Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to describe the dietary practices of international students attending the University of Ghana, Legon. One hundred and fifty international students volunteered to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information from respondents. Main outcome measures were self reported demographics, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, meal skipping, fruit and fat related behaviours. Analysis of variance, paired t-test, and logistic regression were used to test for differences and association between dependent and independent variables. The findings indicated the eating habits differed both in the home country and in Ghana. Although breakfast is the most important meal of the day, some (n = 21) respondents skipped it because there was no time for them to eat in the morning due to their tight schedule. There was a significant difference between ethnicity and breakfast intake with more Caucasians eating breakfast than those of African origin. More respondents of African descent (n = 88; 61.1%) than Caucasians (n = 37; 25.7%) were of the view that fruits were of less importance. Reasons for skipping lunch were either not hungry, weight related or lack of time. Science students skipped meals than those in the Humanities and Arts. Food choice was influenced by availability, variety and affordability. More than half of the respondents (78.5%) engaged in some physical activity. There is the need for nutrition education for foreign students as they enter a new environment.

Key words: International students, diet, nutrition, behaviour.