The Dragon Fruit Advantage: Exploring University Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of a Targeted Nutrition Education Module
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/mw2025924Keywords:
Nutrition Literacy, Dragon Fruit, Dietary Behavior, University Students, Food Education, Functional FoodsAbstract
Introduction: nutrition literacy plays a vital role in shaping healthy dietary habits, particularly among university students who are developing lifelong food behaviors. Functional foods such as dragon fruit provide a culturally relevant entry point for improving students’ understanding of nutrition and promoting healthier eating patterns.
Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of a Dragon Fruit Nutrition Education Module in enhancing nutrition literacy and improving dietary behaviors among university students.
Method: a mixed-methods design was used with fifty students participating in a multimodal intervention that integrated classroom instruction, hands-on cooking workshops, and digital reinforcement through mHealth tools. Nutrition literacy—comprising functional, interactive, and critical components—was assessed pre- and post-intervention. Dietary behaviors were examined through changes in fruit intake, dragon fruit consumption, and reliance on take-out meals. Qualitative feedback was analyzed using thematic analysis to understand student experiences and contextual factors.
Results: the intervention led to notable improvements in overall nutrition literacy, reflected in enhanced comprehension of nutrition information, improved communication of healthy eating concepts, and stronger critical evaluation skills. Students also reported positive dietary behavior changes, including increased fruit consumption, more frequent inclusion of dragon fruit in meals, and reduced dependence on convenience foods. Qualitative findings highlighted increased awareness, high engagement through experiential learning, motivation to adopt healthier behaviors, effective technological reinforcement, and environmental facilitators and barriers.
Conclusion: the module effectively strengthened nutrition literacy and encouraged healthier eating habits among university students. Its experiential and technology-supported design demonstrates strong potential for integration into university-based nutrition education programs.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Adelfa Silor, Faith Stephanny C. Silor (Author)
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