Petroka Katherine, Dinu Monica, Hoover Chelsea, Casini Alessandro, Sofi Francesco
a Dietetic Internship Program , New York-Presbyterian Hospital , New York , New York.
b Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2016 Sep-Oct;35(7):621-626. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1118652. Epub 2016 Jun 22.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether short-term exposure to a Mediterranean diet during a structured abroad experience could influence dietary habits and attitudes.
This study used a cross-sectional design.
The study was conducted on the Florence University of the Arts (FUA) campus, Italy.
Fifty-four (47 females, 7 males; mean age 21.1 ± 1.9 years) college students from 12 different states, mainly located in the central United States, were enrolled in this study.
Outcome measures included adherence score to Mediterranean diet and self-reported perceptions of diet and food availability. A demographic survey was used to collect data regarding personal characteristics, anthropometrics, duration of stay, and residency status.
Chi-square test, independent T-test, and Mann-Whitney test were used to perform analyses.
At 3 weeks' follow-up, 94% of the population reported that availability of foods affected their food choices. Interestingly, students reported that they consumed less meat with respect to their usual dietary habits in the United States (p < 0.0001) and they reported significantly increased the consumption of olive oil, cereals, fruit, and alcohol (p < 0.05). The adherence score to a Mediterranean diet significantly increased by about 1 point, going from 9.9 ± 2.4 to 10.9 ± 2.0 (p < 0.05).
After a 3-week stay in Italy, an increase in the adherence score to a Mediterranean diet was observed. Future research should explore the relationship between length of time spent in a foreign country and dietary adherence in a cultural context.
本研究旨在调查在国外有组织的经历期间短期接触地中海饮食是否会影响饮食习惯和态度。
本研究采用横断面设计。
研究在意大利佛罗伦萨艺术大学（FUA）校园进行。
招募了来自12个不同州（主要位于美国中部）的54名大学生（47名女性，7名男性；平均年龄21.1±1.9岁）参与本研究。
结果测量指标包括对地中海饮食的依从性得分以及自我报告的饮食和食物可得性认知。使用人口统计学调查问卷收集有关个人特征、人体测量学、停留时间和居住状态的数据。
采用卡方检验、独立样本t检验和曼-惠特尼检验进行分析。
在3周的随访中，94%的参与者报告食物的可得性影响了他们的食物选择。有趣的是，学生们报告称，与在美国的日常饮食习惯相比，他们的肉类摄入量减少了（p<0.0001），并且他们报告橄榄油、谷物、水果和酒精的消费量显著增加（p<0.05）。对地中海饮食的依从性得分显著提高了约1分，从9.9±2.4提高到10.9±2.0（p<0.05）。
在意大利停留3周后，观察到对地中海饮食的依从性得分有所提高。未来的研究应在文化背景下探索在国外停留的时间长度与饮食依从性之间的关系。
