Food Safety Delivered for Polish Military Cadets during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Purpose: Nutrition of cadets during the period of biological threat caused by SARS-CoV-2 is an important element shaping their combat readiness, however, scientific research in this area is scarce. The need to analyse this specific group has become the genesis of this article. The main purpose of the study was to verify the significance of the effect of selected factors on the assessment of the quality and quantity of meals provided to soldiers. Design/Methodology/Approach: Due to the qualitative and multi-level form of the dependent variable, multinomial logistic regression was used, which allowed the evaluation of the effect of all selected predictors on the results. Findings: Research involved students of 4 years of study. The article presents a discussion of the study group and the effect of selected factors on the opinions about meals received during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. An interesting question was the assessment of whether and how a surveyed cadet’s year of study, BMI and gender affected their decisions regarding the qualitative and quantitative assessment of food consumed during this period. Practical Implications: The analysis showed that there are factors related to the characteristics of the respondents which significantly affect their assessment of nutrition, and thus it is important to select the right study sample. The answers obtained in the survey differed depending on the respondent’s gender, BMI level or year of study. The results of the study provide a basis for further research aimed at optimizing nutrition for students of military universities. Originality/Value: The results of the study showed that there are factors related to the characteristics of the respondents, such as gender, year of study or the BMI, which significantly affect their final value. The ratings given by women were definitely higher than those of men. Perhaps this was due to a greater tendency to show empathy and appreciate the effort associated with preparing meals.