Seven out of ten Dominican university students do not eat enough fruit
Santo Domingo — Seven out of ten university students in the Dominican Republic did not meet the recommended daily fruit intake, and a similar proportion did not meet the recommended vegetable intake, according to a study presented by the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC).
The research found that 73.2% of participants did not reach the recommended two daily servings of fruit, while 70.6% also did not reach the recommended two servings of vegetables.
The study evaluated 663 students from INTEC, the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), and the Technological University of Santiago (UTESA), with a median age of 20 years. 62.3% of the participants were women and 37.7% were men.
The results are part of the Unisalud study, presented by Dr. Berniza Calderón, a research professor at INTEC, to inform strategies for prevention and habit change among university students.
The research identified other eating patterns that could affect this population’s health, including that 39.7% of students consume soft drinks or sugary beverages daily.
53.2% of participants reported consuming one or more servings of red or processed meat per day, while 50.8% reported consuming products with added sugars, such as ice cream, cookies, and cakes, more than twice a week. Additionally, 31.5% indicated consuming one or more servings of margarine, butter, or cream.
The researchers also assessed participants’ adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern characterized by a higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish, and unsaturated fats.
Only 3.8% of students showed high adherence to this eating pattern, while 49.2% showed intermediate adherence and 46.9% showed the lowest level.
The study also found low consumption of foods associated with this pattern: 77.9% consumed less than two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day, 72.2% ate fewer than three servings of nuts per week, and 71% consumed fewer than three weekly servings of fish or seafood.
Habits that begin in college
Berniza Calderón highlighted the importance of studying this population because entering university coincides with greater autonomy in choosing what to eat, along with factors such as academic stress and limited time.
The project noted that many habits linked to chronic disease risk are established during late adolescence and early adulthood, so universities are a strategic setting to intervene before these behaviors persist into adult, working, and family life.
The research also included indicators of physical activity and body composition, along with skin carotenoid measurements as a proxy for fruit and vegetable consumption.
The results showed significantly higher skin carotenoid levels among men, students who engaged in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, and those who did not consume alcohol. In contrast, levels were lower among smokers and decreased as body mass index (BMI) increased.
From data to prevention
Based on the results, Calderón proposed developing a Virtual Classroom for Healthy Habits that uses the university environment to promote sustained changes in diet, physical activity, and other health-related behaviors.
The proposal presented during ConectaTé Salud, Virtual Classroom of Healthy Habits: A behavioral intervention and mHealth proposal for the transformation of habits in the young population of the Dominican Republic, contemplates starting with a one-semester pilot and then offering semester-long workshops on healthy habits and practical activities to learn how to prepare food quickly, select healthy alternatives within limited budgets, and evaluate nutritional labels.
The model also includes a mobile application for tracking habits, with features such as a food log, physical activity, hydration and sleep, a food diary, educational modules, reminders, and a personal progress dashboard.
A second phase would incorporate gamification elements such as points, badges, challenges, and progress levels, while a later phase envisions a virtual coach based on artificial intelligence capable of offering personalized recommendations and identifying behavioral patterns.
The proposal is based on the fact that universities concentrate a young population in the same academic and digital environment, allowing preventive interventions to be applied before the onset of chronic diseases and their results to be evaluated over several semesters.
