Assessment of the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Nutritional Status of Students in Tertiary Institutions in Osun State Nigeria

Abstract

The present study, therefore, seeks to determine the impact of AI on the nutritional status of students within Osun State tertiary institutions in Nigeria, considering rising cases of malnutrition, poor dietary practices, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among young adults. The population of interest consisted of all 300-level students at the University of Ilesa and the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, with a total population of 464 students. A sample size of 232 students was arrived at and selected using stratified random sampling in order to ensure adequate representation across faculties and programmes. Data were obtained through primary and secondary sources. The primary data were generated using a structured questionnaire titled: Artificial Intelligence Application and Influence on Nutritional Status of Students in Osun State, Nigeria (AIAINSSTIOSN), administered to the sampled students and by undertaking in-depth interviews with 20 lecturers (10 from each institution) which provided qualitative responses. Additional information was received from the institutional records, academic reports, and literature to support and contextualised the findings. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques; for qualitative data, thematic analysis was performed. The results are therefore expected to show how much AI-enhanced nutrition tools improve dietary awareness, bring about better food choices, increase nutritional knowledge, and reduce the problems of under-nutrition and over-nutrition among students. The study concludes by noting that the strategic integration of AI into student health initiatives may play an influential role in enhancing healthier dietary behaviours and hence recommends the integration of AI-enhanced nutrition platforms into institutional health programs and policies for better sustainable nutrition and overall well-being among tertiary institution students in Nigeria.