Factors Influencing Current Beliefs about Dairy and Lactose Intolerance among University Students

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to identify factors that influence beliefs about dairy and lactose intolerance (LI) and to describe the regionalisme of this influence. Design and methods: An online questionnaire-based study of university students from Catalonia, Spain (n5196) and Hordaland, Norway (n5132) was used. We used standardised factor scores as a continuous measure of beliefs and analysed their association with diferent factors using a linear mixed model, stratified by region. Findings: In Hordaland, only socio-demographic variables were associated with beliefs, suggesting a positive influence of social norms, probably driven by a stable and long tradition of dairy consumption and low LI prevalence. In Catalonia, participants enrolled in a Masters or a health-related discipline scored higher, suggesting an active acquisition of beliefs.