Evaluation of the Dietary Habits of Intern Physicians

Abstract

A sufficient and balanced diet, is not only important fo r physiological requirements, but also from psychological and social points o f view. Having a healthy life in adult period depends on regular dietary habits in childhood and youth periods. In this study, we tried to determine the dietary habits o f intern physicians who will have a contribution in evaluation o f the dietary habits and dietary training in the future. This descriptive study was carried out on 173 (82.4%) intern physicians who accepted to attend the survey out o f a total group o f 210, from March to May 2005 in Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School Hospital. Chi-square test was used fo r statistical analysis. The data obtained showed that, 111 o f the intern physicians (64.2%) skipped meals, while the meal mostly skipped was breakfast, with 76 interns (68.5%). 168 interns (97.1%) had intermediate meals, 135 (80.4%) consumed tea and coffee, 80 (47.6%), chocolates and waffles and 61 (36.3%) consumed cream cakes. The reasons fo r skipping meals are stated by 51 (45.9%) interns as lack o f time, 23 (20.7%) told that they did not have an appetite, 14 (12.6%) said they had difficulty in preparing meals. The knowledge o f interns on diet come from their families in 119 (40.6%), their formal education in 74 (25.3%). 116 (78.9%) o f the intern physicians had their lunch in the dining hall, 109 (66.5%) had their dinner at home. Considering their Body Mass Index (BMI), 113 (66.9%)) attending the study were within normal limits, 12 (24%) o f females were thin, 38 (31.9%) o f the males were overweight and 5 (4.2%) o f the males were obese. As a result, it was found out that intern physicians skipped their main meals, they mostly failed to have breakfast while preferring carbohydrates in the intermediate meals, and consumed fundamental fo o d groups at a lower level. For the main and intermediate meals, the dining hall, canteen and home were preferred, and dietary knowledge primarily came from family and education. Research data showed that, fo r the purpose o f providing people with good dietary habits, importance o f correct, sufficient and balanced diet should be told to the students beginning with the primary school, families should be made conscious fo r that purpose, theoretical and practical dietary courses must be included into the curriculum, dining halls or canteens or similar fo o d providing places should be improved to offer a sufficient and balanced diet.