scholarly journals Assessment of Dietary Habits, Physical Activity and Lifestyle in Medical University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3572
Author(s):  
Lavinia-Maria Pop ◽  
Magdalena Iorga ◽  
Iulia-Diana Muraru ◽  
Florin-Dumitru Petrariu

A busy schedule and demanding tasks challenge medical students to adjust their lifestyle and dietary habits. The aim of this study was to identify dietary habits and health-related behaviours among students. A number of 403 students (80.40% female, aged M = 21.21 ± 4.56) enrolled in a medical university provided answers to a questionnaire constructed especially for this research, which was divided into three parts: the first part collected socio-demographic, anthropometric, and medical data; the second part inquired about dietary habits, lifestyle, sleep, physical activity, water intake, and use of alcohol and cigarettes; and the third part collected information about nutrition-related data and the consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, and sweets. Data were analysed using SPSS v24. Students usually slept M = 6.71 ± 1.52 h/day, and one-third had self-imposed diet restrictions to control their weight. For both genders, the most important meal was lunch, and one-third of students had breakfast each morning. On average, the students consumed 1.64 ± 0.88 l of water per day and had 220 min of physical activity per week. Data about the consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, sweets, fast food, coffee, tea, alcohol, or carbohydrate drinks were presented. The results of our study proved that medical students have knowledge about how to maintain a healthy life and they practice it, which is important for their subsequent professional life.

Author(s):  
В.В. Фалалеев

Актуальность данной статьи обусловлена тем, что развитие мотивации учения является важнейшей психолого-педагогической задачей, решение которой способствует повышению качества обучения и усвоения знаний студентами. В данной статье отражены некоторые результаты исследования мотивации учения студентов-медиков, которое проводилось в Казанском государственном медицинском университете с участием в нем 142 человек. Студентам-медикам с первого по третий курс было предложено, в виде эссе, продолжить фразу: «Я люблю учебный предмет «Физическая культура», потому что…». На основе анализа результатов нами сделаны выводы, и предложен перечень рекомендаций для преподавателей, следование которым может помочь повысить уровень учебной мотивации студентов. В статье доказано, что на основе развития мотивации к занятиям физической культурой можно развить мотивацию учения в целом. Данная статья предназначена для преподавателей различных учебных дисциплин. The relevance of this article is stipulated by the fact that development of learning motivation is the most important psycho-pedagogical task, solution of which contributes to improvement of learning quality and knowledge assimilation of students. This article reflects some results of the study of learning motivation of medical students, which was conducted in Kazan State Medical University with the participation of 142 people. Medical students from the first to the third year were asked, in the form of an essay, to continue the phrase: "I love the subject "Physical Education" because...". Based on the analysis of the results we draw conclusions and propose a list of recommendations for teachers, following which can help to increase the level of learning motivation of students. The article proves that, on the basis of the development of motivation to engage in physical activity, it is possible to develop motivation to learn in general. This article is intended for teachers of different academic disciplines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-532
Author(s):  
Natal’ya K. Tikhonova ◽  
◽  
Maksim M. Arshanskiy ◽  

BACKGROUND: Pandemics of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) introduced additional corrections in the style of life of students. Introduction of restrictive measures, transfer to distance learning produce an ambiguous effect on the vital activity of a human including his physical health and diet. AIM: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 restrictive measures on nutrition, physical activity and body mass of medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sociological, analytical, statistical methods were used. According to the results of a questionnaire survey of 167 third-year students of the medical faculty of Smolensk State Medical University, a comparative assessment of nutrition, physical activity and body weight before the introduction of COVID-19 restrictive measures and in 3 4 months after self-isolation is presented. The reliability of differences in the shares of the characteristic was assessed by the value of Fishers angular transformation coefficient (φ). RESULTS: Diets of medical students were unbalanced both before and during COVID-19 restrictive measures. Changes in the diet during the period of self-isolation took place in 54.2% of the respondents. The number of students with 4 meals a day increased 1.6 times, and with 5 meals 12.9 times. The share of respondents with 2 meals a day decreased 6.3 times. Daytime food intake decreased 1.7 times, and 2.8 times more often the respondents did not have a fixed time of food intake. All medical students refused a full breakfast both before and during the period of self-isolation. The predomination of evening meals decreased 2.4 times. Home-made dishes were consumed 1.2 times more often, semi-finished products 2.4 times less often, and consumption of fast food decreased by 4.2%. Physical activity during the period of self-isolation significantly decreased in every fifth student. Every fourth respondent noticed increase in the body weight. CONCLUSION: Restrictive measures did not change the preferences in the choice of food products by medical students and the habits of not eating breakfast, and imbalanced diets. The positive impact of restrictive measures for COVID-19: increase in use of freshly prepared meals, the frequency of meals, and limitation of the possibility to eat in fast food restaurants. The negative effect of self-isolation: frequent infringement of the diet, increased daily amount of fast food consumed, decrease in physical activity, increase in body weight.


