Eating Patterns Among Moroccan Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundEating habits are an important health issue for the well-being of medical students. The objective of this study was to uncover eating behavior patterns among medical students and to explore their associations with sociodemographic, socioeconomic and psychological factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 797 medical students aged 17–26years old from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. The participants were in their first to sixth academic years of study. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire that included inquiries about sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits, and psychological factors.ResultsThe eating habits score was notably higher among local students, as well as among students without scholarships, those living with their families, having fathers who are employed, and those who are engaged in physical activity. The multivariate analysis indicated that the score was lower among students who frequently reported encountering psychological issues.ConclusionMost of the students in this study had unhealthy eating habits, which furthermore altered during the transition to medical studies. University students should benefit from nutrition education programs to encourage healthy diets.