Meal timing, eating self-regulatory skills, diet quality and quantity among dietetics and non-dietetics students in UTAR Kampar: A cross-sectional study

Lau, Celine (2025) Meal timing, eating self-regulatory skills, diet quality and quantity among dietetics and non-dietetics students in UTAR Kampar: A cross-sectional study. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Meal timing plays an important role in regulating diet quality, quantity, and overall health. However, irregular meal patterns are common among university students, potentially impacting their eating self-regulation and nutritional outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the meal timing patterns, eating self-regulatory skills, diet quality, and diet quantity among dietetics and non-dietetics students at UTAR Kampar campus. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 186 undergraduate students recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Self-Regulation of Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (SREBQ) and a 2-day 24-hour dietary recall. Meal timing patterns were categorised into morning, afternoon, and evening dominant eaters. SPSS version 30.0 was used to analyse the data. Chi-square tests compared meal timing distribution between groups, while Mann-Whitney U and independent t-tests compared the continuous variables. Kruskal-Wallis and one-way ANOVA tests assessed differences across meal timing patterns, and Spearman’s correlation determined the correlation between self-regulation and dietary outcomes. Among the 186 subjects, 53.2% were dietetics students and 46.8% were non-dietetics students. Evening-dominant eating was the most common pattern (47.3%), followed by afternoon (40.3%) and morning eaters (12.3%). Dietetics students demonstrated significantly higher intention to have a healthy diet and take corrective actions (p<0.05). They also had significantly higher diet quality compared to non-dietetics students. However, no significant differences were observed in SREBQ scores or diet quantity between the groups. Meal timing was not significantly associated with SREBQ or dietary outcomes (p>0.05). Higher protein intake was positively correlated with eating self-regulation (ρ = 0.153, p = 0.037), while higher fat intake was negatively correlated with diet quality (ρ = -0.171, p = 0.020).While meal timing was not found to significantly affect the measured variables, the findings highlight the importance of nutrition education and dietary composition in promoting healthier eating behaviours and supporting students’ overall well-being and academic performance.

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