Portrait of Knowledge About Nutritional Needs and Nutritional Status Among Fashion Students at Universitas Negeri Medan Yatty Destani Sandy (a*), Erni Rukmana (b), Kanaya Yori Damanik (c), Caca Pratiwi (d), Kalasta Ayunda Putri (e)
a) Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Willem Iskandar Psr.V, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
*yattysandy[at]unimed.ac.id
b) Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Willem Iskandar Psr.V, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
c) Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Willem Iskandar Psr.V, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
d) Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Willem Iskandar Psr.V, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
e) Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Willem Iskandar Psr.V, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
Abstract
Nutritional issues among university students are still a serious concern as they can affect health, learning concentration and productivity. Students often experience imbalances in their nutrient intake due to irregular eating patterns, fast food consumption, and a lack of knowledge about their daily nutritional needs. This is especially important for non-health students, such as those in the Fashion Study Program, who generally do not receive formal education about nutrition. This study aims to describe the knowledge of nutritional needs and nutritional status among fashion students at Universitas Negeri Medan. This research is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 60 students selected by purposive sampling. Knowledge data was collected through a structured questionnaire, while nutritional status was determined through measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI). The results showed that most students had low nutrition knowledge (71.7%), while 28.3% were classified as moderate, and none had good knowledge. In terms of nutritional status, 56.7% of students had normal nutritional status, 20% were undernourished, and 23.3% were overnourished. This mismatch between knowledge level and nutritional status suggests that there are other factors that influence students^ eating behaviour. In conclusion, appropriate nutrition education interventions are needed to improve students^ understanding of the importance of nutrition to support a healthy lifestyle and academic achievement.
Keywords: Nutritional needs- Knowledge- Nutritional status
Topic: Applied Sciences and Information Technology
