Promoting alignment with Mediterranean and planetary health diet principles among international students: an exploratory pilot study of the MeditEat project
5 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Food Education and Sport Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- 2Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Human Nutrition and Eating Disorder Research Center, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- 4Department of Nutrition School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- 5Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
Abstract
IntroductionThe global food system is a major driving force behind environmental degradation, and dietary shifts towards more resource-efficient plant-based patterns are critical for reducing ecological pressure. The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized for its high nutritional quality and low environmental footprint, making it a relevant model for promoting sustainable eating behaviours also among mobile populations such as international students. This study evaluates dietary sustainability defined by the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) among international students at baseline and the changes observed during the effect of a structured nutrition education exploratory pilot program (MeditEat).MethodsFifteen students from diverse cultural backgrounds participated in MeditEat. The program included three in-person meetings and three online meetings, with monthly assessments based on the Mediterranean diet Pyramid and practical nutritional counseling to support the application of these concepts. Participants completed food-frequency questionnaires at baseline (T0), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T6). Dietary data were converted into daily caloric contributions per food group using standardized procedures. The modified Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was calculated, with a maximum possible score of 140. Statistical analyses, including the Shapiro–Wilk test, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Friedman test, were performed to evaluate time-related variations.ResultsTotal PHDI score increased significantly from baseline (75.4 ± 13.8) to T6 (82.9 ± 13.6, p = 0.01). Vegetable oil was the only individual component to show a statistically significant increase (p = 0.004), alongside non-significant descriptive trends in other components.ConclusionAlthough variability across individuals remained considerable, participation in the pilot programme was associated with preliminary trends toward improved alignment with sustainable dietary patterns. The observed modest increase in PHDI score may indicate a favourable trend associated with Mediterranean diet-based nutritional education, although further research in larger, well-designed controlled studies is needed to substantiate this finding.
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BibTeX
@article{neri2026promoting,
title = {{Promoting alignment with Mediterranean and planetary health diet principles among international students: an exploratory pilot study of the MeditEat project}},
author = {Lenycia de Cassya Lopes Neri and Lenycia de Cassya Lopes Neri and Kalpana Shivanandappa and Simona Fiorini and Simona Fiorini and Dirce Marchioni and Mariangela Rondanelli and Cinzia Ferraris and Cinzia Ferraris and Daniela Martini},
journal = {Frontiers in Nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnut.2026.1946581},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1946581},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Promoting alignment with Mediterranean and planetary health diet principles among international students: an exploratory pilot study of the MeditEat project
AU - Lenycia de Cassya Lopes Neri
AU - Lenycia de Cassya Lopes Neri
AU - Kalpana Shivanandappa
AU - Simona Fiorini
AU - Simona Fiorini
AU - Dirce Marchioni
AU - Mariangela Rondanelli
AU - Cinzia Ferraris
AU - Cinzia Ferraris
AU - Daniela Martini
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Nutrition
DO - 10.3389/fnut.2026.1946581
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1946581
AB - IntroductionThe global food system is a major driving force behind environmental degradation, and dietary shifts towards more resource-efficient plant-based patterns are critical for reducing ecological pressure. The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized for its high nutritional quality and low environmental footprint, making it a relevant model for promoting sustainable eating behaviours also among mobile populations such as international students. This study evaluates dietary sustainability defined by the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) among international students at baseline and the changes observed during the effect of a structured nutrition education exploratory pilot program (MeditEat).MethodsFifteen students from diverse cultural backgrounds participated in MeditEat. The program included three in-person meetings and three online meetings, with monthly assessments based on the Mediterranean diet Pyramid and practical nutritional counseling to support the application of these concepts. Participants completed food-frequency questionnaires at baseline (T0), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T6). Dietary data were converted into daily caloric contributions per food group using standardized procedures. The modified Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was calculated, with a maximum possible score of 140. Statistical analyses, including the Shapiro–Wilk test, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Friedman test, were performed to evaluate time-related variations.ResultsTotal PHDI score increased significantly from baseline (75.4 ± 13.8) to T6 (82.9 ± 13.6, p = 0.01). Vegetable oil was the only individual component to show a statistically significant increase (p = 0.004), alongside non-significant descriptive trends in other components.ConclusionAlthough variability across individuals remained considerable, participation in the pilot programme was associated with preliminary trends toward improved alignment with sustainable dietary patterns. The observed modest increase in PHDI score may indicate a favourable trend associated with Mediterranean diet-based nutritional education, although further research in larger, well-designed controlled studies is needed to substantiate this finding.
SN - 2296-861X
ER -