scholarly journals Nutrition in Practice: A Shift from Nutrition Education Alone to Incorporation Into Medical Students’ Food Choices

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 598-598
Author(s):  
JuliSu DiMucci-Ward ◽  
Demetri Tsiolkas ◽  
Elizabeth Zipprer,
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
School Canteen ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Product Loss ◽  
Product Inventory

Abstract Objectives This study aims to show that if provided healthy food options in the on-campus canteen, medical students will develop healthier eating habits. Methods A mixed methods approach was utilized to conduct primary market research which look at the purchasing behavior of medical students, and faculty. The inventory offered in the school canteen, was tracked from 2016 through the first fifteen weeks of 2019. The data from the vendor listed the food items into 9 categories: bottled beverages, candy, general merchandise, ice cream, juice, large snacks, milk, non-carb beverage, and pastry. Of these categories, the top 10 sales for each year were obtained. This study included customer survey data, suggestion box data and product inventory data from the vendor. The customer input was summarized and shared with the vendor in the spring of 2018. The vendor accommodated the medical school customers in all the food and beverage options available for purchase beginning in the next stocking cycle. These changes were implemented over the following three months, despite early food service institutional barriers. Results Utilizing the vendor's product inventory excel spread sheets records of sales, product loss, and cost over a three-year period basic statistical analysis indicated that despite an initial drop in sales healthier foods began to trend in the highest sales categories. The foods and beverages that were suggested by students were shown to have been bought more abundantly and frequently after the changes to the canteen were made. Of the nine categories that were analyzed, the beverages showed the most dramatic changes from unhealthy to healthy choices; the sales of healthy beverages increased by 17% over the study period. Interestingly, there was an overall increase in the canteen's total profit in the last year of this study compared to the two previous years. Conclusions Students as active participants, when provided healthier food and beverage options demonstrated purchasing behavior indicating a desire to consume the healthier foods. This will be invaluable in the practice of medicine, as it is more efficacious to educate and motivate patients who need instruction regarding their nutritional needs if the providers are already living by that example. Funding Sources None

scholarly journals Nutrition Education in Portuguese Medical Students: Impact on the Attitudes and Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 246
Author(s):  
Inês Barreiros Mota ◽  
Inês Castelo ◽  
Juliana Morais ◽  
Miguel Anjos ◽  
João Pedro Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
First Year ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Eating Behaviours ◽  
Dietary Counselling ◽  
Future Clinical Practice ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Nutrition has been underrepresented in the curriculum of many medical schools and therefore physicians do not feel adequately prepared to provide dietary counselling. The aim of the present study is to determine the impact of a Nutrition and Metabolism curricular unit on nutrition attitudes, knowledge and confidence on future clinical practice of medical students.Material and Methods: All the students enrolled in the curricular unit (2017/2018) were invited to complete a questionnaire assessing their nutritional knowledge and eating habits at the beginning and at the end of the semester (n = 310).Results: Initially, students reported good eating habits and nutrition knowledge. These aspects improved at the end of the study. Moreover, students reported that they felt more confident to do dietary counselling after intervention.Discussion: Most medical students answered affirmatively to all questions related with good habits or eating behaviours, and the acquisition of knowledge had an impact in specific attitudes. After the Nutrition and Metabolism classes the students felt able to provide dietary counselling in different clinical settings, but none of the students felt extremely confident about their competencies for dietary counselling. This can be due to the fact that the students involved were in the first year of the integrated master’s degree in medicine, which is a preclinical year, and thus distant from the medical reality and from contact with patients.Conclusion: Nutrition education can have a positive impact on attitudes and eating behaviours, knowledge and in the perception of competencies for dietary counselling.

scholarly journals An evaluation of the dietary habits of English programme medical students in their first year of studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Sroka ◽  
Edyta Dzięciołowska-Baran ◽  
Jacek Szczurowski ◽  
Magdalena Szałowska-Bojarun
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Men And Women

