scholarly journals How Healthy Are Health-Related Behaviors in University Students: The HOLISTic Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 675
Author(s):  
Hellas Cena ◽  
Debora Porri ◽  
Rachele De Giuseppe ◽  
Aliki Kalmpourtzidou ◽  
Fiorella Pia Salvatore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the health-related behaviors among university students, with emphasis on health sciences students from Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Romania, Spain and Turkey. We included 6222 students in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Nutrition and Dietetics, Sports Sciences, Veterinary, and Economics enrolled between April 2018 and March 2020. We assessed dietary patterns, sleeping habits, physical activity and perceived stress among students by means of validated questionnaires. The median age ranged between 19 and 24 years, smoking prevalence between 12.0% and 35.4%, and body mass index (BMI) ranged between 21.1 and 23.2 kg/m2. Breakfast was less often and more often consumed daily in Turkey (36.7%), and Italy (75.7%), respectively. The highest Mediterranean diet score was recorded in Spain and Italy, and the lowest in Turkey, followed by students from Croatia, Lebanon, Poland and Romania. Sleep duration, physical activity and stress perception also differed between countries. Multivariable regression analysis revealed a small, but positive association between BMI and several characteristics, including age, female gender, smoking, physical activity, mobile phone use, and perceived stress. A negative association was found between BMI and sleep duration on non-working days. Self-rated health perception was positively associated with female gender, breakfast, physical activity, and time spent studying, and negatively with BMI, smoking and stress. Our results demonstrated diverse habits in students from different countries, some of which were less healthy than anticipated, given their educational background. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on improving the lifestyle of these adolescents and young adults, who will be tomorrow’s healthcare workers.

scholarly journals The Role of Health-related Behaviors in Gestational Weight Gain among Women with Overweight and Obesity: A Cross-sectional Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (06) ◽  
pp. 316-324
Author(s):  
Daiane Sofia Morais Paulino ◽  
Maira Pinho-Pompeu ◽  
Fernanda Raikov ◽  
Juliana Vasconcellos Freitas-Jesus ◽  
Helymar Costa Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Gestational Weight Gain ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Objective To evaluate the influence of health-related behaviors including food intake, physical activity, sleep time, smoking habits, stress, depression, and optimism on excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) among women with overweight and obesity. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Women's Hospital of the Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, with 386 mediate postpartum women that fit the inclusion criteria of ≥ 19 years old, first prenatal care visit at or before 14 weeks, and single live baby. Dietary habits, physical exercise practice, sleep duration, smoking and alcohol habits were self-reported. Psychosocial history was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R). Sociodemographic, obstetric, anthropometric, and neonatal data were retrieved from medical records. Descriptive statistics and stepwise logistic regression were performed. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29.27% and 24.61%, respectively, according to the body mass index (BMI). Excessive GWG was observed in 47.79% of women with overweight and in 45.26% of women with obesity. Excessive GWG among overweight and obese women was associated with inadequate vegetable and bean consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 2.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–6.46 and OR = 1.91; 95%CI: 1.01–3.63, respectively) and stress (OR = 1.63; 95%CI 1.01–2.64). After adjustment by maternal age, multiparity, sleep duration, smoking, and alcohol intake, we found that stress (PSS ≥ 20) was associated with excessive GWG in women with overweight or obesity (OR: 1.75; 95%CI: 1.03–2.96). Conclusion Among women with overweight and obesity, stress is the main variable associated with excessive GWG. Inadequate vegetables and beans consumption also showed association with excessive GWG.

Vigorous physical activity, perceived stress, sleep and mental health among university students from 23 low- and middle-income countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Karl Peltzer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractBackgroundVigorous physical activity (VPA) may be beneficial for mental health. The aim of the study was to investigate cross-sectional associations between VPA, perceived stress, sleep quality and quantity and mental health among university students.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, using anonymous questionnaires, data was collected from 15122 (42.1% male and 57.9% female) university students [mean age 20.6, standard deviation (SD) = 2.0] from 23 countries in the Americas, Africa and Asia. They were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short version), and measures of sociodemographic, health status, health behaviour and anthropometrics.ResultsStudents who met VPA recommendations were less likely to report perceived stress, more likely to report subjective good health and depression than students without VPA. There was no association between VPA and sleep quality and quantity and PTSD symptoms.ConclusionThis study only found partial benefits of VPA in relation to well-being of university students.

