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Food Preferences and Their Association with Gender and Body Mass Index among University Students in Kashan University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Faezeh Nematolahi   , Habibollah Rahimi , Seyed Mojtaba Khodashenas , Graham Finlayson , Nasrin Sharifi * |
| Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Basic Science Research Institute, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , sharifi-na@kaums.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (4 Views) |
Background and Objective: Food preference refers to the selection of one or more types of food among other foods, which can affect a person's physical and mental health. Therefore, the present study was conducted for the first time in Iran with the aim of investigating food preferences of students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences and analyzing their relationship with gender and body mass index (BMI).
Methods: In this study, which was a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data of the validation project of the Persian version of the Leeds Food Preferences Questionnaire, food preferences were assessed in 145 participating students (65 females and 80 males). The questionnaire contained 16 images from 4 food categories including "high-fat and sweet", "low-fat and sweet", "high-fat and unsweetened" and "low-fat and unsweetened" snacks that were common in Iran. The images of the foods were shown singly or in pairs to the participants, who were selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method, and each participant, in a fasting state, determined the level of interest and desire for that food and its preference over other foods using the appropriate tools available in the questionnaire software.
Results: The results showed that in the fasting state, high-fat, non-sweet foods (including processed foods and fast foods) had the highest food preference scores. In contrast, low-fat, non-sweet foods (including vegetables) had the lowest acceptability among participants. Men showed significantly higher preferences for high-fat, sweet foods (such as pastries, cakes, and cookies), while women had higher preferences for low-fat, non-sweet foods (vegetables). In addition, a significant inverse relationship was observed between BMI and explicit preference for low-fat foods such as fruits and vegetables (r = - 0.22, P<0.01).
Conclusion: The overall order of food preferences in the fasting state among students was as follows: high-fat and unsweetened foods (most preferred) > high-fat and sweet foods > low-fat and sweet foods > low-fat and unsweetened foods. Men and individuals with higher BMI tend to prefer energy-dense, high-fat foods, while women tend to prefer healthier, low-fat foods. These findings emphasize the importance of designing targeted nutritional interventions tailored to gender and weight status in the student population.
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| Keywords: Food preferences, medical sciences students, gender, body mass index (BMI) |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
medicine, paraclinic
Received: 2025/09/22 | Revised: 2025/11/19 | Accepted: 2025/11/19
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