# The Impact of Dietary Habits and Nutrition Knowledge on Harmful Alcohol Use and Nicotine Dependence Among Medical Students: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that medical students who smoke or drink heavily tend to have poorer diets and less nutrition knowledge, suggesting a link between unhealthy habits and lifestyle choices.

## Contribution

The study is one of the first to explore the relationship between dietary habits, nutrition knowledge, and substance use among medical students.

## Key findings

- Smoking students had significantly lower dietary quality and nutrition knowledge.
- Better dietary quality and nutrition knowledge were associated with lower problematic alcohol consumption.
- The study highlights a potential link between unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle factors in medical students.

## Abstract

Background: Harmful alcohol use and nicotine dependence are major public health concerns. One group particularly at risk may be medical students, who might resort to substance use as a coping mechanism for stress. Various factors may influence these behaviors, either positively or negatively—among them, dietary knowledge and eating habits. Methods: In this study, we used the KOMPAN questionnaire to assess dietary habits and nutrition knowledge, the AUDIT questionnaire to evaluate problematic alcohol consumption, and the Fagerström Test to assess nicotine dependence. A total of 2801 medical students participated in this study, including 2374 alcohol users and 379 smokers. Results: Smoking students demonstrated significantly lower dietary quality (p < 0.0001) and nutrition knowledge (p = 0.0004). Among alcohol users, lower levels of problematic alcohol consumption were observed in individuals with better dietary quality (p = 0.0006) and higher nutrition knowledge (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Future research should explore additional factors contributing to the clustering of unhealthy behaviors and the underlying causes of alcohol consumption and poor dietary habits among healthcare professionals.