Abstract:
Fast foods are defined as those foods made and served in a short
period of time and are consumed outside of the house. In other
words, it may be characterized as foods that have been cooked
with reduced nutritional value. 1 Fast food negatively affects diet
quality, body weight, and overall health. 2,3 Fast food consump-
tion continues to grow in Western nations and is particularly
prevalent among youngsters. This harmful behavior is increasing
in underdeveloped countries. 4 When students join university,
they have increased autonomy over their lifestyles, particularly
their eating choices and practices, mainly if they are away from
their families. The food intake patterns and nutritional concerns
associated with university students are a significant source of
worry. In recent years, global emphasis has been focused on
university students' nutritional understanding and food consump-
tion trends. 4 Fast food is consumed on a daily basis by 30%–50%
of youngsters and college students. 5,6 Evidence found that 77%
of overweight and obese university students have consumed fast
food and cake on a regular or frequent basis. 7 Approximately 22%
of the Bangladeshi university students had fast food for 4 days
each week, while 21.3% reported having fast food for every day
of the week. 4 More frequent consumption of fried foods is
strongly linked to an increased risk of chronic disease develop-
ment (i.e., four or more times per week). 8 There is compelling
evidence that eating fried foods increases adults' chance of
developing chronic illnesses. However, a comprehensive analysis
of the impacts of fried foods on the health of university students
in Bangladesh is limited. The objective of the study is to evaluate
the prevalence of fried food consumption during Ramadan month
among university students in Bangladesh. The study also
examined the association of fried food consumption and several
socioeconomic factors with gastritis, cardiovascular (CVS)
illnesses, and mental health issues.