scholarly journals Participation in Physical Activity is Associated with Well-being in European University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Miguel Peralta ◽  
◽  
João Santos ◽  
Joana Bordado ◽  
Duarte Henriques-Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Health Perception ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
European University

This study’s objective was to analyse the associations between physical activity (PA) and well-being in a rep- resentative sample of European university students. This cross-sectional study was based on data from the European Social Survey round 6, 2012, comprising 3,143 European university students (1456 men and 1687 women) from 27 countries, with a mean age of 21.3±2.9 years. Socio-demographic data, PA, health perception, and the six dimensions of well-being were self-reported. Men reported practising PA more often than women did (4.4±2.2 versus 4.1 ± 2.2, p<0.001) and had better health perception (4.2±0.7 versus 4.1 ± 0.8, p<0.001) and total well-being score (5.5±1.2 versus 5.2 ± 1.3, p<0.001). PA frequency was linearly associated with health perception (p<0.001) as well as the overall well-being score (p<0.001). There is a positive association between PA and the well-being of European university students. This emphasizes the importance of PA in the university students’ lifestyle and the need to develop programmes that reduce physical inactivity.

scholarly journals Independent and Combined Associations of Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Activity Intensities With Perceived Stress Among University Students: Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Ling Tan ◽  
Malte Jetzke ◽  
Vera Vergeld ◽  
Carsten Müller
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Perceived Stress Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stress Scale

BACKGROUND Mental health is an emerging topic on university campuses, with students reporting higher levels of psychological distress than the general population of the same age. Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time have been proved promising measures to promote mental health in the general population. However, to derive and implement effective measures to promote mental health among university students, further exploration of the associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and perceived stress in this specific setting is needed. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and perceived stress after controlling for sociodemographic and behavioral variables among university students in Germany. We hypothesize that perceived stress is inversely related to physical activity and positively associated with sedentary time. Furthermore, we hypothesize that combined associations of concurrently high physical activity and low sedentary time on perceived stress are stronger compared with either alone and that the association between physical activity and perceived stress depends on activity intensity. METHODS We conducted cross-sectional analyses from a large-scale internet-based student health survey (n=4189; response rate=10.0%). Physical activity, sedentary time, and engaging in moderate and vigorous activity intensities were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form with categorization into low, intermediate, and high levels. We measured perceived stress using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (range 0-40). RESULTS The results indicate that higher physical activity and lower sedentary time are associated with reduced levels of perceived stress. Following adjustment for gender, BMI, income, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, and sleep quality, perceived stress scores were lower for students reporting high physical activity levels and low sedentary time compared with the least active and highly sedentary students (Perceived Stress Scale –2.2, 95% CI –2.9 to –1.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 for physical activity and –1.1, CI 95% –1.7 to –0.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 for sedentary time). Combined associations with perceived stress revealed that students concurrently reporting high total physical activity and low sedentary time reported the lowest perceived stress scores of all possible combinations following adjustment for confounders (Perceived Stress Scale –3.5, CI 95% –4.6 to –2.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 compared with students reporting low physical activity levels and concurrently high sedentary time). Associations between vigorous physical activities and perceived stress were not stronger compared with moderate activity intensities. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported physical activity and low sedentary time are favorably associated with perceived stress, while the intensity of physical activities seems to be of minor importance. These results help to effectively implement health-promoting measures on campus among university students through increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time.

scholarly journals 2269 Day-to-day association between alcohol use and physical activity in university students

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 8-8
Author(s):  
Scott Graupensperger ◽  
Michael B. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
University Students ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Multiple Behavior Change ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
Ecological Momentary

