Introducing MyPlate in the Curriculum of Nutrition Teaching for Undergraduate Medical and Health Allied Professions of Palestinian Students

Introduction: MyPlate is an American educational tool that was introduced by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as replacement for MyPyramid. It provides the American public with key messages on healthy diet, but was not studied in other populations. Aims: : we aimed to study the acceptance and utility of MyPlate among Palestinian medical and allied health students by introducing the application in the nutrition course which is part of curriculum. Methods: : Electronic survey was distributed on social media and university platforms to Palestinian students at schools of medicine, nursing and pharmacy at Najah University. The survey collected data on demographic variable, obesity, nutritional deficiencies, nutritional problems and use of MyPlate. In addition vegetables use, physical activity information. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS 21 software. Results: : We included 106 students in the study. 68% of our study group were females, 58.% medical students, 44% were nursing students, and the rest were pharmacy students. 89% of our students reported using knowing MyPlate, 61% reported using MyPlate and 79% reported that they found the use of application easy. The reason for using the application were mainly related to calculating the needed calories and plan a healthy diet. However, our students reported low ability to change their lifestyle accordingly. There was no age difference between users and non-users (19.4 y ± 0.8 y versus 19.8 y ± 0.8 y) or BMI ((20.0±4.6) Kg/m2 versus (21.3±5.8) Kg/m2). MyPlate users were more physically active, but there was no difference in physical activity. Conclusion: MyPlate was very well accepted among our students but they need follow up to improve adherence to healthy lifestyle