Investigation of exercise addiction and healthy nutrition attitudes of university students (the case of MAKU)

The aim of this study is to investigate the exercise addiction and attitudes towards healthy nutrition among university students. A descriptive survey model was used in the study. A total of 327 individuals participated in the study, consisting of 125 males (38.2%) and 202 females (61.8%) who are studying at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. The participants had a mean age of 20.67±3.57 years, a mean height of 168.19±16.58 cm, and a mean weight of 65.90±14.99 kg. The data of the study were collected using two separate scales. The first scale is the Exercise Addiction Scale developed by Demir et al. The second is the Attitude Scale Towards Nutrition in Sports developed by Demir and Cicioğlu. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS 15 program. Participants' levels of exercise addiction significantly varied according to grade level, family income, and exercise habits (p<0.05). Similarly, participants' attitudes towards healthy nutrition varied according to family income, exercise habits, and academic performance (p<0.05). As a result, it should be kept in mind that exercise addiction and attitudes towards healthy nutrition vary depending on sociodemographic characteristics. These characteristics should be taken into consideration in future initiatives related to these topics.