Exploring the mediterranean diet among medical students: A multicenter PREDIMED survey

Background & aims This study explored Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, familiarity with dietary tools and exposure to nutrition-related topics among Italian medical students. Methods 1074 medical students participated in the study by completing the PREDIMED questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered via Google Form and distributed through social media. Results Only 40 participants (4%) reported familiarity with the PREDIMED or KIDMED questionnaires. Overall, moderate adherence to the MD was common (68%), particularly in the South (54%) and North (34%). High adherence was reported only by 20% of participants. Exposure to formal nutritional teaching was not associated with adherence to the MD. Conclusion Adherence to the Mediterranean diet among Italian medical students was generally moderate, with significant differences according to geographic area and sex. No significant association emerged between exposure to nutrition-related teaching and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.