Longitudinal study about the adherence to Mediterranean Diet patterns in Health Sciences students

Introduction: The university period is usually the moment when students assume their own diet for the first time and can acquire habits that will affect their future health. The evolution of the nutritional status of the body mass index (BMI) and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Health Sciences students in the Nursing and Physiotherapy degrees is studied by studying the effects of the training received in the first year and in the second academic course on Dietetics and Nutrition. Material and Methods: Pilot study on the follow-up of 124 students of Health Sciences of the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera (Nursing and Physiotherapy degrees), by means of the KIDMED questionnaire before and after studying a subject of Nutrition in first year and during the second academic year, assessing the changes in the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and possible associated factors (sex, degree of origin, commensality, state of nutrition through BMI and assessment of previous adherence). Results: A good correlation was found between initial and final BMI (r(2)=0.848, p<0.001) and initial and final KIDMED assessment (r(2)=0.691, p<0.001). The nutrition status BMI does not show significant differences when receiving the training. There was a significant increase in KIDMED assessment, higher in Nursing students (p=0.045). 50.8% improves its adherence to the diet, both in the bivariate and multivariate analysis of binary logistic regression, only an inverse association with the initial adherence is observed (OR=1.68[1.35-2.08]; IC=95%, p<0.001). Conclusions: A slight improvement in the adherence of the students' diet to the Mediterranean Diet was observed when the students were taking a second course in Health Sciences and had received nutrition training. Therefore, include scientific information about dietary habits and healthy lifestyles to college students help improve their own habits and promote them among their future patients.