Impact of Food Safety and Nutrition Knowledge on the Lifestyle of Young Poles—The Case of the Lublin Region

The aim of the study was to show the differences in healthy lifestyle and healthy food choices between high school and college students. The study was conducted in the Lublin region, Poland, with a group of 200 high school and college students using purposive sampling with the following four subgroups of 50 students, broken down by gender and type of school. Respondents completed a questionnaire concerning healthy lifestyle, healthy food choices, and barriers preventing a healthy lifestyle. Using discriminant analysis, the factors and barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle and the factors of healthy food choices were identified by the respondent group and by gender. A multidimensional exploratory technique was also used to interpret the results. The surveyed high school and college students were not very committed to practicing a healthy lifestyle. Multidimensional exploratory technique was also used to interpret the lifestyle and healthy food choices questions. There was variation between the attitudes of college and high school students toward a healthy lifestyle. High school students paid more attention to physical activity and eating breakfast than did college students. On the other hand, college students, at a greater level than high school students, ate a healthy diet and checked the composition of the products they consumed, including the presence of preservatives and artificial additives, and the expiration date of the products. The main barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle were, for college students, a lack of time and, for high school students, a lack of healthy food offerings in high school canteens.