Factors Associated with Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Dietary Habits among University Students in Lebanon.

Jennifer S El Hajj,Sofi G Julien,Luigi Schiavo

doi:10.1155/2021/6688462

Jennifer S El Hajj, Sofi G Julien + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6688462

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Abstract

Although the Mediterranean Diet has been acknowledged as the best overall diet for the year 2020, it has seen a decrease in its adherence over the past years. This is due to several reasons, one of which is the gradual shift to a more westernized diet with all the influences that occur especially on university students whose dietary choices set a path for future dietary habits. The aim of this study is to check the level of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and frequency of breakfast consumption among university students in Lebanon and check whether they are influenced by sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary knowledge, or academic data. A cross-sectional questionnaire was electronically sent to randomly selected students (210 females and 93 males) from different universities across Lebanon, aged between 18 and 25 years old. The questionnaire was filled online, and all data were self-reported. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) was used as a tool to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. The results showed that 18.8% of respondents had high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. Students who reported always consuming breakfast and not skipping meals had significantly higher adherence to the MD. Furthermore, students with lower BMI and higher KIDMED scores had significantly more correct answers on the nutritional knowledge questions. In addition, there was a significant difference in the average KIDMED scores between different GPA categories, most notably when comparing high and poor MD adherence; students with excellent GPA scores had higher adherence to the MD than those with poor GPA scores. In conclusion, nutrition awareness in a university setting is very important since it may positively affect academic outcomes and may be the last chance to teach and engrave healthy eating patterns to a large scale of students.

Highlights

Introduction e Mediterranean Diet (MD) refers to a dietary pattern characterizing the eating habits of populations living in the geographical area of the Mediterranean basin
Albeit evolved over time and with some differences across the countries afferent to the Mediterranean basin, the Mediterranean Diet is characterized by some common features: consumption of whole grains, a wide variety of local and seasonal fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of dairy products, plantbased protein sources, and reduced amounts of saturated fats with olive oil and olives being the main source of fat
When students who sometimes (

Summary

Introduction

Diet (MD) refers to a dietary pattern characterizing the eating habits of populations living in the geographical area of the Mediterranean basin. It was written in 1614 when an Italian writer, Giacomo Castelvetro, tried to socially impact people living in England by introducing the idea of consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables [1]. Albeit evolved over time and with some differences across the countries afferent to the Mediterranean basin, the Mediterranean Diet is characterized by some common features: consumption of whole grains, a wide variety of local and seasonal fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of dairy products, plantbased protein sources, and reduced amounts of saturated fats with olive oil and olives being the main source of fat. In addition to its various health benefits, a review study published in 2013 found a consistent pattern between higher adherence

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