Nutritional status of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State

[摘要] English: The aim of this study was to describe the nutritional status and related lifestyle factors ofundergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the FreeState. A representative sample of 161 (24% male and 76% female) full time studentswere randomly selected. The median ages of students were 21.8 years for males and 21.4years for females. Dietary intake, lifestyle and anthropometric variables and associationsbetween the above were determined.Dietary intake was determined by means of a 24-hour recall and short food frequencyquestionnaire. Weight and height, waist and hip circumference measurement wereobtained to calculate body mass index (BMI) and fat distribution. Lifestyle factorsincluded smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and socio-demographic statusand these were determined by means of a questionnaire. Adequacy of diet was evaluatedby comparing the intake of each student to the intake recommended by the Food GuidePyramid.Almost 44% of students' daily intake of bread, cereals, rice and pasta was lower than therecommended six servings. Similarly, 98% ate less than three servings of vegetables and58.4% ate less than two servings of fruits. More than 80% of students ate less than twoservings of milk, yoghurt and cheese, while 16.1% ate less than two servings of meat,poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts. Only 57.1% of students reported consumingsmall quantities of fats, oils and sweets. Meal patterns showed that a small percentage ofstudents skipped breakfast (7%). Median energy intake of female students (5195kJ) wassignificantly lower than that of male students (8943kJ). Median energy and fat intakewas relatively low, while carbohydrate and protein intakes were slightly higher thanrecommendations.Anthropometric information included BMI, waist circumference and waist hip ratio(WHR). 22.1% of female and 12.9% of male students were overweight or obese and10.7% of female and 0% of male students were underweight. Four students had valuesabove cut off points for waist circumference (for females > 88 cm for males > 102 cm)and six students had values above cut off point for waist-hip ratio (for females > 0.8 andfor males > 0.9), indicating risk for cardiovascular disease.The physical activity level of the students broadly classified them as very active (59%)and active (39%). However, 68% of the students did not attend gym or participate in anysporting activities. Of the total students, 10.6% were smokers; smoking a median of 3.5cigarettes per day. The majority of the students (62%) consumed alcohol. The medianfrequency of alcohol consumption was 4.0 days per month, and on those days (mostlyweekend days), the median intake was 3 drinks. A positive association between smokingand alcohol consumption was found. Alcohol consumption was also significantly higherin students residing off-campus.No significant difference in the energy intake of students living on-campus and offcampuswas found. Median energy intake of students in the three different BMIcategories indicated that overweight/obese students had the highest median energy intake.However, the differences in median energy intake between the three groups were notstatistically significant. Students that smoked also tended to be more underweight.A physically active lifestyle with abstention from smoking, moderate alcoholconsumption, and consumption of healthy foods maximizes the chance of having anormal weight. Although relatively low, prevalence of obesity in this population needsattention. High BMI values at a young age are independent predictors of beingoverweight in later years. Being overweight at a young age indicates an increased riskfor developing diseases of lifestyle, such as cardiovascular disease. Therefore physicalactivity and healthy eating habits should be encouraged to prevent obesity and itscomorbidities.

[发布机构] University of the Free State