In a foreign country, student diets quickly deteriorate leading to unhealthy habits that may have adverse effects on their health. The dietary patterns of foreign students in Armenia whose number has increased since late 1990s have never been evaluated. The need to assess dietary changes of foreign medical students is of greater importance, since healthy practices adopted early in life may not only improve their health, but also enhance their psychological readiness to participate in creation of healthy behavior among their peers. This study aimed to give the hygienic characteristics of nutrition among first-year foreign students studying at the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi (YSMU). The study utilized one-group pre-test/post-test design. The sample included 144 newly arrived foreign medical students who had not been diagnosed with any pathological conditions. The nutritional intake was obtained through the analysis of an average daily set of food items derived from a self-administered questionnaire. Pre- and post-tests were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the first year of education at YSMU, correspondingly. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in consumption of meat, milk, vegetable, fruit, and bread groups at posttest. The consumption of fats and sweets group was significantly increased. At post-measure, the mean reported intakes of meat, vegetable, fruit and bread groups were significantly lower compared to Food Guide Pyramid requirements. Frequencies of having breakfast and lunch also decreased at post-test. Body Mass Index statistically significantly decreased from pre- to post-measure. This study demonstrates that dietary habits of foreign medical students significantly deteriorate during their first year of study, which, in turn, may have substantial impact on students' health as well as academic performance. The revealed dietary alterations may serve as a basis for development of nutritional educational programs that can be included in curriculum of first-year foreign students.

nutrition Foreign medical students Dietary changes

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