Prevalence and Knowledge about Late Night Eating among Higher Education Students in Surat Thani

Abstract

This cross-sectional survey research aims to study the prevalence of late-night eating and compare knowledge about late-night eating among higher education students in Surat Thani Province. The sample was higher education students in Surat Thani, and the sample size was calculated from the estimating proportion formula in the case where the population is known and was selected as a sample of 364, using the multi-stage random sampling method. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and the reliability score was 0.69. The descriptive statistics (%, Mean, S.D., Median, Max, Min) were used to describe the level of knowledge about late-night eating among higher education students in Surat Thani, and an independent t-test with equal variance was used to compare scores of knowledge between latenight eating and not late-night eating students. The results showed that the prevalence of late-night eating among higher education students in Surat Thani Province was 82.70%, with most having an average knowledge score in the low range of 76.92% (mean = 4.13±1.83). If classified according to the late-night eating, it was found that the late-night eating group had an average knowledge score in the low range of 76.57% (mean = 4.19±1.84). The group that did not have late-night eating had an average attitude score in the low range of 78.69% (mean = 3.84±1.79). When comparing the knowledge about late-night eating of higher education students in Surat Thani, it was found that the mean knowledge of the two groups had no difference (p-value = 0.7 2). In conclusion, students continue to favor consuming food during the late hours of the night and possess limited understanding regarding late-night eating. Encourage students, both those who eat and those who do not, to be mindful of the negative effects of consuming meals late in the day. If individuals in the group who do not engage in eating late at night lack accurate knowledge, they may exhibit the behavior of eating late at night in the future. The purpose of this intervention is to address and resolve the issue of nocturnal eating habits and the nutritional well-being of college students.