Short-term Exposure to a Mediterranean Environment Influences Attitudes and Dietary Profile in U.S. College Students: The MEDiterranean Diet in AMEricans (A-MED-AME) Pilot Study

Petroka, Katherine Frances; Dinu, Monica; Hoover, Chelsea; Casini, Alessandro; Sofi, Francesco

doi:10.1080/07315724.2015.1118652

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Four studies have evaluated the students' familiarity with MD (Table ). The potential influence of short‐term exposure to MD during a structured abroad experience on dietary habits and attitudes was evaluated in an Italian university where foreign students were attending . The sample consisted of 54 college students from 12 different US states.…”

Section: Can We Increase Familiarity With the Md?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Mediterranean diet adherence in university student populations: Does this dietary pattern affect students' academic performance and mental health?

Antonopoulou

Mantzorou

Serdari

et al. 2019

Health Planning & Management

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Summary Adherence to a healthy diet such as Mediterranean Diet (MD) may exert beneficial effects in university students, promoting their academic performance and quality of life, as well as their mental and physical health status. In this aspect, the present study aimed to critically analyze the current epidemiological evidence concerning MD adherence of university students' populations. PubMed database was comprehensively searched, using relative keywords. Students' dietary habits are moving away from MD guidelines towards unhealthy eating patterns, especially for those living away from home and even for students with a Mediterranean country origin. Most of the available studies have documented that poorer students' health status was associated with lower MD adherence. Higher MD adherence was correlated with lower depression risk, while higher perceived stress score with lower fruit and vegetables intake. The access of students to information and knowledge provided by courses and lectures did not effectively enhance their compliance to MD. Alarmingly enough, the majority of students, even from medical and nutritional university departments, showed inadequate knowledge on healthy eating habits. Due to the influence of diet on the quality of life and the mental and physical health of students, it is crucial to redirect research focus on this important aspect.

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Section: Can We Increase Familiarity With the Md?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Mediterranean diet adherence in university student populations: Does this dietary pattern affect students' academic performance and mental health?

Antonopoulou

Mantzorou

Serdari

et al. 2019

Health Planning & Management

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show abstract

“…The eating habits of young people are characterised by a high intake of sugars and saturated fats, and insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables [2]. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is, therefore, of special interest, as it has been shown to have a positive impact on health-related quality of life [6]. The MD is characterised by a high consumption of natural antioxidants, legumes, fish, nuts and olive oil, as well as a moderate intake of meat, eggs and fats [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Healthy Habits and Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport among University Students: A Structural Equation Model

et al. 2018

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(1) Background: Several studies have shown how certain types of motivation for sports can favour healthy habits or can cause risk behaviours. (2) Methods: The aim of this study was to establish and verify an explanatory model for motivational climate in sport which considers other possible influential variables related to health. This research was conducted with a sample of 490 university students from Spain. The 33-item Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2) was used to assess perceived motivational climate. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video Games (QERV), the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), and the KIDMED test were used to assess healthy habits; (3) Results: Findings revealed that task-involved climate and ego-involved climate were both positively associated with physical activity with the strongest relationship emerging for a task-involved climate. Furthermore, task climate was positively associated with a good adherence to a Mediterranean diet. A direct relationship was found between ego climate and alcohol intake and problematic use of video games; (4) Conclusions: The findings imply that students who have greater intrinsic motivation to participate in sport and perceive a task-involved climate also report healthier habits. This highlights the importance of creating task-involved motivational climates in sport and physical education lessons.

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“…Despite the MD has been recognized as a healthy and attainable eating pattern for the American population [ 22 ], data on its adoption among US students are limited [ 57 , 58 ]. In particular, a study conducted in the southeastern US by Bottcher and colleagues [ 57 ] explored college students’ dietary habits in terms of adherence to the MD using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score [ 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and its association with sustainable dietary behaviors, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle: a cross-sectional study in US University students

Franchini,

Biasini,

Sogari

et al. 2024

Nutr J

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Background Promoting healthy and sustainable diets is increasingly important and the Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been recognized as an appropriate example that can be adapted to different countries. Considering that the college years are the time when US young adults are most likely to adopt unhealthy eating habits, the present study assessed adherence to the MD and the sustainability of dietary behaviors in a nationally representative sample of US university students, aiming to identify crucial levers for improving their eating behaviors. Methods MD adherence and the adoption of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns were assessed through the KIDMED and the Sustainable-HEalthy-Diet (SHED Index questionnaires, respectively, administered through an online survey that also included sociodemographic and behavioral questions. Non-parametric and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results A sample of 1485 participants (median (IQR) age 21.0 (19.0–22.0); 59% women) correctly completed the survey. A medium adherence to the MD was the most prevalent (47%). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, the likelihood of being more compliant with the MD increased when meeting physical activity recommendations, having a high SHED Index score, having the willingness to purchase and eat healthy and sustainable dishes, eating ultra-processed plant-based meat alternatives foods daily, and regularly attending the university canteen. Conclusions Encouraging dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods and with a moderate intake of animal products is crucial to increasing the adoption of healthy and sustainable diets, and university dining services represent a suitable setting to build a supportive environment that educates students on human and planetary health.

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Short-term Exposure to a Mediterranean Environment Influences Attitudes and Dietary Profile in U.S. College Students: The MEDiterranean Diet in AMEricans (A-MED-AME) Pilot Study

Abstract: After a 3-week stay in Italy, an increase in the adherence score to a Mediterranean diet was observed. Future research should explore the relationship between length of time spent in a foreign country and dietary adherence in a cultural context.

Cited by 4 publications

References 26 publications

Evaluating Mediterranean diet adherence in university student populations: Does this dietary pattern affect students' academic performance and mental health?

Evaluating Mediterranean diet adherence in university student populations: Does this dietary pattern affect students' academic performance and mental health?

Relationship between Healthy Habits and Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport among University Students: A Structural Equation Model

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and its association with sustainable dietary behaviors, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle: a cross-sectional study in US University students

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