Determinants of the Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Diets in Health Sciences University Students: An exploratory report in Chilean sample
Contenido principal del artículo
Resumen
INTRODUCTION: Plant-based diets (PBDs) are primarily based on the consumption of plant-derived foods, with varying degrees of exclusion of animal products. These diets are recognized as dietary patterns promoting sustainability and human health. However, inadequate implementation may lead to significant nutritional deficiencies in those who adopt them. University students often choose this type of diet and may be exposed to low-quality PBDs due to multiple factors. To evaluate the factors associated with the diet quality of PBDs among health sciences students at a private university in Chile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 50 volunteers following a PBD for at least two years. Sociodemographic, attitudinal, and nutritional variables were assessed, along with a survey on consumption trends and an evaluation of healthy/unhealthy habits. RESULTS: The survey reached 104% of the calculated sample size, primarily encompassing female and ovo-lacto vegetarian participants. Seventy percent of volunteers demonstrated adequate healthy habits, with significantly higher scores observed among those who used omega-3 supplements (p = 0.009) and those who chose to prepare their meals (p = 0.001). Notably, weekly legume intake was positively associated with higher healthy habit scores (r=0.49; 95% CI: 0.23–0.68; p=0.000), whereas snack consumption (r=0.44; 95% CI: 0.17– 0.64; p=0.001) and alcohol intake (r=0.39; 95% CI: 0.11–0.61; p=0.006) were most strongly associated with habits linked to the development of non-communicable chronic diseases CONCLUSIONS: Health sciences students who follow PBDs exhibit adequate diet quality in their diets, which is associated with specific attitudinal-dietary factors. These findings underscore the need to confirm these factors in larger samples to develop educational strategies and targeted interventions that facilitate the proper adoption of PBDs.
KEYWORDS: Plant-based diets; diet quality; veganism; vegetarianism
Detalles del artículo
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0.
Referencias
WHO Regional Office for Europe. Plant-based diets and their impact on health, sustainability and the environment A review of the evidence WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. Copenhagen; 2021.
Paslakis G, Richardson C, Nöhre M, Brähler E, Holzapfel C, Hilbert A, et al. Prevalence and psychopathology of vegetarians and vegans – Results from a representative survey in Germany. Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 1;10(1).
American Dietetics Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1266–82.
Wang T, Masedunskas A, Willett WC, Fontana L. Vegetarian and vegan diets: benefits and drawbacks. Vol. 44, European Heart Journal. Oxford University Press; 2023. p. 3423–39.
Bianchi VE, Rizzi L, Somaa F. The role of nutrition on Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review. Nutr Neurosci. 2023 Jul 3;26(7):605–28.
van Soest AP, Beers S, van de Rest O, de Groot LC. The Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet for the Aging Brain: A Systematic Review. Advances in Nutrition. 2024 Mar;15(3):100184.
Kheirouri S, Alizadeh M. Dietary Inflammatory Potential and the Risk of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Adults. Epidemiol Rev. 2019 Jan 31;41(1):109–20.
Klink U, Mata J, Frank R, Schüz B. Socioeconomic differences in animal food consumption: Education rather than income makes a difference. Front Nutr. 2022 Nov 3;9.
Giskes K, Avendaňo M, Brug J, Kunst AE. A systematic review of studies on socioeconomic inequalities in dietary intakes associated with weight gain and overweight/obesity conducted among European adults. Obesity Reviews. 2010 Jun 20;11(6):413–29.
Hirvonen K, Bai Y, Headey D, Masters WA. Affordability of the EAT–Lancet reference diet: a global analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Jan;8(1):e59–66.
Minotti B, Antonelli M, Dembska K, Marino D, Riccardi G, Vitale M, et al. True Cost Accounting of a healthy and sustainable diet in Italy. Front Nutr. 2022 Jul 29;9.
Cheikh Ismail L, Osaili TM, Mohamad MN, Hashim M, Stojanovska L, Al Daour R, et al. Psychosocial factors affecting dietary habits of university students: A cross-sectional study. Heliyon. 2022 Jun 1;8(6).
Coria MD, Rivera NG, Sepúlveda HE, Jara CG, Sepúlveda JA, Schnettler B, et al. Life satisfaction in chilean university students: An examination of the relation between gender and socioeconomic level. Revista CES Psicologia. 2018;11(1):40–55.
Gusy B, Lesener T, Wolter C. Time Pressure and Health-Related Loss of Productivity in University Students: The Mediating Role of Exhaustion. Front Public Health. 2021 Apr 27;9.
Ministry of the Environment. Final Report on the National Survey on Environment and Climate Change. 2018.
Brignardello J, Heredia L, Ocharán MP, Durán S. Food knowledge of chilean vegetarians and vegans. Revista Chilena de Nutrición. 2013;40(2):129–34.
Durán-Agüero S, Albornoz P, Morejón Y, Barrientos C, Mardones MJ, García-Milla P, et al. Consumption of Pulses among Chilean Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. 2023 Jul 4;42(5):469–75.
