The Impact of Introductory Nutrition Courses on Nutrition Literacy, Attention, Wellness, and Food Security Among Domestic and International College Students

This quasi-experimental study assessed the influence of introductory nutrition courses on dietary habits, nutrition knowledge, food security, attention, and wellness among international and Canadian domestic students. Participants were students from a mid-sized public college in Ontario, Canada, enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The main outcome measures included dietary behaviour, nutrition literacy, food security, attention, and wellness. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to test the difference in mean outcome measures at the different points in time (week 1 and 14) and between groups (student category). Correlations between these measures and final academic grades were determined. Post nutrition courses, there was a significant rise in nutrition literacy (p < .05) and attention (p < .05). However, these gains did not correspond to measurable changes in dietary behaviour (p > .05). Wellness scores did not significantly increase over time (p > .05); however, international students reported significantly higher wellness scores than domestic students at both measurement points (p < .05). A negative correlation (p < .05) was observed between food insecurity and academic performance. Participation in introductory nutrition courses was associated with improvements in nutrition literacy and attention among both international and domestic students. These findings support the inclusion of nutrition education within post-secondary curricula while underscoring the importance of institutional strategies that address student food insecurity.