Changing Dietary Habits of Alberta Nutrition Students Enrolled in a Travel Study Program in Italy

Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
19 May 2015

Abstract

Purpose: This study describes dietary changes among university students who completed a travel study program.
Methods: Seventeen undergraduate nutrition students travelled from Edmonton to Italy for 6 weeks to take 2 courses on the Mediterranean diet. In both locations students completed a 24-h dietary recall and a Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess their Mediterranean Diet Quality Index Score (MDQIS). A MDQIS of 48 indicates perfect adherence to eating patterns of the Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (THMDP).
Results: While in Italy students altered their diets in positive ways (increased consumption of fish and seafood (P = 0.002), wine (P < 0.0001), and olive oil (P = 0.001)) and negative ways (increased consumption of sweets (P = 0.027), poultry (P = 0.001), and meat (P = 0.049)) relative to the THMDP. Students had a significant increase in the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and alcohol. The MDQIS was low in Edmonton (21.9 ± 3.7) and Italy (22.9 ± 3.9).
Conclusions: The overall dietary pattern of students did not adhere to the THMDP. Education about the THMDP and living in Italy for 6 weeks was insufficient to change students’ dietary patterns to one characterized as traditional Mediterranean. The findings highlight the challenges of implementing dietary changes even with nutrition education and increased food access.

Résumé

Objectif. Cette étude décrit les changements alimentaires survenus chez des étudiants universitaires ayant suivi un programme de voyage d'études.
Méthodes. Dix-septétudiants du premier cycle en nutrition sont partis d'Edmonton pour un voyage en Italie de 6 semaines afin de suivre 2 cours sur le régime alimentaire méditerranéen. Aux deux endroits, les étudiants ont rempli un rappel diététique de 24 heures et un questionnaire de fréquence alimentaire afin que leur indice de qualité du régime méditerranéen (IQRM) soit évalué. Un IQRM de 48 indique une parfaite adhésion aux habitudes alimentaires de la pyramide du régime méditerranéen traditionnel (PRMT).
Résultats. Lorsqu'ils se trouvaient en Italie, les étudiants ont modifié leur régime alimentaire de manière positive (consommation accrue de poisson et fruits de mer [p = 0,002], de vin [p < 0,0001] et d'huile d'olive [p = 0,001]) et négative (consommation accrue de sucreries [p = 0,027], de volaille [p = 0,001] et de viande [p = 0,049]) par rapport à la PRMT. Les étudiants ont augmenté significativement leur pourcentage d'énergie provenant des acides gras polyinsaturés et mono-insaturés et de l'alcool. L'IQRM était faible à Edmonton (21,9 ± 3,7) et en Italie (22,9 ± 3,9).
Conclusions. Les habitudes alimentaires générales des étudiants n'étaient pas calquées sur les principes de la PRMT. L'éducation sur la PRMT et la vie en Italie pendant 6 semaines n'ont pas été suffisantes pour amener les étudiants à adopter les habitudes alimentaires typiques du régime méditerranéen traditionnel. Les conclusions mettent en évidence la difficulté d'implanter des changements au régime alimentaire, même avec de l'éducation à la nutrition et un meilleur accès aux aliments.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

1
Oldways. Traditional healthy Mediterranean food pyramid. Updated 2008 [cited 2015 Jan 31]. Available from http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/mediterranean-pyramid/overview.
2
Sofi F, Abbate R, Gensini GF, and Casini A Accruing evidence on benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on health: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 92 5 1189 -96
3
Sofi F, Macchi C, Abbate R, Gensini GF, and Casini A Mediterranean diet and health Biofactors. 2013 39 4 335 -42
4
Downs S and Willows ND Should Canadians eat according to the traditional Mediterranean diet pyramid or Canada's food guide? Appl Phys Nutr Metab. 2008 33 527 -35
5
Goulet J, Lapointe A, Lamarche B, and Lemieux S Effect of a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern on anthropometric profile in healthy women from the Quebec city metropolitan area Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 61 11 1293 -1300
6
Strawson C, Bell R, Downs S, Farmer A, Olstad D, and Willows ND Dietary patterns of female university students with nutrition education Can J Diet Pract Res. 2013 74 3 138 -42
7
Willows ND, Strawson-Fawcett C, and Downs SM Teaching the Mediterranean diet in Italy J Food Sci Educ. 2008 7 30 -4
8
Csizmadi I, Kahle L, Ullman R, Dawe U, Zimmerman TP, Friedenreich CM, et al. Adaptation and evaluation of the national cancer institute's diet history questionnaire and nutrient database for Canadian populations Public Health Nutr. 2006 10 1 88 -96
9
Gibson RS. Measuring food consumption of individuals. In: Principles of Nutritional Assessment, pp. 41–4. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2005.
10
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nutrient Data. [cited 2012 June 24]. Available from http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl
11
Health Canada. Nutrient Data-Canadian Nutrient File; Updated 2007 [cited 2012 June 24]. Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/index-eng.php
12
Pan Y, Dixon Z, Himburg S, and Huffman F Asian students change their eating patterns after living in the United States J Am Diet Assoc. 1999 99 1 54 -7
13
Kremmyda L, Papadaki A, Hondros G, Kapsokefalou M, and Scott JA Differentiating between the effect of rapid dietary acculturation and the effect of living away from home for the first time, on the diets of Greek students studying in Glasgow Appetite. 2008 50 2–3 455 -63
14
Papadaki A, Hondros GA, Scott J, and Kapsokefalou M Eating habits of university students living at, or away from home in Greece Appetite. 2007 49 1 169 -76
15
Laurenzi M, Stamler R, Trevisan M, Dyer A, and Stamler J Is Italy losing the “Mediterranean advantage?” Report on the Gubbio population study: cardiovascular risk factors at baseline. Gubbio collaborative study group Prev Med. 1989 18 1 35 -44
16
Bach-Faig A, Berry EM, Lairon D, Reguant J, Trichopoulou A, Dernini S, et al. Mediterranean diet pyramid today. Science and cultural updates Public Health Nutr. 2011 14 12A 2274 -84
17
García-Meseguer MJ, Burriel FC, García CV, and Serrano-Urrea R Adherence to Mediterranean diet in a Spanish university population Appetite. 2014 78 156 -64

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 76Number 2June 2015
Pages: 93 - 96

History

Version of record online: 19 May 2015

Authors

Affiliations

Cynthia Strawson MSc
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Rhonda C. Bell PhD
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Anna Farmer PhD, RD
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Shauna M. Downs PhD
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Dana L. Olstad PhD, RD
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Noreen D. Willows PhD
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Other Metrics

Citations

Cite As

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

There are no citations for this item

View Options

Login options

Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Subscribe

Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research

Purchase options

Purchase this article to get full access to it.

Restore your content access

Enter your email address to restore your content access:

Note: This functionality works only for purchases done as a guest. If you already have an account, log in to access the content to which you are entitled.

View options

PDF

View PDF

Full Text

View Full Text

Media

Media

Other

Tables

Share Options

Share

Share the article link

Share on social media