PD566 - ANALYSIS OF DIETARY PATTERNS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AND FOOD ADDICTION

PD566

ANALYSIS OF DIETARY PATTERNS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AND FOOD ADDICTION

T. C. P. Garcia¹, C. Garcia Júnior¹, T. HORTENCIO^1,*

¹Faculty São Leopoldo Mandic, Campinas, Brazil

Rationale: Medical students are exposed to high academic stress, which may negatively impact dietary patterns and increase the consumption of ultra-processed foods, potentially affecting nutritional quality and health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between ultra-processed food consumption and food addiction in medical students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 546 medical students from São Paulo, Brazil. Food addiction was assessed using the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0)¹, and dietary patterns were evaluated using the Screener-NOVA² questionnaire. Associations were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated.

Results: Participants presented low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, alongside high consumption of ultra-processed foods. Food addiction was identified in 10.6% of students, with 5.3% classified as severe. Female students had higher odds of food addiction compared to males (OR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.09–4.81). No statistically significant association was observed between ultra-processed food consumption and food addiction.

Conclusion: Medical students showed an inadequate dietary pattern and a notable prevalence of food addiction. The higher prevalence among females highlights the need for targeted preventive strategies. These findings reinforce the importance of interventions to promote healthy eating behaviors in this population.

References: ¹QuestNova [Internet]. questnova.com.br. Available from: https://questnova.com.br/ ²Gearhardt AN, Corbin WR, Brownell KD. Development of the Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 2016 Feb;30(1):113–21.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared