Mediterranean diet adherence among cosmetology students

Background. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is universally recognized as the healthiest model of nutrition whose beneficial effects help prevent many diet-related diseases. Objective. The aim of the study was to assess cosmetology students’ adherence to the Mediterranean Diet using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). Material and methods. The study group consisted of 175 cosmetology students of the School of Physiotherapy whose dietary habits were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) consisting of 154 food and drink items representative of the diet during the last year. We analyzed data obtained from FFQ and calculated the average number of daily and/or weekly servings from each of the 9 MDS food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits/nuts, milk/ dairy products, meat/meat products, legumes, alcohol, olive oil, fish). To obtain more reliable results, we analyzed other products consumed by study participants (sweets, beverages, eggs and potatoes). Study participants were assigned 0, 1 or 2 points for each MDS ingredient. Mediterranean diet adherence was assessed on a 17-point scale. Low adherence to MD was defined at 0-7 points, moderate at 8-10 points, and high at 11-17 points. Results. The mean MDS was 7.1 ± 2.3. Students who were assigned 11-17 points (n = 20) consumed significantly more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish, olive oil and significantly less meat, meat products, milk, dairy, and sweets compared to study participants who were assigned the lowest number of points (n = 78). We reported significant differences in the amounts of consumed vegetables and sweets between participants who received 8-10 points (n = 77) and those who received 11-17 points. The higher MDS was significantly associated with the higher intakes of vegetables and dietary fiber. Conclusions. The dietary patterns of study group of Polish cosmetology students did not adhere to the MD recommendations.