NUTRITIONAL BEHAVIORS OF STUDENTS DURING ELECTRONIC LEARNING

Abstract

In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries, including Poland, have been forced to introduce strict sanitary regimes and social distancing measures. One of the restrictions applied in our country is the realization of school education and higher education in the form of electronic learning.

The purpose of this study was to assess the changes in behaviors and eating habits of students, who had been studying with the use of electronic learning methods during the last year. It can be classified as a stressful situation that affects eating behaviors.

The research was conducted in March 2021 among students of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Masovian Public University in Płock on the basis of the diagnostic survey with the use of the author’s questionnaire. The selection of the group was deliberate. Students were learning in a remote way for one calendar year. The participation in the research was voluntary and the principle of anonymity was respected. 

The questionnaire was completed by 247 women. In connection wit the introduction of restrictions connected with the pandemic, increased stress was declared by 43% of students, and 61% of respondents reported recurrent felling of dissatisfaction. The increase in body weight since the introduction of electronic learning was noticed by 40% of women, and its decrease was declared by 20% of respondents. The vast majority of respondents ate 4 meals a day. Students reported that they more often eat breakfast, soups, vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, as well as they drink water and tea. However, a significant group (45%) of respondents eat additional snacks between meals. The respondents reported more frequent consumption of sweets, fast-food products, crisps and salty snacks. Almost 60% of examined persons also stated that they eat meals more often while learning – in front of the computer.

It would seem that the pandemic period, when special attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, including a properly balanced diet, should result in the application of the rules of healthy eating. However, this is not always the case. It turned out that, for example, students, who study in a remote way, make numerous dietary mistakes and they justify them by frequent negative emotions caused by electronic learning.