Background

Recently, youth intake of added sugar has been growing. The incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has risen dramatically in parallel with these changes. Excess added sugar is a key risk factor for weight gain and T2DM in many cohort studies. The current study was implemented to examine the nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice pattern among UAE undergraduates.

Method

Random sampling was used to approach 400 undergraduate students from UAE. The data analysis was performed by using SPSS version 24. A correlation analysis was performed using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests. Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square test, T-test, and Kruskal Wallis test.

Results

Added sugar consumption is widely prevalent among university students in UAE. Only 19% of the enrolled sample scored high nutritional knowledge level and 56% of the students were considered heavy consumers. White sugar was the preferred added sweeteners among 90% of the sample.

Conclusion

Our study outcomes recommend that strategies that can successfully reduce added sugar might be a significant stage concerning reversing the devastating escalating trends in diabetes, obesity, and promoting health of all populations in UAE.