Introduction: Human nutrition depends on many factors. Cultural practices, socio-psychological and economic factors play important roles in development of correct nutrition patterns. Eating habits are formed most strongly during childhood and adolescence. When young people begin university study, their way of life changes significantly. In this study group, not only do the necessities of independent living and food preparation occur, but also a change the country of residence.The aim of the study was to investigate the dietary habits of medical students of the English programme.Materials and methods: The material consisted of data collected from an anonymous survey distributed among 1st year students of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (28 men and 52 women). The study used a questionnaire consisting of open and multi-choice questions concerning the anthropometric data of subjects and principles of nutrition. Data were analysedstatistically.Results: Obesity was generally not observed in the group of examined students. In most cases body mass index (BMI) remained in the normal range. Cases of obesity were observed only among the men. There were no significant differences between the men and women in terms of the regularity of meals. About 50% of the study population declared a regular consumption of 3 main meals a day. Significantly more women than men followed slimming diets. We did not observe significant differences between men and women in terms of activities concerned with controlling weight. Significantly more women than men had fruits and vegetables every day. Men more often consumed sweets, coffee and fast-food. Analysis of the results showed abnormal patterns in the quality and quantity of meals.Conclusions: It is essential to introduce measures in the field of nutrition education into the curriculum in order to shape appropriate patterns of healthy nutrition among future doctors and thus prevent lifestyle diseases caused by inappropriate dietary habits.

scholarly journals Children, Media and Food. A New Paradigm in Food Advertising, Social Marketing and Happiness Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3588
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Elías Zambrano ◽  
Gloria Jiménez-Marín ◽  
Araceli Galiano-Coronil ◽  
Rafael Ravina-Ripoll
Keyword(s):  
Eating Habits ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Qualitative Technique ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The One

The growing number of children who are obese or overweight in certain countries or geographical areas is a fact, as evidenced by the continuous studies and reports on the subject, endorsed or carried out by the World Health Organisation and independent research. In this context, food and beverage advertising can contribute to this. The main objective of this research is to evaluate compliance with the Food and Drink Advertising Code for Children (PAOS Code) in Spain and its relationship with nutritional habits on television, specifically on channels aimed at children. The methodology is therefore mixed: on the one hand, a qualitative technique based on discourse analysis and, on the other, a quantitative technique based on the content analysis of the advertising broadcast for seven consecutive days on three specialised channels and two generalist channels on Spanish television. The results reveal a systematic noncompliance with this code, which translates into inadequate eating habits among children. The immediate conclusion is that 9 out of 10 parts of food and drink advertising do not comply with any of the rules of the PAOS Code and that self-regulation by the advertising companies is negligible and insufficient.

scholarly journals Impact of a behaviourally focused nutrition education intervention on attitudes and practices related to eating habits and activity levels in Indian adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Panchali Moitra ◽  
Jagmeet Madan ◽  
Preeti Verma
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Indian Adolescents

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a behaviourally focused nutrition education (NE) intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to eating habits and activity levels in 10–12-year-old adolescents in Mumbai, India. Design: School-based cluster randomised controlled trial. The experimental group (EG) received weekly NE and three parent sessions over 12 weeks; no sessions were conducted for the control group (CG). The theoretical framework of HBM and focus group discussion results guided the development of behaviour change communication strategies and NE aids. KAP were measured using a validated survey instrument, administered at baseline and endline in EG and CG. Paired and independent t tests determined within-group and between-group changes in pre–post scores. Setting: Two aided and two private schools that were randomly allocated to either an EG or CG. Participants: Adolescent boys and girls (n 498; EG n 292 and CG n 206). Results: EG reported improvements in mean knowledge (39·3%), attitude (7·3 %), diet (9·6 %) and activity practice (9·4%) scores from pre to post intervention. No significant changes were observed in CG. Significant improvements in scores associated with perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy, breakfast and vegetable consumption, and moderate-to-vigorous activities were observed in EG. Conclusions: Integrating NE into the academic curriculum and adopting evidence-based lessons that entail targeted information delivery and participatory activities can improve knowledge, foster right attitudes and facilitate better eating and activity-related practices in Indian adolescents.

scholarly journals Lifestyle Changes Among Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Study Across Nine Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110192
Author(s):  
Francisco Perez-Dominguez ◽  
Francisca Polanco-Ilabaca ◽  
Fernanda Pinto-Toledo ◽  
Daniel Michaeli ◽  
Jadi Achiardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Private Life ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Emotional Instability ◽  
Public And Private

