Dietary patterns and eating behaviors in medical students: a cross-sectional study at a Colombian university

Patrones dietarios y conductas alimentarias en estudiantes de medicina: estudio transversal en una universidad colombiana

Introduction. We characterize changes in the eating habits of medical students and their possible impact on health and academic performance. Objective. To describe patterns before and during university life and identify differences by gender and who is responsible for food preparation. Methodology. Cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study in Manizales, Colombia (n=106; purposive sampling). Digital questionnaire on food preparation, eating patterns, breakfast, consumption of ultra-processed foods, fruits/vegetables, hydration, and energy drinks. Analysis in Jamovi 2.6.44: descriptive; Wilcoxon for paired comparisons; Kruskal–Wallis and post hoc Dwass–Steel–Critchlow–Fligner; p<0.05. Results. Daily meals decreased (3.05 to 2.60; Wilcoxon: W=1531, p<0.001; r=0.52). Skipping meals was common (59.4%), mainly due to lack of time. Only 31.1% ate breakfast daily; 10.4% almost never did. 8.5% ate ≥5 servings/day of fruits/vegetables. Water intake was 3.34 glasses/day (median=3) and energy drink consumption showed high asymmetry (mean=1.41/week; median=0). Perceptions: less healthy eating (64.1%), irregular schedules (70.8%), and less physical activity (71.7%). By gender, greater omission in women (χ²(1)=4.04; p=0.044; ε²=0.038). Conclusions. The transition to university is associated with less healthy patterns. Campus policies are urgently needed to facilitate balanced nutrition, hydration, and nutritional education to support health and academic performance.