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Background <p>The rapid growth of online food ordering (OFO) platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy has reshaped dietary practices among young adults in India. Medical students, due to irregular schedules, hostel living, and academic pressures, may be particularly vulnerable to unhealthy eating behaviors.</p> Methods <p>A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 303 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Doctor of medicine and Doctor of Surgery (MD/MS) students at a private university in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire covering demographics, online food ordering behavior, dietary patterns, physical activity, and health status. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression were performed using SPSS v29.</p> Results <p>The mean age of participants was 21.4 years; 56% were male and 86% were MBBS students. High-frequency online food ordering (≥ 3 times/week) was reported by 60.1% of students. The majority spent ₹150–₹400 per order, with 42% exceeding ₹1000 monthly expenditure. North Indian and fast-food cuisines were most frequently ordered. Only 21.5% consumed adequate fruits daily, and 17.8% met vegetable adequacy. Out of 303 students, 28.7% reported gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort after online meals and 47.9% were overweight/obese. In multivariable models, male sex independently predicted overweight/obesity (AOR 2.26; 95% CI 1.39–3.67), while dietary markers showed a protective trend for GI discomfort (e.g., fruit adequacy AOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.33–1.19) without reaching statistical significance.</p> Conclusion <p>Online food ordering is highly prevalent among medical students and is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors and adverse health outcomes. Targeted nutrition education and institutional strategies are urgently required to promote healthier choices.</p>

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Click, eat, repeat: Online food ordering and dietary behaviors among medical students in a private university in greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月15日

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  • Ishant Kumar,
  • Kabita Barua,
  • Shalini Srivastava,
  • Harsh Mahajan,
  • Meraj Gohar,
  • Sachin K. Nagar,
  • Vaibhav Roy,
  • Udesh Garg,
  • Varun Pal,
  • Nandini Gupta

摘要

Background

The rapid growth of online food ordering (OFO) platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy has reshaped dietary practices among young adults in India. Medical students, due to irregular schedules, hostel living, and academic pressures, may be particularly vulnerable to unhealthy eating behaviors.

Methods

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 303 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Doctor of medicine and Doctor of Surgery (MD/MS) students at a private university in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire covering demographics, online food ordering behavior, dietary patterns, physical activity, and health status. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression were performed using SPSS v29.

Results

The mean age of participants was 21.4 years; 56% were male and 86% were MBBS students. High-frequency online food ordering (≥ 3 times/week) was reported by 60.1% of students. The majority spent ₹150–₹400 per order, with 42% exceeding ₹1000 monthly expenditure. North Indian and fast-food cuisines were most frequently ordered. Only 21.5% consumed adequate fruits daily, and 17.8% met vegetable adequacy. Out of 303 students, 28.7% reported gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort after online meals and 47.9% were overweight/obese. In multivariable models, male sex independently predicted overweight/obesity (AOR 2.26; 95% CI 1.39–3.67), while dietary markers showed a protective trend for GI discomfort (e.g., fruit adequacy AOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.33–1.19) without reaching statistical significance.

Conclusion

Online food ordering is highly prevalent among medical students and is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors and adverse health outcomes. Targeted nutrition education and institutional strategies are urgently required to promote healthier choices.