Author(s):  
Wafaa Husain ◽  
Fatemah Ashkanani

Abstract Background The coronavirus pandemic has transformed and continues to transform and affect the daily lives of communities worldwide, particularly due to the lockdown restrictions. Therefore, this study was designed to understand the changes in dietary and lifestyle behaviours that are major determinants of health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire using a convenience sample of 415 adults living in Kuwait (age range 18–73 years). Results The rate of skipping breakfast remained consistent, with a slight increase during the pandemic. Lunch remained the main reported meal before and during COVID-19. Compared to before COVID-19, people were much more likely have a late-night snack or meal during COVID-19 (OR = 3.57 (95% CI 1.79–7.26), p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a drastic decrease in the frequency of fast-food consumption during COVID-19, up to 82% reported not consuming fast food (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in the percentage of participants who had their main meal freshly made (OR = 59.18 (95% CI 6.55–1400.76), p = 0.001). Regarding food group patterns, no significant differences were found before and during the pandemic in terms of the weekly frequency of consumption, except in the case of fish and seafood. There were no remarkable changes in beverage consumption habits among participants before and during the pandemic, except for Americano coffee and fresh juice. Furthermore, there was a great reduction in physical activity and an increase in the amount of screen time and sedentary behaviours. A notable increase was detected in day-time sleep and a decrease in night-time sleep among participants. Conclusion In general, this study indicates some changes in daily life, including changes in some eating practices, physical activity and sleeping habits during the pandemic. It is important that the government considers the need for nutrition education programmes and campaigns, particularly during this critical period of the pandemic in Kuwait.


Author(s):  
Khalid A. Bin Abdulrahman ◽  
Ahmad M. Khalaf ◽  
Fahad B. Bin Abbas ◽  
Omran T. Alanezi

This study was conducted to investigate medical students’ lifestyle habits, including sleep quality, eating and drinking patterns, physical activity, and social status. Method: This research project is part two of a multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study conducted among medical students from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2019. Results: 675 medical students were enrolled electively into the lifestyle study. About half of this number were male students and the majority were aged 18–24 years. Most students (87.6%) slept between 4–8 h a day and over 44% were dissatisfied with their sleep. Only 28.1% had three meals a day; about 40% of them usually or always skipped breakfast. A total of 44% usually or always ate fast food and 44.7% drank 2 L of water per day. Moreover, male students were significantly consuming more fast food than females, p < 0.001. The majority (63.3%) revealed they usually or always drink black coffee daily. Females were significantly more inclined to regular coffee consumption than males, p < 0.001. Only 4.3% exercised for 30 min or more daily. The majority (65%) of the students were introverted; they had few close friends. Yet, 81% were somewhat satisfied or satisfied with their social life. Male students were significantly more satisfied with their social life than females, p = 0.001. Only 4.6% smoked cigarettes daily whereas 7.1% smoked e-cigarettes daily. In contrast, only 0.3% used shisha (hookah) daily. Male medical students were substantially more inclined to e-cigarette use than females (p < 0.001). The top five leisure activities of a medical student were surfing social media (75.9%), watching movies (61.3%), hanging out with friends (58.1%), spending time with their family (55.4%), and browsing the Internet (53.6%). Female medical students were significantly more inclined to surf social media than male medical students, p = 0.022; also, watching movies was preferred for females compared to males, p = 0.006. Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority of these medical students in Saudi Arabia exhibited healthy lifestyles to some extent, and these health-promoting behaviors differed based on sex, especially concerning physical activity and eating patterns. The findings of this study provide relevant information for future actions that will be geared towards effectively decreasing the occurrence of chronic illnesses and improving future doctors’ well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Vladimir V. Kuznetsov ◽  
Kirill V. Kosilov ◽  
Ekaterina K. Fedorishcheva ◽  
Elena Yu. Kostina ◽  
Olga A. Barabash

