Objective  To examine the situation and influential factors of dietary behavior among college students in Yingkou municipality and to provide evidences for developing nutritional intervention programs for adolescents by relevant agencies.

  Methods  An on-site self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among 2 432 students recruited with stratified cluster random sampling at two colleges in Yingkou municipality of Liaoning province. A modified Health-Related Behavior Questionnaire for Chinese Adolescents was adopted in the survey.

  Results  Valid information were collected from 99.1% of the students averagely aged 20.74 ± 1.2 years. The ratios of the respondents having following food or beverages one time or more per day were 15.9% for soft drinks, 12.0% for desserts, 8.0% for fried foods, and 5.3% for instant noodles; the ratios of consuming roadside stall and western fast food at least three times a week were 24.2% and 2.9%; the ratios of having milk and breakfast less than 6 days in a week were 82.6% and 44.8%; and the ratios having vegetables and fruit less than one time per day were 47.2% and 76.6%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that significant influencing factors for the respondents' unhealthy dietary behaviors included gender, maternal education, paternal occupation, academic performance, and family structure.

  Conclusion  Unhealthy dietary behavior is prevalent among college students in Yingkou city. The results suggest that health education on dietary nutrition should be carried out to promote healthy dietary behaviors among the students.