Habits and nutritional status related to different university careers

Abstract:

Objective. To evaluate lifestyle habits and nutritional status related to different university careers. Material and methods.A descriptive cross-sectional study of 800 participants; based on a validated survey for the registration of the student´s data of different faculties of the Simón Bolívar University of Barranquilla, Colombia. Basic student data, lifestyle information and anthropometric measurements were included to categorize them by BMI according to the WHO. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The data were analyzed statistically (p <0.001). Results. 38 are excluded, leaving a total of 762 students analyzed and distributed as follows; n = 432 Health students, n = 131 Law students and n = 199 Techniques students. The female sex represents the majority of the participants with a total of 430 (56.3%) vs. 332 (43.6%) male. In the Health-careers faculty, women represented the same majority with a total of 269 (62.3%) vs. 163 (37.7%) male; likewise, it happened in the university career of Law 86 (65.6%) women vs. 45 (34.4%) of the masculine sex, otherwise in the Techniques, where the feminine sex represented the smaller population with 73 (36.7%) vs. 126 (63.3%) of the male sex; p<0.001. Totals average age was 19.2 +/- 2.3 years; in the health group was 19.6 +/- 2.2 years, in Law were 19.4 +/- 3.1 years and 18.3 +/- 1.6 years in Techniques; p<0.001. Regarding BMI, the total average was 23.1 +/- 4.3 kg /m 2 , and their distribution in the different races was not significant; p=0.866. As for the waist / height ratio, the total average of the students was 45.5 +/- 7.3cm, with the Technical faculty expressing a higher value with an average of 47.1 +/- 5.7cm; p<0.001. The hip / waist variable had a total average of 1.25 +/- 0.28, being the law career the one that expressed the lowest value with an average of 1.18 +/- 0.16 against the total population; p<0.001. Health students have a lower sleep habit, they sleep 2.9 +/- 0.7 hours per day; p<0.001. Conclusion. At Simón Bolívar University in Barranquilla, Colombia; Law students are older in chronological age and those in the Techniques are smaller. There are almost two (1.8) women studying Law and much less (0.3) in Technical careers per each Health student. The BMI is slightly higher in Law and slightly lower in the Techniques compared to Health students and just the opposite of the waist / height index and the hip / waist index.Law students do more physical activity than Health-careers, students and equal those of Techniques. The students of Law and Techniques sleep much more than the Health-careers. There is no difference in the number of meals.

Año de publicación:

2018

Keywords:

• Lifestyle
• HealthSciences
• PhysicalActivity
• nutrition
• obesity

Fuente:

scopus