Time Poverty and Financial Constraints: Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating and Lifestyle among Future Health Professionals in Northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Background Healthy eating and lifestyle practices among university students are shaped by multiple structural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Among students in health-related disciplines, who are expected to serve as future role models for healthy living, the presence of such barriers is particularly concerning. Understanding these barriers is essential for designing effective campus health promotion strategies. Objective This study assessed perceived barriers to healthy eating and lifestyle practices among undergraduate Allied Health Sciences students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 190 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire covering feeding habits, lifestyle behaviors, academic workload, food accessibility, and perceived barriers to healthy living. Anthropometric measurements were also obtained. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, employing descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and the Chi-Square test to examine associations between categorical variables at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results Academic workload (38.9%), convenience (27.9%), and financial constraints (20.5%) were the most frequently reported barriers to healthy eating and lifestyle practices. Meal skipping was highly prevalent (72.1%), with breakfast being the most commonly skipped meal (53.2%). Most respondents slept for only five to six hours daily (51.6%), spent five to seven hours on screens (54.7%), and engaged in only occasional physical activity (46.8%). Limited access to affordable healthy foods within the campus environment was reported by 62.1% of respondents, while 80.0% indicated that busy lecture schedules disrupted regular meal consumption. Academic workload was significantly associated with reduced sleep duration and limited physical activity participation (p < 0.05). Conclusion Time poverty and financial constraints significantly influenced feeding and lifestyle practices among Allied Health Sciences students. Structural and environmental barriers played important roles in shaping unhealthy behaviors, independent of students\' health-related knowledge. Institutional interventions aimed at improving campus food accessibility, reforming academic scheduling, and promoting healthier campus environments are recommended.