HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF FOOD CHOICE BEHAVIOUR AMONG UITM PERMATANG PAUH STUDENTS

Malaysian studies on student food choice have largely examined health, lifestyle, and environmental influences separately, with limited evidence of their combined effects. This study addresses this gap by investigating how these three factors jointly influence food choice behaviour among students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Permatang Pauh. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted involving 400 students selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered bilingual questionnaire (English and Bahasa Malaysia) distributed online, employing a six-point Likert scale. Health factors included nutritional beliefs, self-efficacy, and confidence in maintaining healthy eating habits. Lifestyle factors encompassed daily routines and examination-related stress, while environmental factors included food prices, campus food availability, and peer or media influences. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, supported by the Health Belief Model, Health Promotion Model, and Social Cognitive Theory. Three hypotheses examined the positive influence of health, lifestyle, and environmental factors on food choice behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and multiple regression in SPSS version 30. The findings revealed that the three predictors collectively explained 46.7% of the variance in food choice behaviour (R² = 0.467; F(3, 396) = 115.694, p < .001), supporting all hypotheses. Health factors were the strongest predictor (β = 0.575, p < .001), followed by lifestyle factors (β = 0.124, p = .003) and environmental factors (β = 0.090, p = .045). Additionally, 44% of respondents reported occasionally skipping meals during examinations, particularly breakfast (83.5%). Although the findings demonstrate significant associations, the cross-sectional design prevents causal interpretation, while convenience sampling limits generalisability beyond UiTM Permatang Pauh. The study highlights the importance of strengthening nutritional awareness, dietary self-efficacy, and affordable campus food accessibility to promote healthier eating practices among university students.