AIM: This study aimed to examine prognostic parameters of health-related quality of life of medical students to determine the possibilities of its correlation with subsequent optimization of the educational environment of the university. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted from 02/01/2017 to 01/10/2020 at the School of Biomedicine of the Far Eastern Federal University and the Pacific State Medical University. It included 496 students of both sexes [251 (50.6%) women, 245 (49.4%) men; average age, 20.4 years] enrolled in 13 medical courses. Demographic characteristics, education and living conditions, and morbidity data were collected using the comprehensive I.V. Pozdeeva questionnaire (2008) supplemented by authors as well as the standard medical documentation of the polyclinic. The MOS SF-36 Health-Related Quality of Life Brief Self-Assessment Questionnaire was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life. The Academic Motivation Scale questionnaire survey was performed, and statistical data on academic performance were collected using K. Maslach and S. Jackson questionnaire for the administrative offices of educational institutions. RESULTS: The following scores were obtained on the self-assessment of the quality of life: physical functioning, 58.8 points; role functioning, 27.4 points; somatic pain (reverse assessment), 79.4 points; general well-being, 48.6 points; hardiness, 61.2 points; social functioning, 57.3 points; emotional status, 51.0 points; psychological comfort, 53.7 points. The students showed a high level of motivation to learn (47.759.8 points by the Vallerand scale) and a low professional burnout index (24.944.0 by Maslach and Jackson scale); the performance indicators were 4.14.6 points. Each parameter of self-assessment of physical and mental state is significantly associated with the composite average assessment of the health-related quality of life (r=0.490.86; p0.05). The health-related quality of life of medical students was found to be associated with academic performance (=0.27, p0.05), but motivation to study (=0.35, p0.05) was not correlated with the level of professional burnout. A strong relationship was also found between health-related quality of life and comorbidity (=0.30, p0.05) and sports (=0.27, p0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The scores on the total self-assessment of the quality of life by medical students are within the normal range. Most students are highly motivated to learn, perform well, and have little or no burnout. The health-related quality of life of medical students at the start of their schooling is reliably influenced by academic performance, motivation to study, and level of chronic morbidity and physical activity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Dąbrowska-Galas ◽  
Ryszard Plinta ◽  
Jolanta Dąbrowska ◽  
Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta

BackgroundMedical students and other health care professionals have substantial knowledge of the benefits of regular physical activity. Furthermore, as they have an ethical obligation to prescribe suitable exercises, they can influence their patients' attitude toward physical activity and can become role models for their patients. Physical therapists, who are primary care practitioners, have great potential for promoting physical activity; however, their role is still underestimated by patients and health care professionals.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to evaluate physical activity level in students of the Medical University of Silesia in Poland and to focus on the role of physical therapist students in promoting physical activity.DesignThis was a cross-sectional study.MethodsThe final analysis included 300 students from the schools of physical therapy, midwifery, nursing, pharmacy, cosmetology, and medicine at the Medical University of Silesia. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to evaluate physical activity level.ResultsPhysical therapist students demonstrated the highest level of physical activity, with 46% demonstrating a high level of physical activity, 54% a moderate level of physical activity, and none a low level of physical activity. The largest group of students with a low level of physical activity comprised students from the school of medicine (26%).LimitationsThe number of respondents was relatively small. The main study limitations included its cross-sectional nature and the possibility of self-report biases. Further research is warranted to expand the study nationally and determine which factors influence physical activity.ConclusionsThere was a large group of medical students who, despite being aware of benefits of physical activity, did not meet the recommended level of physical activity. Physical therapist students are well trained and qualified to promote healthy habits and encourage individuals to undertake regular physical activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arezoo Bajelan ◽  
Mehdi Ghaebi ◽  
Maryam Javadi ◽  
Ameneh Barikani ◽  
Akram Beheshti ◽  
...  

