicity investigations have simultaneously evaluated dietary practices, nutritional status, socioeconomic determinants, and lifestyle behaviors among university students across major urban centers of Punjab. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess dietary habits, nutritional status, and socioeconomic factors among university students residing in six major cities of Punjab, Pakistan. A multicity cross-sectional survey was conducted among university students aged 18–30 years enrolled in public and private universities located in Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Sheikhupura. A structured and pre-validated questionnaire was administered to collect demographic information, socioeconomic characteristics, dietary habits, food frequency, meal patterns, physical activity, sleep behavior, anthropometric measurements, and nutrition-related lifestyle factors. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the World Health Organization classification. Household income, parental education, residential status, and monthly food expenditure were recorded to evaluate socioeconomic influences on dietary behavior. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were employed to evaluate differences among cities and identify factors associated with dietary quality and nutritional status. The study is expected to provide comprehensive evidence regarding nutritional behaviors among university students in Punjab while identifying major socioeconomic determinants influencing dietary quality. The findings may support university health promotion programs, nutrition education campaigns, institutional food policies, and evidence-based interventions aimed at improving dietary habits and reducing nutrition-related health risks among young adults.