Effects of Gender Difference on Fast Food Consumption among Associate Degree Students

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the attitudes of associate degree students about fast food and to determine the effect of gender.

Study Design: Students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study were included. Within the scope of the research, the questionnaire was conducted using a simple random sampling method to determine the students' consumption of ready-to-eat food. Questionnaire questions were developed based on the studies in the literature and organised by the purpose of the research.

Place and Duration of the Study: The survey was conducted face to face with 326 students (approximately 15 students from each program) studying in 10 different departments and 20 programs of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Technical Vocational School in the 2022-2023 fall semester.

Methodology: Before starting the questionnaire, the clarity and validity of the questions were tested with 10 subjects to make necessary corrections when necessary. In the questionnaire, students were asked about their height-weight values and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Descriptive statistics of the data obtained from the study were evaluated by Crosstabs analysis and Chi-square (χ2) independence tests in the SPSS ver.18 statistical package program.

Results: According to the study results, statistical significance was found in the following dimensions related to gender factor: BMI (**P<0.01), housing status (*P<0.05), frequency of consumption (*P<0.05), reason for consuming ready-to-eat food (*P<0.05), favorite ready-to-eat food (**P<0.01), portions consumed at meals (**P<0.01), finding portions sufficient (**P<0.01), comments about nutritional value (**P<0.01), and thoughts about hygiene (**P<0.01).

Conclusion: Understanding the factors affecting fast food consumption can contribute to raising awareness among students about balanced nutrition and developing nutrition strategies. Studies that investigate and understand these factors may be important for companies in the sector to follow consumer preferences and trends. New studies should be conducted among associate degree students, including students from different universities. To these studies; Factors such as family income level, whether the student receives a scholarship, health information, stress factor, social environment, advertising and social media use, food options on campus, and physical activity should be included.