Nutritional and health benefit knowledge of milk and dairy products consumption among medical students at Benghazi university

Backgrounds: Milk well- known important source of human nutrition and contain considerable amounts of macro and micronutrients and have enormous health benefit. This study was performed to determine the nutritional knowledge and health benefit knowledge of diary and dairy products consumption among medical students at Benghazi university. Methodology: This a cross section study comprised of 541 students from branches of medical faculties in which 290 female and 251 male. Data were collected by using a semi-constructed questionnaire. Data was analysis by either mean ± SD or frequencies and percentages according to the natural of data. Chi-square test was used at α< 0.05. Results: The result of present work revealed that milk was consumed by one serving a day (53%) (P< 0.05), and among types of milks, whole fat milk significantly consumed (P< 0.05). Our result also shown that dairy products were highly consumed by one serving/day. Furthermore, 65.2 % of the students drink milk with tea (P=0.000). Nutrition knowledge of milk and dairy products reported that students have good knowledge score for nutritional knowledge questions and poor knowledge scores for questions related to health benefit with exception question on oral health (P< 0.05). Even though, the nutritional status of the students reveals that they fall under normal weight categories. However there were abnormal low levels of Hb, vitamin D have been found and abnormal high levels of calcium among male students. Conclusion Dairy consumption among students was relatively higher with good nutritional knowledge of dairy and dairy products consumptions and poor knowledge regarding health benefit. The result of this study suggested that nutritional education program might be in great importance of dairy and dairy product knowledge and benefit. The data of this study needed to be validated in large samples