Hygienic assessment of medical students’ nutrition in the context of the social significance of rational eating behavior

Background . Dietary habits become established during the student years, and in medical undergraduates this process occurs against a background of high academic workload and limited time. In these conditions, meal patterns are more often disrupted and the diet is less adequate in key nutrients. Female students are additionally at risk of insufficient iron intake. A comparison of actual dietary intake and body composition in 2nd- and 5th-year students makes it possible to assess whether these features persist into the clinical stage of training. Objective . To assess actual dietary intake, diet composition, and nutritional status of 2nd- and 5th-year students of Yaroslavl State Medical University using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), 24-hour dietary recall (24HR), and bioimpedance analysis. Materials and methods . The study included 167 2nd and 5th year students of Yaroslavl State Medical University: 85 female (50.9 %) and 82 male (49.1 %). The work was performed in the format of a single-stage questionnaire and instrumental research. To assess actual nutrition, a validated frequency nutrition questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) method were used; body composition was assessed by bioimpedance analysis. Results . According to both the FFQ and 24HR, fifth-year students had lower dietary energy intake and lower intake of several nutrients than second-year students. Based on 24HR data, female students in the fifth year had significantly lower protein, carbohydrate, calcium, and iron intake than female students in the second year, whereas male students demonstrated significant declines across all assessed dietary indicators. Bioelectrical impedance analysis showed that female students had a higher body fat percentage and lower fat-free mass and phase angle than male students, while no significant within-sex differences were found between the second and fifth years. Conclusion . These findings support the need for sex-specific and year-specific preventive strategies aimed at improving nutrition among medical students.