Mediterranean Food Pattern Adherence in a Female-Dominated Sample of Health and Social Sciences University Students:...

The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean Food Pattern (MFP) in a self-selected sample of university students, addressing a perspective of food sustainability. In addition, it seeks to relate adherence to MFP with sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status.

This is a cross-sectional pilot study whose data collection was carried out by an online questionnaire between January and April 2023.

Two hundred and forty-eight students participated-most of them were female (78.2%), had a median of 22 (20; 30) years, resided in the central region of Portugal (42.3%), and were pursuing a degree (73.4%) in a public higher education institution (66.5%). The prevalence of overweight (overweight and obesity) found was 33.1%. Females predominantly used olive oil as their main source of fat (95.9%, p = 0.009) and had a higher consumption of sugary drinks (81.4%, p = 0.004) compared to males, who reported usage rates of 85.2% and 63.0%, The median score of the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener was 7 points, presented with an interquartile range (Q1: 6, Q3: 8), indicating moderate adherence. The analysis showed no differences between the sexes (p = 0.087). There was also a negative correlation between adherence to the MFP and the body mass index (p = 0.007; r = -0.171). In addition, adherence to the MFP was associated with the area of study and the course attended, with students in health-related fields showing higher adherence.

These findings underscore the necessity for targeted interventions aimed at promoting adherence to the MFP among university students, which could contribute to improved health outcomes and enhanced environmental sustainability.