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The goal of the present study was to advance our understanding of how alcohol use may contribute to physical inactivity among university students by investigating this association at a day-to-day level. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In total, 57 university students (Mage=20.27; 54% male) completed daily diary questionnaires using a cellphone application, which prompted them each evening to report minutes of moderate/vigorous physical activity engaged in, and number of alcoholic drinks consumed, as well as intended minutes of physical activity for the following day. Longitudinal mixed-level modeling was used to disentangle within person and between-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity behavior and intentions. Separate models were run to investigate lagged effects of previous day alcohol use. We controlled for sex and age in all models. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results indicated that participants’ usual alcohol use (between-person) was not associated with physical activity behavior or intentions. At the within-person level, day-to-day variance in alcohol use was negatively associated with both physical activity behavior (γ=−0.34, p=0.003) and intentions to engage in physical activity the following day (γ=−0.70, p<0.001). The lagged model indicated that previous day alcohol use negatively predicted PA behavior (γ=−0.33, p=0.004). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Previous studies have largely been constrained to cross-sectional designs, and have surmised that there exists a positive association between alcohol use and physical activity due to trait-level differences between university students. We advance this literature by using ecological momentary assessment to investigate the within-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity at a day-to-day level while controlling for between-person variance. Contrary to existing literature, we found that on days when students consumed relatively more alcohol than they typically report, they: (a) report fewer minutes of physical activity on the same day, (b) plan to engage in relatively less physical activity on the subsequent day, and (c) engage in less physical activity on the subsequent day. By advancing our understanding of how alcohol use may curtail other health behaviors such as physical activity, we inform interventions that aim to target these behaviors in conjunction, or as part of a multiple behavior change intervention.

Weight status, physical activity and eating habits of young adults in Midwest Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 2609-2616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Zaranza Monteiro ◽  
Andrea Ramirez Varela ◽  
Bruno Alves de Lira ◽  
Leonardo Chagas Contiero ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Alves Carneiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
University Students ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Undergraduate University Students

AbstractObjective:To assess weight status and eating habits of undergraduate university students in relation to gender and examine the relationships between weight status, physical activity and eating habits.Design:Cross-sectional study conducted between October 2016 and May 2017.Setting:Young adults in Midwest Brazil.Participants:Undergraduate university students (n 2163) majoring in health care.Results:Among 2163 students, 69·3 % were female, 65·4 % were aged 20–29 years, 66·8% consumed alcohol and 44·2% did not achieve more than 150 min of physical activity per week. We found significant differences in the consumption of beans (P &lt; 0·04) and full-fat milk (P &lt; 0·01) between women and men. Women also had more sedentary lifestyles (P &lt; 0·01) and showed higher prevalence of overweight (33·8 %) and obesity (5·0 %) than men. Students who did not engage in physical activity were more overweight (P = 0·03), consumed more soft drinks (P &lt; 0·01) and meat with excess fat (P = 0·01). There was a positive association between weight status and fruit (P = 0·02), salad (P &lt; 0·01), greens/vegetables (P &lt; 0·01) and beans (P &lt; 0·01) intake.Conclusions:The low level of physical activity and unhealthy eating patterns reported by the study participants were inconsistent with the national recommendations for a healthy active lifestyle for adults and may contribute to the increasing rate of overweight and obesity in this population. A joint effort between universities and all relevant government agencies is needed to develop and promote school- and community-based interventions.

scholarly journals Life-course leisure-time physical activity trajectories in relation to health-related behaviors in adulthood: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irinja Lounassalo ◽  
Mirja Hirvensalo ◽  
Sanna Palomäki ◽  
Kasper Salin ◽  
Asko Tolvanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Sleep Difficulties ◽  
Young Finns Study

Abstract Background Evidence on whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) facilitates individuals’ adoption of multiple healthy behaviors remains scarce. This study investigated the associations of diverse longitudinal LTPA trajectories from childhood to adulthood with diet, screen time, smoking, binge drinking, sleep difficulties, and sleep duration in adulthood. Methods Data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Participants were aged 9–18 years (N = 3553; 51% females) in 1980 and 33–49 years at the latest follow-up in 2011. The LTPA trajectories were identified using a latent profile analysis. Differences in self-reported health-related behaviors across the LTPA trajectories were studied separately for women and men by using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars approach. Models were adjusted for age, body mass index, education level, marital status, total energy intake and previous corresponding behaviors. Results Persistently active, persistently low-active, decreasingly and increasingly active trajectories were identified in both genders and an additional inactive trajectory for women. After adjusting the models with the above-mentioned covariates, the inactive women had an unhealthier diet than the women in the other trajectories (p <  0.01; effect size (ES) > 0.50). The low-active men followed an unhealthier diet than the persistently and increasingly active men (p <  0.01; ES > 0.50). Compared to their inactive and low-active peers, smoking frequency was lower in the increasingly active women and men (p <  0.01; ES > 0.20) and persistently active men (p <  0.05; ES > 0.20). The increasingly active men reported lower screen time than the low-active (p <  0.001; ES > 0.50) and persistently active (p <  0.05; ES > 0.20) men. The increasingly and persistently active women reported fewer sleep difficulties than the inactive (p <  0.001; ES > 0.80) and low-active (p <  0.05; ES > 0.50 and > 0.80, respectively) women. Sleep duration and binge drinking were not associated with the LTPA trajectories in either gender, nor were sleep difficulties in men and screen time in women. Conclusions Not only persistently higher LTPA but also an increasing tendency to engage in LTPA after childhood/adolescence were associated with healthier diet and lower smoking frequency in both genders, having less sleep difficulties in women and lower screen time in increasingly active men. Inactivity and low activity were associated with the accumulation of several unhealthy behaviors in adulthood. Associations were stronger in women.

