Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between university students' dietary patterns, their demographics and lifestyle in a cross-sectional study in Qatar. Participants: 370 students in eight universities in Qatar enrolled between February 2017 and February 2018. Methods: Based on a structured questionnaire, dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis, and their associations with student characteristics were assessed using logistic regression. Results: Four dietary patterns were identified. The 'fast food' pattern was associated with being younger and male (p-values ≤ 0.1). The 'traditional diet' pattern was associated with not skipping meals or eating when bored (p-values = 0.1). The 'healthy diet' pattern was associated with regular exercise and having time to eat healthy foods (p-values ≤ 0.01). The 'protein shake' pattern was associated with being male and engaging in more vigorous physical activity (p-values ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings provide a roadmap for the prioritization of population-specific interventions in university students within Qatar and the region.
Keywords: Dietary pattern; university students; middle East; gulf cooperation council.