Determinants of dietary behaviors among dental professionals: insights across educational levels

Healthy dietary behaviors are fundamental for maintaining optimal health. Understanding the dietary behaviors of dentists is vital for designing effective interventions to foster healthier behaviors. However, investigations into dietary behaviors and their associations among dental professionals have been limited. To investigate the dietary behaviors of dental professionals, along with the associated factors influencing their dietary options. A self-administered online questionnaire was constructed to collect data from three groups of dental professionals: undergraduates (UG), postgraduates (PG), and practicing dentists (DT). The questionnaire encompassed inquiries regarding demographic characteristics, knowledge assessment, evaluation of attitudes, and examination of dietary behaviors. Data analysis procedures included descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation, and multiple linear regression. A total of 842 individuals participated in the study (UG: 264, PG: 247, DT: 331). Attitude emerged as the strongest association of healthy dietary behaviors across all groups (UG: ß=0.370, PG: ß=0.512, DT: ß=0.642; P