Abstract: Objective To investigate the dietary nutrition status of vocational college students and its relationships with their mental work ability and learning fatigue. Methods The dietary nutrition status of vocational college students were investigated by 24 h dietary retrospective method lasted for 3 days, and the dietary nutrient intake of vocational college students reaching recommended nutrient intake （RNI） were statistically analyzed. The mental work ability index of students with different nutrient intake and the incidence of learning fatigue were compared. Results The average intake of nicotinic acid and vitamin C were less than 80% RNI, while the average intake of energy, fat, protein, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, calcium, iron, zinc and selenium ranged from 80% RNI to 120% RNI, but the average intake of vitamin E, phosphorus and sodium were more than 120% RNI. The mental work ability index after class 8 of the students with adequate intake of protein, nicotinic acid, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, vitamin C and calcium were higher than those with insufficient intake （all P<0.01）, but the incidence rates of learning fatigue were lower than those with insufficient intake （all P<0.01）. The mental work ability index after class 8 of the students with adequate intake of phosphorus and sodium were higher than those with excessive intake （all P<0.01）, but the incidence rates of learning fatigue were lower than those with excessive intake （all P<0.01）. Conclusion Vocational college students have low intake of dietary nutrients such as nicotinic acid and vitamin C, but high intake of vitamin E, phosphorus and sodium, and the unbalanced intake of nutrients is related to the decrease of mental work ability and the increase of incidence rate of learning fatigue.

Key words: Vocational school, Students, Dietary nutrition, Mental work ability, Learning fatigue