The aim of the present study was to identify factors that influence beliefs about dairy and lactose intolerance (LI) and to describe the regionalism of this influence. Design and Methods: An online questionnaire-based study of university students from Catalonia, Spain (n=196) and Hordaland, Norway (n=132) was used. We used standardised factor scores as a continuous measure of beliefs and analysed their association with different factors using a linear mixed model, stratified by region.
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. Value and Practical Implications: Our results put into evidence the importance of assessing the characteristics of each community in order to develop tailored interventions aimed at improving students’ beliefs about dairy.
