Hygienic features of the diet of foreign medical students considering their national cultures

Abstract

During studying, foreign students undergo many stages of adaptation to new habitats, including adaptations to climatic, social and nutritional features in Ukraine. Foreign students experience difficulties in shaping their diet, following national traditions. They do not always have the right to pick analogues of the usual food products, to cook, and are increasingly fed in fast food. The aim of the study is to offer corrective measures on the diet of foreign medical students, taking into account the characteristics of national cultures, which depend on the geographical location of the country of residence of students. To achieve the goal, the following objectives were set: to assess the peculiarities of the diet of students who came from Africa and South Asia from gender perspective; to identify factors that prevent foreign medical students from following the principles of rational nutrition; to develop proposals for correction of eating behavior of students. Methods of research - sociological (questioning and interviewing), analytical, medical-statistical, nonparametric methods of mathematical statistics. The paper presents data on the quantitative and qualitative composition of food products that respondents used during the day and the diet of foreign medical students who came to study from the countries of Africa and South Asia. It has been established that nutrition of students is not balanced in structure, mode, protein, fat, carbohydrate ratio in both groups. The author shows the main barriers that, according to students, impede them to eat rationally. Obtaining data allowed to make recommendations for the correction of eating behavior by foreign students, which consists in conducting information companies among foreign students for the promotion of healthy eating, taking into account the data of a permanent residence; informing the students about WHO recommendations for healthy eating; conducting constant monitoring of eating behavior of students using the proposed questionnaire.