scholarly journals Effect of physical exercises and perceived stress interaction on students’ satisfaction with life

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
V.O. Olefir ◽  
M.A. Kuznetsov ◽  
V.V. Plokhikh
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Moderator Analysis ◽  
Physical Exercises ◽  
The Cross ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Students Satisfaction

Purpose : to find out the effect of regular physical exercises and perceived stress interaction on students’ satisfaction with life. Material and methods : The study involved university students (n = 355; М age = 19,97; SD = 2,12). The moderator analysis was conducted according to the cross-sectional questionnaire. Results : It is determined that the difference in students' satisfaction with life at the average and high perceived stress is due to physical exercises. The influence of the interaction of variables (physical activity x perceived stress) on satisfaction with life was statistically significant. Conclusions : It is revealed the peculiarities of interaction between the physical exercises and perceived stress. The reduce of satisfaction with life under the influence of perceived stress is more typical for those students who do not regularly practice physical exercises. Physical exercises act as a buffer against stress.

scholarly journals Post-Lockdown Effects on Students’ Mental Health in Romania: Perceived Stress, Missing Daily Social Interactions, and Boredom Proneness

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8599
Author(s):  
Liliana Dumitrache ◽  
Elena Stănculescu ◽  
Mariana Nae ◽  
Daniela Dumbrăveanu ◽  
Gabriel Simion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Boredom Proneness

The rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide was accompanied by intense fears, confusion, worries, anger, and stress threatening people’s mental health. Unprecedented measures to slow down and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 have had various impacts on the population’s health behaviour and mental health. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the lockdown’s effects on university students’ mental health in Romania. Based on a cross-sectional design, the survey data were collected from a sample of 722 participants (247 males; M = 21.1 years; SD ± 1.73). A path analysis was performed to verify the hypothesised direct and indirect effects included in the multiple mediation model. The findings showed a positive association between stress and boredom proneness, missing daily social interactions, spending more time on phone conversations, and the increasing interest in following news about the pandemic. The path analysis revealed an excellent fit between the proposed multiple mediation model and the sample data. Boredom proneness and missing daily social interactions both affected stress, directly and indirectly, through more time spent on phone conversations. In addition, it was found that the increased interest in following news about the pandemic mediated the relationship between boredom proneness and perceived stress. In terms of gender differences, our findings revealed that female students experienced significantly higher stress levels than male students, perceived to a greater extent the lack of daily social interactions, and spent more time on phone conversations. Overall, the findings further extend the empirical evidence on university students’ mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, universities need to organise support programmes focused on developing university students’ coping strategies to maintain their mental health even in adverse contexts.

scholarly journals Mental health profile and health-related behavior among Hong Kong Chinese university students

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205510291878686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia MS Ma ◽  
Catie CW Lai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Chinese University Students

To better understand factors that are associated with individuals’ engagement in physical activity and other health-related behaviors, this study aimed to identify the psychological well-being profiles among Chinese university students, and explore whether engagement in physical activity and other health-related behaviors vary with different psychological well-being profiles. A battery of self-report questionnaires was completed by 2022 Chinese university students for assessing psychological well-being and health-related behaviors. Four psychological well-being profiles were identified. The vast students were mentally healthy. The students with better mental health displayed lower likelihood of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. Findings and implication of the study were discussed.

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