Journal of Health Research and Reviews (in Developing Countries)

LETTER TO EDITOR
Year
: 2014  |  Volume : 1  |  Issue : 3  |  Page : 82-

Reasons of not consuming milk by medical students


Amit Sharma1, Sukhvinder Basran2, Zenis Baluja1,  
1 Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India
2 Department of Orthopaedics, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India

Correspondence Address:
Amit Sharma
Department of Forensic Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi - 110 062
India




How to cite this article:
Sharma A, Basran S, Baluja Z. Reasons of not consuming milk by medical students.J Health Res Rev 2014;1:82-82


How to cite this URL:
Sharma A, Basran S, Baluja Z. Reasons of not consuming milk by medical students. J Health Res Rev [serial online] 2014 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];1:82-82
Available from: https://www.jhrr.org/text.asp?2014/1/3/82/153901


Full Text

Sir/Madam,

Milk is an excellent protein food that provides essential amino acids and organic nitrogen for humans and animals of all ages. Milk also contains factors that have anti-carcinogenic properties: calcium, phosphate, casein, and lipids. Dairy products were recognized in the late 1950s as a food group that is effective in preventing dental caries. Shaw et al. observed that milk, ice-cream, and cheese lowered the incidence of dental caries in rats. [1] Epidemiological studies in recent years indicate that children [2] and adolescents [3] with low incidence of dental caries drink more milk than those with high caries incidence. Elderly people who eat cheese several times per week have a lower incidence of root surface caries development. [4] Several reviews describe the role of milk and dairy products in dental caries prevention. [5],[6],[7]

The purpose of this short study is to know the reasons behind milk avoiding behavior amongst medical students. Two hundred medical students of the age group 18-20 years were contacted for this survey conducted in the form of a questionnaire containing the most common reasons for non-consumption of milk. A total of 175 students (102 females and 73 males) having a mean age of 18.5 years responded after giving written informed consent. 23% of the students (28.4% females, 14.7% males) said they did not like the taste of milk, followed by 19.4% who took it in the form of tea/coffee and 13.6% who said they wanted to drink milk but usually forget or do not have time for it (8.9%). 11.2% females and 2.7% males who responded thought that it is a habit of children only. Surprisingly, 6% of females avoid drinking milk thinking it will lead to weight gain/obesity, as compared to 10.7% of male respondents. Other reasons like it is associated with stomach upset or it is mostly adulterated was given by 8.4% and 8.9% respondents, respectively. 5.2% said they cannot afford to drink milk. Only one female respondent thought that drinking milk does not have any positive health benefit.

It is concluded from this survey that there are a plethora of reasons for non-consumption of milk among medical students. To counter this habit, the medical schools should include talks on the health benefits of consuming milk and dairy products during the orientation/induction lectures when the students freshly join the institute.

References

1Shaw JH, Ensfield BJ, Wollman DH. Studies on the relation of dairy products to dental caries in caries-susceptible rats. J Nutr 1959;67:253-73.
2Petti S, Simonetti R, Simonetti D′Arca A. The effect of milk and sucrose consumption on caries in 6-to11-year-old Italian schoolchildren. Eur J Epidemiol 1997;13:659-64.
3Petridou E, Athanassouli T, Panagopoulos H, Revinthi K. Sociodemographic and dietary factors in relation to dental health among Greek adolescents. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1996;24:307-11.
4Papas AS, Joshi A, Belanger AJ, Kent RL Jr, Palmer CA, DePaola PF. Dietary models for root caries. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;61:417-22S.
5Moynihan P. Foods and factors that protect against dental caries. Nutr Bull 2000;25:281-6.
6Kashket S, DePaola DP. Cheese consumption and the development and progression of dental caries. Nutr Rev 2002;60:97-103.
7Johansson I. Milk and dairy products: Possible effects on dental health. Scan J Nutr 2002;46:119-22.