الفهرس 
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Abstract
Summary
Fast foods are energy dense food with high sugar/fat/salt content and low nutrient value in terms of protein, fiber, vitamin and mineral content. These foods contain high amount of refined sugar, white flour, trans fat and polyunsaturated fat and numerous additives. Fast food are getting very popular among people due to time factor, taste factor, its attractiveness and appealing advertisements.
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and health attitudes of university students toward fast food and identify the prevalence of fast food consumption among university students.
A descriptive cross sectional research design was used. This study was conducted at 4 faculties which were selected randomly, included two practical faculties (faculty of pharmacy and faculty of computer & information) and two theoretical faculties (faculty of social services and faculty of Education). Stratified random sample was utilized in the present study to select the previous faculties which mentioned above; the names of facilities (practical and theoretical colleges) are placed in a separate plate and then the colleges are chosen randomly. Also, asystematic random sample used for selecting the students whereas the researcher has taken the students sections from each faculty
In this study; three tools were utilized for gathering data: the first tool; a structured self-administered questionnaire which included socio-demographic characteristic, knowledge and consumption of fast food, the second tool; attitude toward fast food and the last tool; anthropometric measurements.
The main results of the present study were:
1- The study findings revealed that 50.1% of students’ aged from20- years old and 63.3% were males. According to students’ parent’s education, 44.4% of fathers and 27.9% of mothers had university and post graduate education. While 52.9% of students were in the middle socioeconomic class.
2- The present study illustrated the majority (91.9%) of students having fast food and 39.2% of them consuming it from 1-3 meals per week and 69.8% of them having fast food for saving time.
3- The present study clarified that 40.0% of students had fair score of knowledge and 33.7% of them had poor score of knowledge.
4- The study cleared that 57.2% of students had positive attitude, while 42.8% of them had negative attitude toward fast food. And the study clears that 52.4% of students had normal weight.
5- The findings of the study showed that there was statistical significant difference between students’ knowledge, attitude and their having fast food also, with the number of fast food meals per week.
6- There was a positive correlation among total score of students’ knowledge and their attitude toward fast food.
The study recommended that:
1 -Periodic health education programs in university regarding the effects of fast food on health are essential.
2- Encourage the parents to be a modle in front of their children by not eating fast food and encourage home cooked food.
3-Communities, food companies and television should participate in promoting healthy food choices; the government should encourage advertisement of healthy food which can generate interest among the people observers.
4-Undergraduate Curriculum are very important to include health education about healthy, unhealthy food and health hazards of fast food.
5- Further research on the effects of fast food on health is needed.