Assessment of the knowledge and application of the Mediterranean diet among students of dietetics

Purpose: To assess the knowledge of young adults (students of dietetics) of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and the practical application of the principles of this diet. Materials and methods: The study was performed on 97 women, students of dietetics. Research on general information about the respondents and knowledge about the MedDiet was carried out using a questionnaire with 29 questions. To assess the nutritional value of the diet, a 3-day nutritional diary and computer programme Diet 5.0 were used. Adherence to the MedDiet was appraised according to the 9-point scale of aMED (alternate Mediterranean Diet Score). Results: The most students responded that they have high knowledge of the MedDiet, but do not use the MedDiet recommendations in their daily nutrition. Better adherence to MedDiet was significantly associated with the lower waist circumference of the women, higher intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin E and magnesium, and the knowledge of participants of the diet and nutritional value of foods. Conclusions: The adherence to the MedDiet is significantly associated with the participants' knowledge about the diet, the higher nutritional value of the daily diet and lower waist circumference