Suboptimal dietary knowledge predicts lower diet quality for cancer prevention among university students in Beirut.

ABSTRACT: University students are at a pivotal stage of shaping cancer risk factors. Little is known about their dietary behavior in Lebanon, a country heavily burdened by cancer. This cross-sectional study assessed the dietary knowledge of and adherence to cancer prevention guidelines among university students in Beirut, Lebanon. We hypothesized that students would exhibit low knowledge, poor diet quality, and that knowledge predicted diet quality. Dietary knowledge was explored using a dedicated questionnaire, with scores above the 60th percentile considered as Knowledgeable (Kn+), and those below as less knowledgeable (Kn-). Dietary adherence to cancer prevention guidelines and the predictors of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)- a measure of diet quality calculated using the Modified M

SUBMITTER: Jabbour J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11698321 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature