Adherence to Mediterranean Diet among Lebanese University Students

Scarce studies described eating habits and diet quality among university students in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to assess the rate of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) among Lebanese university students. A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out on 525 students (53% men...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Karam, Joanne, Bibiloni Esteva, Maria Del Mar, Serhan, Mireille, Tur, Josep A.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes Balears
Repositorio:Docusalut
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docusalut.com:20.500.13003/19424
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/19424
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Young Adult
Adult
Food Preferences
Humans
Adolescent
Diet Surveys
Cross-Sectional Studies
Lebanon
Male
Female
Diet, Mediterranean
Universities
Students
Universidades
Dieta Mediterránea
Estudiantes
Femenino
Líbano
Adolescente
Masculino
Encuestas sobre Dietas
Estudios Transversales
Humanos
Adulto Joven
Preferencias Alimentarias
Adulto
Mediterranean diet
dietary habits
university students
Descripción
Sumario:Scarce studies described eating habits and diet quality among university students in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to assess the rate of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) among Lebanese university students. A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out on 525 students (53% men, 18-25 years old) from the University of Balamand, Lebanon. Adherence to the MedDiet was assessed using a validated 14-item MedDiet adherence score. Mean adherence to the MedDiet was 7.96 (standard deviation 2.2), and it was adequate in 59% of participants. Adherence to the MedDiet was higher in older students and nonsmokers. Legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts were consumed according to the MedDiet standards among a minimum of 48.4% and a maximum of 69.5% of participants. Chicken, turkey, or rabbit was preferred by 66.9% of participants instead of beef, pork, hamburgers, or sausages; however, just 56.2% of participants showed adequate intake of red meat, hamburger, or meat products. Only 28.8% of them referred to an adequate intake of fish or shellfish. Most of the participants (86.3%) used olive oil as the main added fat, and 67.2% reported a low intake of butter and derivatives. Sofrito was also very usual among participants (79.6%). Only half of the studied sample reported an adequate intake of sweet or carbonated beverages and commercial sweets or pastries. Among the assessed sample, half the participants showed adequate adherence to the MedDiet; however, the mean of adherence among the sample is low.