Effect of Food Sources on Body Fat Percentage of Students at Diponegoro University, Indonesia

Department of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: Suyatnofkmundip@gmail.com

Abstract

The prevalence of overweight individuals in Indonesia increased among adults over the age of 18, from 15.4% in 2014 to 21.8% in 2018. A study conducted by the Faculty of Public Health at Diponegoro University in 2023 found that 22% of college students had excessive body fat, and 70% primarily sourced their food through purchases. This study analyzed the impact of food sources on body fat in college students. It employed a crosssectional design involving 140 students from the Faculty of Public Health at Diponegoro University, selected through proportional random sampling. The independent variable was the food sources, and the dependent variable was body fat percentage. Data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test and Multiple Logistic Regression. It was found that 49.3% of college students had excess body fat. The body fat percentage was higher among students who relied on purchasing food compared to those who cooked (OR=4.6; CI: 1.804-11.572; p=0.001).Other factors influencing excess body fat included high carbohydrate adequacy (OR=7.8; CI: 1.977-30.469; p=0.003), low nutritional knowledge (OR=3.0; CI: 1.280-6.949; p=0.011), and female gender (OR=5.2; CI: 1.675-16.088; p=0.004). In conclusion, body fat percentage among college students was influenced by food sources, carbohydrate adequacy, gender, and nutritional knowledge.