RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADHERENCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND BODY MASS INDEX IN THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY OF ULEAM- PEDERNALES, 2026
Keywords:
Mediterranean diet; body mass index; nutritionAbstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/yc.v10i19.0962
Abstract
Overweight is a public health issue, and its relationship to diet needs to be analyzed in university settings. The purpose of this research was to establish the link between body mass index (BMI) and adherence to the Mediterranean diet within the university community of ULEAM, at its Pedernales campus, during 2016. An observational, non-experimental, cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive, and correlational study was conducted. A total of 352 students, professors, and administrative staff were included, selected using non-probability convenience sampling. BMI, calculated as the ratio of height to weight, was used to determine nutritional status; dietary adherence was assessed using the MEDAS-14 questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Cramer's V, and Pearson's chi-squared test were used to process the data in Jamovi. It was observed that 69.03% of participants did not follow the Mediterranean diet adequately, and 53.41% were overweight. Body mass index (BMI) categories and adherence did not show a statistically significant association, nor did the MEDAS-14 score correlate with BMI. It is concluded that nutritional status depends on several factors and requires a comprehensive strategy that includes healthy eating, physical activity, and institutional supervision.
Keywords: Mediterranean diet; body mass index; nutrition.
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Copyright (c) 2026 REVISTA CIENTÍFICA MULTIDISCIPLINARIA ARBITRADA YACHASUN - ISSN: 2697-3456
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