Fast food consumption has evolved to become more than just a food to be consumed in line with modernity in the world, especially among students in urban regions (small and large cities) [1]. Fast food is defined as food that is quickly prepared, such as chips, sandwiches, hamburgers, fried chicken, French fries, chicken nuggets, fish, pizza, or ice cream. It is also known as an alternative to home-cooked food because of its reasonable prices, quick service, availability, convenience, and appropriate environment provided by fast food outlets [2]. Fast food is defined as food offered in a restaurant or store that offers quick customer service and is packaged, making it simple to transport to one's house [3]. Additionally, as the tendency toward eating out has grown more pronounced, fast-food chains have opened up shops in prime locations to draw customers, including within airport terminals, schools, gas stations, hospitals, universities, and shopping malls [4]. Fast food consumption is quite high and is a global phenomenon. For example, fast food was consumed by 80% of Americans, compared to 67% in New Zealand, 63% in Australia, and 56% in the United heart disease, stroke, and renal failure are the most serious health issues brought on by eating fast food. On the other hand, eating fast food frequently results in higher triglyceride levels. Vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes are phytochemical-rich foods that are typically absent from fast food establishments. These are critical dietary nutrients for a healthy person [8-9]. Additionally, fast food restaurants offer limited fiber options in their menus. People who consume more fast food are getting inadequate nutrients, which might cause dangerous non-communicable diseases [10-11].

Due to the abundance of quick service and fast-food establishments both on and off campus, as well as the accessibility of these establishments via student meal plans, college students may be at an increased risk for these negative outcomes [12]. Due to a lack of resources and the increased accessibility of fast food, the present research on college students' fast-food consumption in Arab nations, particularly Iraq, were done. To Determining how much students eat fast foods. To Defining the relationship between eating fast food with student demographic characteristics.

is two-month descriptive prevalence survey, which began on, was carried out at the Baquba Technical Institute (1^st January 2022 ending on 28^th February 2022). There were efforts made to choose at least 250 participants from the college. The 200 students who made up the entire sample for this study 100 men and 100 women ranged in age from 21 to 3.32 years. Before beginning, permission was acquired to conduct this investigation. Due to the informed nature of the sample, non-responding was not taken into account while determining the sample size for the research that benefits the community. The information was gathered through direct interviews with the students utilizing a thorough self-reporting questionnaire form and the following keyword combinations: demographic factors, daily meal frequency, and dietary pattern. All University students are included in the inclusion requirements. Students who missed the data collection day were not included in the study. Statistical analysis: in the current descriptive study (count and percentage) were used to describe the qualitative variables whereas for quantitative one (mean+ standard deviation) was carried out. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 24.

In the current study, 200 college students total were included, with a mean age of 21 3.32 years, 50% males and 50% females, with 42% of them living in rural areas and the rest in urban ones. The majority of college students 44% eat three meals a day, followed by 19% who eat two meals daily and the same amount who eat four. The remaining students 15% and 3% eat five and one meal a day, respectively. 

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of Participants

Figure 1: Number of Times that the students eat Meals per Day

The majority of the analyzed population consumes fast food on a daily basis; however, the data suggest that males are 58% more likely than females to consume it (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Consumption of Fast Food Daily According to Gender

The highest percentage of fast-food consumption occurs in the age group of 20 to 24 years (71, 61.47%), and males consume it more frequently than females (58, 50.43%) statistically speaking. Fast food consumption was found to be statistically not significantly associated with demographic variables (age, gender, and residency). Those who eat fast food represent 69% of urban dwellers (Table 2).

Table 2: Daily Consumption of Fast Food According to Demographic Variables

Table 3 displays the distribution of students by the sort of food they choose to eat. In terms of meat and sandwich consumption, potatoes had the largest percentages (143, 71.5%), followed by sag (136, 68%), Hemberger (123, 61.5%), falafel (121, 60.5%), and chicken shawarma (103, 51.5%). The survey also focused on beverages that students were more likely to consume, and the findings revealed that tea was consumed more frequently than any other beverage type (73%). Compared to other foods, 83% of people eat cake as a snack during the day.

