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Dietary patterns and their relationship with demographic and lifestyle variables in medical students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences: A cross-sectional study
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Hamed Kowsari *    , Nasrin Sharifi , Negar Fathi , Amirhossein Teimoury , Nasrin Sharifi |
| Kashan University of Medical Sciences , kowsari_h@yahoo.com |
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Abstract: (11 Views) |
Background and Objective: Medical students are exposed to unhealthy eating patterns due to academic pressures and specific living conditions. The present study aimed to identify the dominant eating patterns and investigate their relationship with demographic and lifestyle characteristics in medical students.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 259 medical students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 1401-1402. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess nutritional status. Then, food patterns were extracted using factor analysis and varimax rotation, and their relationship with demographic and lifestyle variables was examined using independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance.
Results: Three main dietary patterns were identified: 1) "Traditional and Protein" pattern, characterized by high loadings for foods such as chicken, eggs, beans, red meat, vegetables, and fruits; 2) "Sweet and High-Fat" pattern, with high loadings for creamy pastries, industrial fruit juice, soda, and fast food; and 3) "Snack-Based" pattern, with high loadings for biscuits, cakes, sugar, and tea. These three patterns explained a total of 33.15% of the data variance. Following the traditional and protein pattern was significantly less among students living in dormitories than among students living in private homes (p=0.013). Also, basic science students tended to follow a sweet and high-fat pattern more than trainees (p=0.007). Regular physical activity was associated with increased adherence to the traditional and protein pattern (p=0.001) and decreased adherence to the sweet and high-fat pattern (p=0.021). In contrast, gender (p=0.18), marital status (p=0.27), and body mass index (p=0.33) did not show a significant relationship with dietary patterns.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicated a significant relationship between living environment and lifestyle and dietary patterns of medical students. It seems that improving the quality of nutrition in dormitories and promoting physical activity can be effective in improving the dietary habits of this group.
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| Keywords: Dietary patterns, Medical students, Factor analysis, Lifestyle, Dormitory |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
medicine, paraclinic
Received: 2025/08/29 | Revised: 2025/09/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/30
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