Abstract

This study examined the influence of nutrition education on healthy eating habits among undergraduate students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN). The specific objectives were to determine the level of nutrition education among students, assess their healthy eating habits, examine the relationship between nutrition education and healthy eating habits, and determine whether gender differences exist in healthy eating habits. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised undergraduate students of the University of Benin, while a sample size of 200 respondents was selected using an appropriate sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by experts and administered directly to the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and independent sample t-test were used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that undergraduate students possessed a good level of nutrition education with a grand mean of 3.81. The study also showed that students generally practiced healthy eating habits, with a grand mean of 3.70. Furthermore, the Pearson correlation analysis indicated a strong positive and significant relationship between nutrition education and healthy eating habits (r = 0.62, p = 0.000 < 0.05), implying that increased nutrition education enhances healthy eating behaviors. The independent sample t-test further revealed a significant gender difference in healthy eating habits (t = 2.45, df = 198, p = 0.015 < 0.05), with female students demonstrating healthier eating habits than male students. The study concluded that nutrition education significantly influences healthy eating habits among undergraduate students. It was recommended that universities should strengthen nutrition education programs and awareness campaigns to further promote healthy dietary practices among students.