Dietary Patterns and Water Footprint Among University Students: A Comparative Analysis With Recommendations

Abstract

Objective: (1) To evaluate the quality and perception of the diet, as well as the dietary diversity (DD) of the students of the bachelor’s degree in nutrition in Argentina; (2) estimate the water footprint (WF) associated with their food consumption; (3) compare the total dietary WF of the participants with proposed recommendations, and (4) compare the scores of quality, DD, and dietary WF volume between students’ groups according to their academic progress. Design: An observational and descriptive study with a cross-sectional quantitative design was conducted in June 2022.Participants: Five hundred and twenty-five students (207 entrants and 318 advanced).Variables Measured: Quality and perception of the diet, DD, and total dietary WF. Analysis: Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Diet quality scored 63.20 ± 11.40 points, indicating room for improvement, whereas the DD scored 4.41 ± 1.26 points, reflecting a medium level of diversity. The total dietary WF was 3652.37 ± 1943.09 L/person/d, exceeding EAT-Lancet recommendations (2933.10 L/person/d) but aligning with Dietary Guidelines for the Argentinian Population (3485.21 L/person/d). Conclusions and Implications: Future research is essential for enhancing diet quality, diversity, and sustainability while examining the influence of academic training on dietary behaviors and environmental awareness.