Uncovering the Nutrition Knowledge Gap Among Nigeria's Future Female Leaders
Picture this: a bright, ambitious young woman arrives at a prestigious university in Rivers State, Nigeria. She has conquered rigorous exams, earned her place in higher education, and dreams of a future as an accountant, lawyer, or business leader. Yet despite her academic prowess, she might be making food choices that undermine her potential—not because she lacks discipline, but because she lacks crucial nutrition knowledge.
For female students in non-biological science fields, this gap in understanding represents more than just an academic curiosity—it's a pressing health challenge with implications for their academic performance, long-term wellbeing, and future careers. As they navigate the transition to adulthood and independence, their food choices become their first line of defense against preventable diseases. Recent research reveals that what these students don't know about nutrition may be as important as what they do know in their chosen fields of study.
Students skipping meals regularly
Students classified as obese
Students snacking frequently
Nutrition knowledge extends far beyond simply knowing that "vegetables are good for you." It encompasses several interconnected domains:
For students outside biological sciences, this knowledge often doesn't come from formal education but from family habits, cultural practices, and increasingly, from digital sources of varying reliability 4 .
University life creates what nutrition scientists call an "obesogenic environment"—conditions that promote weight gain and unhealthy eating patterns. The transition to university represents a critical period where young adults gain independence but face multiple challenges to maintaining healthy diets:
Research shows that during this period, students develop dietary patterns that may persist into adulthood, making this window critically important for intervention 3 .
To understand the specific challenges facing non-biological science students in Rivers State, we can examine a revealing study conducted in the Port Harcourt metropolis 5 . This research employed a cross-sectional descriptive design—a scientific approach that provides a detailed "snapshot" of existing conditions without intervention.
The study focused on adolescents and young adults aged 17-25 years in tertiary institutions. Through multi-stage sampling, researchers selected 296 participants, with females comprising nearly 65% of respondents—closely reflecting the demographic of interest 5 .
The research team deployed a comprehensive three-part questionnaire to collect data:
This multi-faceted approach allowed researchers to correlate knowledge with actual behaviors and physiological outcomes, providing a more complete picture than self-reported data alone 5 .
The results from the Port Harcourt study revealed several troubling patterns in student eating behaviors and nutritional status:
| Eating Behavior | Percentage of Students | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Meal Skipping | 78.38% | Majority reported taking only one meal per day |
| Breakfast Skipping | Most common skipped meal | Particularly prevalent among female students |
| Late Eating | 72.97% | A significant majority ate late |
| Snacking Frequency | 75.67% | Reported consuming snacks 1-5+ times weekly |
| Cafeteria Dining | 56.76% | Ate most meals in campus cafeterias |
Source: Research data from Port Harcourt study 5
The research reveals a troubling disconnect: while students may have fragmentary knowledge about nutrition, this rarely translates into consistent healthy eating practices. The study found that weekly intake of fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables was surprisingly high (over 80% of respondents), suggesting that availability isn't the primary issue 5 .
Instead, the problem appears to be a combination of:
The research suggests that students outside biological sciences may be particularly vulnerable to nutrition knowledge gaps. Without formal exposure to human biology and nutrition concepts, they rely on informal sources that often provide conflicting or inaccurate information 4 .
This creates a double disadvantage—facing the same environmental challenges as their peers in science fields, but with fewer resources to navigate them effectively.
Researchers employ various specialized tools to investigate nutrition knowledge and its impact on health outcomes:
| Research Tool | Primary Function | Specific Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| Structured Questionnaire | Collects self-reported data on habits and knowledge | Assessing meal frequency, food choices, nutrition understanding 5 |
| Digital Scale | Measures body weight accurately | Weight measurement to nearest 0.1kg for BMI calculation 2 |
| Stadiometer | Measures height precisely | Height measurement to nearest 0.1cm following WHO protocols 2 |
| 24-Hour Dietary Recall | Captures detailed food intake data | Documenting all foods/beverages consumed in previous 24 hours 7 |
| BMI Classification Guidelines | Categorizes weight status | Using WHO standards to classify underweight, normal, overweight, obese 2 |
| Dietary Diversity Score | Evaluates nutritional variety | Assessing consumption across 14 food groups to calculate diversity 7 |
Standardized tools to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to nutrition.
Physical measurements to assess nutritional status through BMI and other indicators.
Methods to quantify food intake and evaluate dietary patterns and quality.
The evidence leaves little doubt: non-biological science students at Rivers State universities need targeted support to develop the nutrition knowledge that will safeguard their health alongside their academic achievements.
The transition to university represents not just an educational milestone, but a critical window for establishing lifelong health behaviors.
This staggering potential impact underscores the value of intervention.
Universities have a vital role to play through:
For the young female student pursuing her dreams in accounting, business, or the humanities, developing nutrition knowledge may prove as valuable to her future as any other subject in her curriculum. By empowering these students with understanding, we invest not only in their individual wellbeing, but in the health of Nigeria's next generation of leaders.
The author is a science communicator specializing in public health nutrition. This article is based on analysis of peer-reviewed research published in international journals.