Xuan, Geogina Yap Jing (2026) The impact of myfitnesspal on daily calorie intake and food choices among undergraduate health sciences students in USM health campus (USMKK). Project Report. Universiti Sains Malaysia. (Submitted)
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Abstract
MyFitnessPal (MFP) is a functional tool for dietary self-monitoring and improving food choices. However, the impacts of MFP on calorie intake and food choices in Malaysian university students remain poorly understood. A pre-post interventional study was conducted among undergraduate health sciences students at USMKK. Participants recorded their daily food and beverage intake in MFP for 3 weeks, and average daily calorie intakes were collected. Changes in dietary intake were assessed by using the Dietary Instrument of Nutrition Education (DINE). Paired t-tests were used to compare calorie intake and DINE food scores. The mean ± standard deviation for the nutrition knowledge among participants is 15.88 ± 1.60, with 56.4% scoring above the average. After using MFP, 98.7% of students reported becoming aware of their food choices by tracking diet. No statistically significant differences were found in average daily calorie intake between Week 1 and Week 3. Calorie intake during the mid-semester break was significantly higher than during lecture weeks (p = 0.008). A significant increase was observed in the fatty food score (p < 0.001) after using MFP, while changes in sugary foods or fruit and vegetable intake were not statistically significant. No significant changes in average daily calorie intake suggest that the perceived barriers of environmental cues outweighed the perceived benefits of self-monitoring, where the holiday acted as a strong confounder. The significant increase in the fatty food score may be attributed to the under-reporting bias and dietary restraint. The non-significant results for other food groups are mainly due to the university environment constraints. Results of this study suggest while MFP is an effective tool for self-monitoring, it is insufficient as a standalone intervention to alter university students’ food choices. Future study could implement a longer intervention period or complement digital interventions with nutrition education.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | MyFitnessPal |
| Subjects: | R Medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine |
| Divisions: | Kampus Kesihatan (Health Campus) > Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan (School of Health Sciences) > Monograph |
| Depositing User: | MUHAMMAD AKIF AIMAN AB SHUKOR |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Jul 2026 06:43 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Sep 2026 08:29 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usm.my/id/eprint/64738 |
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