Author(s): ALMAZROUIE, A., ALDARMAKI, S.A.1, ALKINDI, A.1, IHSAN, M.2, FIGUEIREDO, P.2, MARQUES, E.A.1, Institution: UNIVERSITY OF KALBA, Country: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Abstract-ID: 1237

INTRODUCTION:
Adequate nutrition knowledge supports healthier food choices and may help prevent obesity and diet-related diseases in young adults. Although the evidence is scarce, a previous study in the GCC region reported generally low nutritional knowledge among university students in Kuwait (1). This study examined awareness and knowledge of adult nutrition guidelines among UAE university students and explored differences between Sport Science vs non-Sport Science majors, body mass index (BMI), and athlete status.
METHODS:
In a cross-sectional online survey, undergraduate students from two UAE universities completed a structured questionnaire in January 2026. Items to assess their awareness and knowledge of nutrition guidelines were adapted from a previous study of university students in the USA (2). Students reported awareness of national or international dietary guidelines and provided numeric estimates of recommended daily servings (2000 kcal/day) for major food groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein foods, fats/oils). Overall knowledge was classified based on the number of correct answers: no knowledge (0/6 correct), partial accuracy (1–5/6 correct), or full knowledge (6/6 correct). Associations were determined using chi-square tests, and odds ratios were estimated using logistic regression (α = 0.05). All statistical analyses were conducted using JASP (Version 0.95.4, JASP Team, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
RESULTS:
Among 285 complete responses (mean age 21.7 ± 5.1 years; 55.5% female; 27.0% Sport Science majors: 64.5% former/current athletes), 27% reported awareness of the nutrition guidelines. Among those aware, 39% were Sport Science majors; furthermore, based on responses to questions about the major food groups, 24% demonstrated full knowledge (6/6 food groups correct), 39% partial accuracy, and 37% were unable to recall the correct servings/portions (0/6 correct). Sport Science majors had 2.1 times higher odds of nutrition guidelines awareness than non-Sport Science majors (OR = 2.1, p = 0.010), and athletes had 2.0 times higher odds than non-athletes (OR = 2.0, p = 0.023). No associations were found between awareness of nutrition recommendations and gender (p= 0.92), BMI (p= 0.22), or self-reported adherence to PA guidelines (p= 0.36).
CONCLUSION:
UAE university students demonstrated limited overall knowledge of core nutrition guidelines, although Sport Science majors and students with athletic experience showed significantly greater awareness. Integrating targeted nutrition education into Sport Science curricula and athlete training programs, alongside broader cross-disciplinary efforts, may effectively enhance students' knowledge of guidelines.
(1) Husain W et al. J Nutr Metab. 2021; (2) Werner E et al. J Am Coll Health 2022