Kovacic V, Sanhueza C, Hinostroza B, Cabezas J, Leonario-Rodríguez M. Attitudinal factors associated with protein sufficiency in Chilean vegan university students — A pilot study. Nutr Hosp. 2024;
Dirección de Análisis Institucional - Prorrectoría. Statistical Compendium 2017-2023. 2023.
Durán A S, Valdés B P, Godoy C A, Herrera V T. Dietary Habits and Physical Fitness Among Physical Education Pedagogy Students. Revista chilena de nutrición. 2014 Sep;41(3):251–9.
Cui Q, Xia Y, Wu Q, Chang Q, Niu K, Zhao Y. Validity of the food frequency questionnaire for adults in nutritional epidemiological studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023 May 7;63(12):1670–88.
Bunge AC, Mazac R, Clark M, Wood A, Gordon L. Sustainability benefits of transitioning from current diets to plant-based alternatives or whole-food diets in Sweden. Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 1;15(1):951.
Góralska-Walczak R, Kopczyńska K, Kazimierczak R, Stefanovic L, Bieńko M, Oczkowski M, et al. Environmental Indicators of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets: A Pilot Study in a Group of Young Adult Female Consumers in Poland. Sustainability. 2023 Dec 27;16(1):249.
Białek-Dratwa A, Stoń W, Staśkiewicz-Bartecka W, Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Kowalski O. The Psychosocial Aspects of Vegetarian Diets: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Motivations, Risks, and Limitations in Daily Life. Nutrients. 2024 Aug 1;16(15):2504.
Kabalı S, Çelik MN, Öner N. Associations of nutrition education with diet quality indexes and chronotype: a cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Health Res. 2024 Nov;1–13.
Aravena J, Zubarew T, Bedregal P, Zuzulich S, Urrejola P. Vegetarian diets in first year university students. Rev Chil Pediatr. 2020 Sep 1;91(5):705–10.
Wirnitzer K, Motevalli M, Tanous DR, Gregori M, Wirnitzer G, Leitzmann C, et al. Supplement Intake in Recreational Vegan, Vegetarian, and Omnivorous Endurance Runners—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2). Nutrients. 2021 Aug 10;13(8):2741.
Groufh-Jacobsen S, Larsson C, Van Daele W, Margerison C, Mulkerrins I, Aasland LM, et al. Food literacy and diet quality in young vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians and omnivores. Public Health Nutr. 2023 Dec 2;26(12):3051–61.
Mengi Çelik Ö, Aytekin Şahin G, Gürel S. Do cooking and food preparation skills affect healthy eating in college students? Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Oct 7;11(10):5898–907.
Kronsteiner-Gicevic S, Bogl L, Wakolbinger M, Müller S, Dietrich J, De Keyzer W, et al. Development of the VEGANScreener, a Tool for a Quick Diet Quality Assessment among Vegans in Europe. Nutrients. 2024 Apr 29;16(9):1344.
Barbería-Latasa M, Gea A, Martínez-González MA. Alcohol, Drinking Pattern, and Chronic Disease. Nutrients. 2022 May 7;14(9):1954.
Isaksen IM, Dankel SN. Ultra-processed food consumption and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Nutrition. 2023 Jun;42(6):919–28.
Lane MM, Gamage E, Travica N, Dissanayaka T, Ashtree DN, Gauci S, et al. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 21;14(13):2568.
Daas MC, Vellinga RE, Pinho MGM, Boer JMA, Verschuren WMM, van der Schouw YT, et al. The role of ultra-processed foods in plant-based diets: associations with human health and environmental sustainability. Eur J Nutr. 2024 Dec 24;63(8):2957–73.
Marrero A, Tamez M, Rodríguez-Orengo JF, Mattei J. The association between purchasing locally produced food and diet quality among adults in Puerto Rico. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Sep 9;24(13):4177–86.
Penafiel D, Cevallos-Valdiviezo H, Espinel R, Van Damme P. Local traditional foods contribute to diversity and species richness of rural women’s diet in Ecuador. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Nov 28;22(16):2962–71.
Madlala SS, Hill J, Kunneke E, Lopes T, Faber M. Adult food choices in association with the local retail food environment and food access in resource-poor communities: a scoping review. BMC Public Health. 2023 Jun 6;23(1):1083.
Ortiz González E, Valenzuela Van Treek E. Chile, a century of struggle for the democratisation of the regions. Minimised representation and transversal centralism. Estudios Politicos [Internet]. 2018;52:36–56. Available from: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1755-3309
Díaz-Torrente X, Quintiliano-Scarpelli D. Dietary patterns of breakfast consumption among chilean university students. Nutrients. 2020 Feb 1;12(2).
Durán-Agüero S, Valdés-Badilla P, Valladares M, Espinoza V, Mena F, Oñate G, et al. Consumption of ultra-processed food and its association with obesity in Chilean university students: A multi-center study: Ultra-processed food and obesity in Chilean university students. Journal of American College Health. 2023;71(8):2356–62.