ENIAYEWU PRECIOUS OLAMIDE

The dietary habits of students can have a profound impact on their academic performance, particularly in demanding fields such as nursing. With the growing awareness of nutrition's rolein cognitive function and academic success, this study examined the perceived influenceofdietary habits on the academic performance among nursing students at the University of Benin. The purpose of the study was to assess the dietary patterns of nursing students and determinehow these habits relate to their academic performance. A descriptive cross-sectional designwasadopted. The population comprised nursing students from 200 to 500 level, excluding 100level students. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire, and analyzedusing descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the majority of respondents, 242 (85.5%), had good dietary habits, while 40 (14.2%) reported poor dietary habits. In termsofacademic performance, 269 (95.4%) had good performance and only 13 (4.6%) hadpoorperformance. A statistically significant association was observed between dietary habits andacademic performance (p < 0.001), indicating that students with better dietary habits weremorelikely to perform well academically.In conclusion, the study highlights a positive relationshipbetween healthy dietary habits and academic success among nursing students. It is recommendedthat nutrition education and awareness be incorporated into student support programs to promotebetter eating habits and, by extension, improve academic outcomes