Table 3: Distribution of Studied Sample According to Food Type

Regarding drinks, tea and soft drinks strongly predicted gender with a p-value under 0.05. Tea is consumed by men 64% more often than by women (56%), while soft drinks have the opposite effect because women take them in greater quantities. 

Table 4: Consuming Food Type According to Both Genders

Females consume 63% more coffee and Nescafe than men do (57%), whereas men consume 50% more artificial juices than women do (43%). The two beverage categories—coffee and Nescafe and fake juices—don't significantly correlate with gender.

Table 5: Drinking Different Type of Liquid by Both Sex

The lifestyles of many individuals, notably those in developing nations, have undergone significant change as a result of rapid urbanization, hectic lifestyles, and technological innovation. The effects of these modifications have changed the custom of preparing food and dining at home [13-14]. The fast-food industry, which was first developed in Southern California in the 1940s, not only changed American eating patterns but also those of many other nations, including those in Asia, particularly Iraq [15]. Fast food, also referred to as junk food [16], might be characterized as "the broad phrase used for a small selection of culinary items that lend themselves to production-line methods; suppliers typically specialize in items like hamburgers, pizzas, chicken, or sandwiches" [13-14]. Fast food is typically high in calories and lacking in micronutrients, and it is also often rich in saturated fats, trans fats, simple carbohydrates, and salt, all of which are nutrients linked to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes [17-18]. 

The students at Baquba Technical Institute made up of a sample that was split equally between men and women for the study. The majority of them, 44%, take three meals daily, followed by 19% who eat four, the same percentage who eat two, 15% who ingest five, and 3% who only eat one meal per day. Of them, 58% of the men and 57% of the women regularly eat fast food. The results of a study by [19-21] likewise showed that men consumed more fast food than women. While a different study conducted by [22-23] found that the majority of individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, consume fast food once a week or more. This variation was connected to variations in the sample that was examined as college students eat fast food more than others since they save time, are easily accessible, and fulfill their hunger [24] because these meals are free and rapidly produced.

Few students in the current study do not eat fast food, but the majority does. They consume a variety of fast foods and beverages, including: potatoes (71.5%), sausage (68%), hamburg (61.5%), falafel (60.5%), chicken shawarma (51.5%), tea (73%) (coffee and Nescafe 60%), soft drinks (60%) (soft drinks with artificial juices), and cake (83%). Burgesssrs, sandwiches, chicken, and potato chips are typically thought of as fast foods [25]. Men were reportedly more willing than women to eat more burgers, according to a 2011 study by the [26]. This outcome is comparable to that among adults in Kuwait City in 2014 [19] who were 19 or older. This was supported by the most recent study, which found that men (63%) devoured more burgers than women.

The current study demonstrated a substantial connection between soft drink consumption by females (75%) and p-value = 0.011 While Lee 2021 in India shows that soft drinks similarly substantially correlate with gender but that males consume more of them, these variances may be the result of differences in study locations [27]. The same research (Shree 2018) found that more women than males prefer to drink coffee and Nescafe [20].

• The majority of studied sample consume 44% of meals per day, fast-food eaten habits found more among male than female

• Hamburger, Falafel, Potatoes, sag and cake consumed mostly by male

• Female students prefer Coffee & Nescafe and soft drinks more than other beverage types

Recommendation

• In this context, the role of family and government is vital in educating on health, especially to the younger generation who can bring about a better change in the health of society in Iraq

• Universities and colleges should take a step forward as well as make plans to limit the sale of fast food on campus, also replace it with healthy meals

• More comprehensive investigation is required to explore the issues that discussed above

Limitations

• This was cross-sectional study that conducted just in Diyala technical institute so we cannot generalize our findings

• It's carried out through self-reported questionnaire that may involve recall bias

1. Garza, K.B. et al. “Impulsivity and fast-food consumption: A cross-sectional study among working adults.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 116, no. 1, 2016, pp. 61–68.

2. Hamrick, K.S. and A. Okrent. The Role of Time in Fast-Food Purchasing Behavior in the United States. USDA-ERS Economic Research Report, no. 178, 2014.

3. Oexle, N. et al. “Neighborhood fast food availability and fast food consumption.” Appetite, vol. 92, 2015, pp. 227–232.

