Effect of Gender on Fast-Food Consumption Habits of High School and University Students in Tekirdag, Turkey

Abstract

In this research, the effect of gender on fast-food consumption has been studied to determine fast-food consumption habits with a survey given to 900 people including Tekirdag city centre high school students and Namik Kemal University students. Also, the relationship between fast-food consumption and overweight, and whether the students have trust for hygiene applications of fast food producing and service enterprises has been studied. 900 people in total were involved in this research (459 females and 441 males). According to the results of the survey, a significant relationship between gender and fast-food choice type, portion size, consumption frequency, trust for complying hygiene rules, the need of being informed about food security, being affected by commercials, food poisoning and the reaction to it, and not consuming fast-food has been found. Many Turkish adolescents are becoming increasingly more westernized and have greater convenience when they eat out. Fast-food type nutrition which is popular among children and teenagers contains deficient or excess nutrients. High schools and universities are appropriate establishments for students to gain correct nutritional habits. This research has been planned to determine fast-food preferences of different gender.