Sustainable Nutrition, Nutrition Knowledge and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Levels of University Students

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the level of sustainable nutrition and nutritional knowledge of university students and their level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which is accepted as a sustainable nutritional model. The cross-sectional study was carried out online with 96 students, in April-May 2023. The students' 'Basic nutrition and food-health relationship' knowledge and 'Food preference' levels were evaluated by using the Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults. The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) was used to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD). The mean age of the students was 20.9 ± 1.6. 95.8% of students were female, 86.5% were staying at home with their families, 9.4% were in a bad economic situation, 87.5% of the students were healthy, 55.2% skipped at least one meal, 3.1% were on a diet to lose weight, and 25% were physically active. The mean score on MEDAS was 6.7±1.9 among the students. The rate of those with poor basic nutrition and food preference knowledge was 4.2% and 7.3%, respectively. Those who stated that the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable nutritional model were 79.2%. %24.0 of the students had low MD adherence level. There was no statistically significant relationship between the students' age, gender, place of residence, economic status, health status, skipping meals, dieting status, physical activity status, nutrition knowledge level and MD adherence level (p>0.05).