4. D'Addezio, L. et al. “Out-of-home eating frequency, causal attribution of obesity and support to healthy eating policies from a cross-european survey.” Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Public Health, vol. 11, no. 4, 2014.

5. Brindal, E. Exploring Fast Food Consumption Behaviours and Social Influence. Doctoral dissertation, University of Adelaide, 2010.

6. Nezakati, H. et al. “Factors influencing customer loyalty towards fast food restaurants.” International Research Symposium in Service Management, vol. 10, 2011, p. 12.

7. Musaiger, A.O. et al. Dietary Habits and Lifestyle of Adult Population in Bahrain. Bahrain Center for Studies and Research, 2005.

8. United States Department of Agriculture. ChooseMyPlate.gov. MyPlate, www.choosemyplate.gov. Accessed 25 Nov. 2015.

9. Stefanik-Sidener, K. “Nature, nurture, or that fast food hamburger: Media framing of diabetes in the New York times from 2000 to 2010.” Health Communication, vol. 28, no. 4, 2013, pp. 351–358.

10. Bahadoran, Z. et al. “Fast food consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome after three years of follow-up: Tehran lipid and glucose study.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 67, no. 12, 2013, pp. 1303–1309.

11. Stockton, S. and D. Baker. “College students’ perceptions of fast-food restaurant menu items on health.” American Journal of Health Education, vol. 44, no. 2, 2013, pp. 74–80.

12. McCrory, M.A. et al. “Overeating in America: Association between restaurant food consumption and body fatness in healthy adult men and women ages 19 to 80.” Obesity Research, vol. 7, no. 6, 1999, pp. 564–571.

13. Bender, A. and D. Bender. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Oxford University Press, 1995.

14. Nondzor, H.E. and Y.S. Tawiah. “Consumer perception and preference of fast food: A study of tertiary students in Ghana.” Science Journal of Business and Management, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 43–49.

15. Baig, A.K. and M. Saeed. “Review of trends in fast food consumption.” European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, vol. 48, 2012, pp. 77–85.

16. Ashakiran, D.R. and R. Deepthi. “Fast foods and their impact on health.” Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University, vol. 1, no. 2, 2012, pp. 7–15.

17. World Health Organization. Life Course Perspective of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes. WHO, whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_NMH_NPH_01.4.pdf. Accessed 14 July 2010.

18. Goyal, A. and N. P. Singh. “Consumer perception about fast food in India: An exploratory study.” British Food Journal, vol. 109, no. 2, 2007, pp. 182–195.

19. Musaiger, A.O. “Consumption, health attitudes, and perception toward fast food among arab consumers in Kuwait: Gender differences.” Global Journal of Health Science, vol. 6, no. 6, 2014, pp. 136.

20. Shree, V. et al. “Study on consumption of fast food among medical students of IGIMS, Patna.” International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, vol. 5, no. 7, 2018, pp. 2750–2754.

21. Kayisoğlu, S. and A. İçöz. “Effect of gender on fast-food consumption habits of high school and university students in tekirdag, Turkey.” Acta Alimentaria, vol. 43, no. 1, 2014, pp. 53–60.

22. Banik, R. et al. “Fast food consumption and obesity among urban college-going adolescents in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.” Obesity Medicine, vol. 17, 2020, 100161.

23. Dingman, D.A. et al. “factors related to the number of fast food meals obtained by college meal plan students.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 62, no. 8, 2014, pp. 562–569.

24. Goyal, A. and N.P. Singh. “Consumer perception about fast food in India: An exploratory study.” British Food Journal, vol. 109, no. 2, 2007, pp. 182–195.

25. Seo, H.S. et al. “factors influencing fast food consumption behaviors of middle-school students in Seoul: An application of theory of planned behaviors.” Nutrition Research and Practice, vol. 5, no. 2, 2011, pp. 169–178. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2011.5.2.169.

26. Musaiger, A. et al. “Dietary and lifestyle habits amongst adolescents in Bahrain.” Food & Nutrition Research, vol. 55, no. 1, 2011, 7122. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v55i0.7122.

27. Lee, J. and J. Allen. “Gender differences in healthy and unhealthy food consumption and its relationship with depression in Young Adulthood.” Community Mental Health Journal, vol. 57, no. 5, 2021, pp. 898–909.