Correlations between Total Monthly Expenses, Food Budget and the Diet of Junior Medical Students

Background. A tendency towards an unbalanced diet is currently observed among student youth, which, along with the relative financial stability of this contingent, poses certain risks of unhealthy nutrition in modern conditions. Nutritional status of students can be considered as an important component of nutritional problem of the population and requires a comprehensive research.
Our objective was to analyze correlations between total monthly expenses, monthly food expenditures and the diet of first and second-year students of a medical university.
Materials and methods. The study included 87 junior students of the Ryazan State Medical University who gave informed consent to participate in the study. Their nutrition and physical activity were monitored during seven days in March–April 2019. In total, we analyzed 1,729 meals and 532 daily chronograms. Statistical data processing was carried out to test a number of statistical hypotheses in compliance with the conditions necessary for the application of the selected statistical criteria.
Results. We established that the diet was not balanced in the groups of junior students with monthly expenses both above and below subsistence level. Yet, the diet of students with expenditures above the subsistence level was closer to the recommended one. We found direct correlations between higher total monthly expenses of students and a greater proportion of nutrients in their diet. A direct relationship was also established between the food budget and consumption of food components, such as cholesterol and mono- and disaccharides, posing potential health risks.
Conclusion. Actions taken to improve well-being of families and student youth along supported by active promotion of healthy eating, especially among students with their large food budget, may contribute to optimizing the diet of junior students.

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