Assessing Student Satisfaction and Improving Efficiency: A Study on University Cafeteria

ABSTRACT

Background

The university cafeteria is a crucial element in shaping students’ dining experiences and their physical well-being. This study was conducted at a public university in Bangladesh.

Purpose

This research has a dual purpose: firstly, to assess student satisfaction with the university cafeteria using key indicators and secondly, to identify critical factors influencing this satisfaction through advanced data analysis employing recursive feature elimination (RFE). The ultimate goal is to enhance cafeteria services, align them with student preferences, and boost overall satisfaction.

Methods

Data collection involved 150 paper-based questionnaires with mixed data types, including questions based on prior research assessments. The model-building process included the chi-squared test and the recursive feature elimination process.

Results

The study identifies 12 factors significantly affecting cafeteria food satisfaction, with four factors having a notable impact: meal type and freshness, staff attitude, and wait length.

Discussion

This research highlights the interconnectedness of seemingly distinct cafeteria factors and their potential to influence health outcomes. Practical recommendations are made for improving cafeteria efficiency and adapting to changing student needs.

Translation to Health Education Practice

Health education interventions aimed at enhancing the cafeteria experience for university students should include a quantitative analysis of factors impacting students’ overall cafeteria satisfaction.

Acknowledgments

I am pleased to express my sincere gratitude to all participants who completed the questionnaire and provided valuable responses. The cafeteria staff has also greatly assisted me despite their busy schedules. Throughout this research endeavor, I have been inspired by the participants’ humble attitudes and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2023.2295557.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The study was not financially supported or sponsored by any organization or entity. It should be noted that the research was conducted solely for academic and scholarly purposes, and the findings presented in this paper are based on my independent analysis and interpretation of the data collected. The sources of data used in this study are appropriately acknowledged and cited. In conducting the research, I adhered to ethical guidelines and procedures to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the participants. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are my own and do not endorse any commercial products or services.