Investigating the Dietary Pattern of Iranian Medical Sciences Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Background and Purpose: This study investigates the dietary patterns of medical sciences students in Iran.  Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 265 students living in dormitories of Semnan University of Medical Sciences in 2020. The participants were selected by the cluster sampling method. The data collection tool was a two-part questionnaire. The first part included demographic and anthropometric variables and the second part was the food frequency questionnaire. The data were entered into the SPSS software, version 26 and independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and the chi-squared test were used for data analysis. Results: Among the participants, 64% were girls. The majority were single (93.6%) and 57.7% had a monthly family income of more than $100. Also, 32(18.7%) and 36(27.4%) of women and men were overweight or obese, respectively. There was a significant correlation between cereals food group and age (r=0.150, P=0.014), vegetable food group and the length of stay in the dormitory (r=0.137, P=0.026), fruit food group and arm circumference (r=0.165, P=0.007) and the miscellaneous food group with arm circumference (r=0.124, P=0.044) and body mass index (r=0.121, P=0.049). Also, the frequency of consumption of vegetables and salts and seasonings groups in women was significantly higher than in men (P 0.05). The frequency of fruit consumption in married students was significantly higher than in single participants (P 0.05). The frequency of consumption of the vegetable group in students with household incomes above $100 was significantly higher than below $100 (P 0.05). Conclusion: Despite the same diet plan for students in dormitories, there is a difference in the frequency of consumption of food groups among students. Considering these factors is recommended to improve students’ food consumption patterns. Also, it is suggested that the necessary knowledge be given through public media, and public education, especially in universities, to improve eating habits following the recommendations of the food pyramid guide.