Dietary profiles and eating habits among college students: a cross-sectional study at a midsize urban university

Background and Objectives: Health-related decisions made during the college years carry consequences that persist into adulthood more so than other life stages. One of the most controllable and impactful indicators of health is diet. This study explores factors potentially influencing college student diet quality including meal preparation habits, dietary choices, and dining hall usage. Methodology: This non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational study recruits currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students (n = 159) at a midsize urban university in the southeastern United States. Data was collected from June through November 2025 and analyzed using a statistical package, SPSS v30 (Chicago). The survey instrument was composed of three validated tools: the 30-day-recall Prime Diet Quality Screener (PDQS-30D), the US Household Food Security Survey Module, and items from the Post-Intervention Questionnaire for Cooking Skills Programmes, along with original items assessing university-specific dining practices. Pearson correlation analyses examined relationships among diet profiles, cooking confidence, dining habits, and demographic variables. Results: Cooking confidence and frequency were significantly positively associated with the healthy Mediterranean diet profile and significantly negatively associated with the unhealthy Fried/Processed diet profile. Freshmen and sophomores were significantly more likely to frequent the campus dining hall and less likely to cook their own meals, while seniors showed the opposite pattern. Prepackaged convenience meal consumption was also significantly positively associated with the unhealthy diet profile. Discussion: Underclassmen who frequented campus dining services consumed a more unhealthy, fried and processed diet than upperclassmen who did not regularly utilize these services. Those who cooked their own meals and were confident in doing so tended to eat healthier, Mediterranean-style diets. These results raise questions about what needs to be done in campus dining services to encourage healthier student diets and habits that carry into adulthood. Keywords: dietary profile, college students, eating habits, dining hall, cooking