RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRESENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN AND ADHERENCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Purpose: This study evaluated the presence of chronic pain and adherence to the Mediterranean diet and to examined the relationship between diet and pain among university students. Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with volunteer students from November-December 2019. Students' demographic and health information, nutritional habits were questioned, 24-hour retrospective food consumption was recorded, they were asked to fill in the pain assessment form, the Mediterranean diet adherence scale, and the international physical activity questionnaire, finally, their measurements (height, weight) were evaluated.Results: The study included 595 students (87.2% female) with a mean age of 20.2 & PLUSMN;1.48 years. The prevalence of chronic pain was 37.8%. The majority of these students (58.7%) had moderate pain intensity (5-7 points). In the Mediterranean diet adherence score, 75% of students had <7 points. There was no significant association between chronic pain status and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Conclusion: This study was not significantly found the relationship between the presence of chronic pain and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. It is thought that, since the majority of students with chronic pain had poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet, observing a relationship between pain and compliance may have resulted in a negative result. To better understand the connection between chronic pain and more research is needed.