The global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) disrupted both public and private life for many. Concerning medical students, practical teaching and classrooms were substituted with a virtual curriculum. However, how this new academic environment has affected students’ health and lifestyles has yet to be studied. In this study, we surveyed 2,776 students from nine different countries about changes in their university curricula and potential alterations in their daily habits, physical health, and psychological status. We found negative changes across all countries studied, in multiple categories. We found that 99% of respondents indicated changes in their instruction delivery system, with 90% stating a transition to online education, and 93% stating a reduction or suspension of their practical activities. On average, students spent 8.7 hours a day in front of a screen, with significant differences among countries. Students reported worsened studying, sleeping, and eating habits with substantial differences in Latin American countries. Finally, the participants frequently expressed onset and increase in both mental and physical health symptoms: backache, asthenopia, irritability, and emotional instability. Altogether, these results suggest a potential risk in the health and academic performance of future doctors if these new academic modalities are maintained.

scholarly journals Breakfast Eating Habits and Lifestyle Behaviors among Saudi Primary School Children Attending Public Versus Private Schools

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Laura Jabri ◽  
Amani A. Al-Rasheedi ◽  
Rayan A. Alsulaimani ◽  
Hazzaa M. Al-Hazzaa
Keyword(s):  
Private Schools ◽  
School Children ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Cluster Method ◽  
School Type ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
School Canteen ◽  
Breakfast Eating ◽  
Public Versus Private

We investigated breakfast eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among Saudi school children attending public versus private schools. A random sample of 1149 children (girls: 54.4%) from public and private schools was selected from elementary schools using the multistage stratified cluster method. Measurements included body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported questionnaires filled by the child’s parents. There was no significant (p = 0.44) difference in the prevalence of breakfast intake between children attending public (20.6%) versus private (19.4%) schools. However, there was a gender by school type interactions in breakfast intake frequency, as boys in private but not in public schools had significantly (p = 0.006) higher (26.3%) daily breakfast intake than girls (13.3%). Over 56% of the children ate and drank from the school canteen, and impacting factors on children’s choices were children’s desire, food taste, and parental influence. More parents of children in private (12.1%) than in public (6.9%) schools were satisfied with the food in the school canteen. Younger age (aOR = 0.889, 95% CI = 0.815–0.970, p = 0.008), higher father education (aOR = 1.380, 95% CI = 1.130–1.686, p = 0.002), family income (aOR = 1.227, 95% CI = 1.005–1.498, p = 0.044), and insufficient sleep duration (aOR = 0.740, 95% CI = 0.553–0.990, p = 0.042) were significantly associated with being in a private school. Furthermore, no significant differences, when adjusted for socio-demographic factors, appeared in breakfast intake or overweight/obesity relative to school type. Interventions to improve daily breakfast consumption and lifestyle behaviors of Saudi children are warranted.

scholarly journals Digital Media Use in Association with Sensory Taste Preferences in European Children and Adolescents—Results from the I.Family Study

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Elida Sina ◽  
Christoph Buck ◽  
Wolfgang Ahrens ◽  
Stefaan De Henauw ◽  
Hannah Jilani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Computer Game ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Taste Preferences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Game Console

Digital media (DM) influences children’s food choice. We aim to investigate associations between DM use and taste preferences (TP) for sweet, fatty, bitter, and salty in European children and adolescents. Individuals aged 6–17 years (N = 7094) providing cross-sectional data for DM use: television (TV), computer/game console (PC), smartphone and internet, were included. Children (6 to <12 years) and adolescents (≥12 years) completed a Food and Beverage Preference Questionnaire; scores were calculated for sweet, fatty, salty and bitter preference and categorized (high vs. low). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios as association measures between DM exposure and TP. On average, individuals used media for 2.4 h/day (SD = 1.7). Increasing exposures to DM were associated positively with sweet, fatty and salty TP, while inversely with bitter preference. In female adolescents, DM exposure for >2 h/day was associated with sweet (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.02–1.57) and fatty preference (OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.10–1.70). Internet exposure was inversely associated with bitter preference, notably in male adolescents (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.50–0.84), but positively associated with salty preference (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.64). DM exposure was associated with sweet, fatty, salty and bitter TP in children and adolescents, serving as the basis for future longitudinal studies to shed light on the underlying mechanism by which DM exposure may determine eating habits.

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