Elsevier

Nutrition

Volume 54, October 2018, Pages 7-11
Nutrition

Applied nutritional investigation
Effect of healthy and unhealthy habits on obesity: a multicentric study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2018.02.003Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Consumption of vegetables in undergraduate university students is a protective factor for obesity.

  • Health Science students in universities show more protective factors in obesity

  • Male sex and consumption of sugary drinks are considered risk factors for obesity.

Abstract

Objective

Our aim was to characterize and compare eating patterns of university students in Chile, by sex and body weight, body mass index, and nutritional status.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. University students (n = 1454) of Chile were evaluated. A self-assessment survey was used to evaluate healthy eating habits using a questionnaire with values between 1 (do not consume) and 5 (consume) for a total of 9 to 45 points (higher values represent better eating habits). Unhealthy habits were assessed with six questions, including consumption of sugary soft drinks, alcohol, fried foods, fast food, and snacks and adding salt to foods without tasting first.

Results

Obese students had a lower consumption of healthy foods (P < 0.05) compared with normal weight participants. Underweight male participants had higher unhealthy food consumption (P < 0.05) and obese women had the lowest score (P < 0.05). Protective factors for being overweight/obese were included (odds ratio [OR]  = 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3–0.8), consumption of ≥2 servings of vegetables (OR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.4–0.7). Risk factors included consumption (more than 1 cup a day) of sugary soft drinks (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.0–2.1) and male sex (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.3–2.4).

Conclusion

The consumption of vegetables and belonging to an undergraduate program in health sciences at a university contributed to protection against for obesity. On the other hand, male sex and consumption of sugary drinks were found to be risk factors for obesity.

Introduction

A 2014 report from The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on governments to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases to prevent 16 million premature (before age 70) deaths from heart disease, lung disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes [1]. The most important causes are lifestyle related and factors associated with inadequate eating habits, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and modifiable behaviors that are increasingly present in the young adult population [2], [3].

Risk factors that trigger the increase in morbidity and mortality begin at an early age, so the time of exposure for these factors is an important determinant of future burdens that the young population in Chile will have an epidemiologic profile of the country (hight prevalence obesity, diabetes, and hypertension) [4].

The habits university students develop may generate vulnerability in various aspects associated with the social, environmental, and emotional changes they face in this period, which has been defined as a critical risk period for the adoption of harmful habits [5], [6].

According to the 2009–2010 Chilean National Health Survey, excess weight is present in 37.8% of young people 17 y of age, hypertension in 26.9%, and hypercholesterolemia in 38.5%. These factors together with an unhealthy diet, alcohol intake, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle increase risk of cardiovascular disease, which constitutes the leading cause of death in Chile and the world [7], [8].

The objective of this study was to characterize and compare eating patterns of university students in Chile, by sex and body weight, body mass index (BMI), and nutritional status.

Section snippets

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1454 university students, of whom 1414 completed all forms. Participants were from public and private Chilean universities in the north, center, and south regions: Playa Ancha (Valparaíso), University of Antofagasta (Antofagasta), Catholic University of Temuco (Temuco), San Sebastián University (Santiago, Chile), Autonoma University (Santiago, Chile), and Bernardo O'Higgins University (Santiago, Chile), representing 4.2% in respect to the total of 34

Results

Of the total number of students, 1414 completed all assessments; 22.1% were male, and weight, height, and BMI were 62.3 ± 10.9 k, 1.62 ± 0.07 m, 23.4 ± 3.2; in women, these were 59.3 ± 8.7 k, 1.60 ± 0.05 m, 23.1 ± 3.1, and in men 72.8 ± 11.6 k, 1.72 ± 0.06 m, and 24.4 ± 3.2, respectively; 29.5% consumed tobacco, and 91.5% were sedentary; 3.4% of students were underweight, 68.5% normal weight, 23.8% overweight, and 4.3% obese. Comparing among the universities, the ones with worse eating habits

Discussion

The principal results are that consumption of vegetables and belonging to an undergraduate program in health sciences at a university result in protective factors for obesity. On the other hand, male sex and consumption of sugary drinks are considered risk factors for obesity.

Healthy eating is one of the basic conditions needed to have a healthy population prepared to prevent the majority of highly prevalent diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol [11], [12]. In

Conclusion

At present, clear policies are required to protect the health of young people who at this stage in their university education can initiate behaviors that prevent future morbidity and shortening years of life which affects social and economic development and their overall quality of life. Institutions of higher education should reaffirm their commitment to health promotion and disease prevention for young people in this stage of life with assessment and risk-factor intervention, including access

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