Factors influencing eating behaviours among university students during the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia

Many university students reported changes in the foods they ate, how much they ate, and how often they snacked because the majority of students have returned to their families, with many taking on passive roles in activities that shape their eating behaviours during COVID-19. Therefore, this study empirically measures the extent to which parental influences, food prices, and academic stress influence eating behaviour among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data for the study was collected through a survey with 384 respondents, all of which were recognized, university students. Data were analysed by descriptive analysis, frequency, and inferential analysis through SPSS version 26.0. The results of the Pearson correlation demonstrate a link between parental influence, food prices, academic stress, and eating behaviour. The findings indicated that the food price factor had the greatest influence on university students' eating behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. This research will be used by future researchers to do their research or to improve the quality of their research.