Nutritional awareness as reflected by key body compositional parameters among clinical nutrition undergraduates at Qassim University

Nutrition knowledge is expected to influence dietary behavior and body composition, particularly among clinical nutrition students. However, evidence suggests that knowledge may not consistently translate into healthy lifestyle practices. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutrition awareness, eating habits, physical activity, and body composition among clinical nutrition undergraduate students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 117 clinical nutrition students (60.7% males, 39.3% females). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing dietary habits, nutrition awareness, physical activity, and perceived barriers to healthy eating. Anthropometric and body composition measurements were obtained using standard procedures. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test, and Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Majority of participants were aged 20–24 years (77.8%), and 46.2% rated their nutritional awareness as good. Despite this, only 16.2% reported tracking daily food intake, and 84.6% did not regularly monitor body composition. Significant gender differences were observed in anthropometric measures: males had higher BMI (24.8 ± 4.26 kg/m 2 vs. 20.6 ± 3.15 kg/m 2 ), muscle mass, fat-free mass, and visceral fat ( p < 0.001), while females had a higher body fat percentage (25.8% vs. 17.0%, p < 0.001). Females reported significantly higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, whereas males consumed soft drinks and Arabic sweets more frequently ( p < 0.05). Nearly half of the students (48.7%) reported no regular physical activity. The most common barriers to healthy eating were lack of time (62.4%) and social influences (59%). BMI was strongly associated with physique rating ( p < 0.001) but not with dietary awareness or monitoring behaviors. Despite adequate nutrition awareness, clinical nutrition students demonstrated suboptimal dietary behaviors, limited self-monitoring, and high physical inactivity. These findings highlight a gap between nutrition knowledge and practical lifestyle application, highlighting the need for behavior-focused nutrition education strategies. These findings are based on a convenience sample recruited from a single university branch and a single academic semester and should be interpreted with corresponding caution regarding generalizability to other populations, institutions, or health-related disciplines. Because nutrition awareness was captured through a single self-rated item rather than the scored General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire, results reflect self-perceived rather than objectively measured nutrition knowledge.