Background: Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial skin disease affecting many of the world’s population throughout their lives and can cause severe emotional distress and psychological disorders such as poor self-image, depression, and anxiety. Several underlying risk factors are known for acne development, and many, including inappropriate lifestyle, are yet to be studied. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the role of lifestyle factors including dietary habits, physical activity, and bathing frequency in the incidence of acne vulgaris. Methods: The study population included 425 subjects, of whom 171 were acne patients (the case group), and 254 were non-acne patients (the control group). All participants filled out a questionnaire addressing their demographic information and some lifestyle habits. The data were analyzed by SPSS. Results: Fast food consumption was significantly higher in the case than in the control group (P = 0.008). Dairy intake and bathing frequency were significantly higher among non-acne patients than those with acne (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Vegetable consumption, water intake, and the number of episodes and minutes of physical activity per week were not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.1, P = 0.4, P = 0.9, and P = 0.8, respectively). The mean weight of participants was significantly higher in the case than in the control group (P = 0.001). Conclusions: There was no significant difference in most of the studied factors between the two groups. Therefore, further studies are needed to assess the role of other underlying conditions such as genetic factors and hormonal changes in the development of acne vulgaris.


Author(s):  
Khalid A Bin Abdulrahman ◽  
Ahmad Mamoun Khalaf ◽  
Fahad Bassam Bin Abbas ◽  
Omran Thabet Alanazi

Background: This study was conducted to investigate medical students' lifestyle habits, including sleep quality, eating and drinking pattern, physical activity, and social status. Method: This research project is part two of a multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study conducted among medical students from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2019. Results: 675 medical students were enrolled electively into the lifestyle study. About half of this number were male students, and the majority aged 18-24 years. Most students (87.6%) slept between 4-8 hours a day, and over 44% were dissatisfied with their sleep. Only 28.1% had three meals a day; about 40% of them usually or always skipped breakfast. While 44% usually or always eat fast food, 44.7% drink 2 liters of water per day. Moreover, male students were significantly consuming fast foods than females, p&lt;0.001. The majority (63.3%) revealed they usually or always drink black coffee daily. Females were significantly more inclined to regular coffee consumption than males, p&lt;0.001. Only 4.3% exercising for 30 minutes or more daily. The majority (65%) of the students were introverted; they had few close friends. Yet, 81% were somewhat satisfied or satisfied with their social life. Male students were predicted to be significantly more satisfied with their social life than females, p=0.001. Only 4.6% smoked cigarettes daily. Whereas 7.1% smoke e-cigarette daily. In contrast, only 0.3% use shisha (hookah) daily. Male medical students were substantially more predicted to be inclined to e-cigarette use than females (p &lt;0.001. The top five leisure activities of a medical student are surfing social media (75.9%), watching movies (61.3%), hanging out with friends (58.1%), spent time with their family (55.4%), and browsing the internet (53.6%). Female medical students were significantly more inclined to surfing social media than male medical students, p=0.022; also, watching movies was preferred for females compared to males, p=0.006. Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority of medical students in Saudi Arabia exhibited healthy lifestyles to some extent, and these health-promoting behaviors differed based on gender, especially concerning physical activity and eating patterns. The findings of this study provide relevant information for future actions that will be geared towards effectively decreasing the occurrence of chronic illnesses and improving future doctor&rsquo;s well-being.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Gabriela Cárdenas-Fuentes ◽  
Clara Homs ◽  
Catalina Ramírez-Contreras ◽  
Charlotte Juton ◽  
Rafael Casas-Esteve ◽  
...  

Evidence has identified unhealthy lifestyle behaviors as the main contributors to obesity in children, so it is essential to identify factors that could influence children’s lifestyles. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association of baseline maternal educational level with child’s physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits at follow-up. This community-based cohort study was carried out between 2012 and 2014 and included 1405 children aged 8 to 10 years old. Maternal educational level was used as an indicator of child’s socioeconomic status. Physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits were assessed by validated questionnaires. The odds of having commercially baked goods for breakfast [OR 1.47 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.10)], going more than once a week to a fast-food restaurant [OR 1.64 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.26)], and taking sweets and candys several times a day [OR 3.23 (95% CI 2.14 to 4.87) were significantly higher among children whose mothers had a lower educational level compared to their peers whose mothers had a higher level. These associations held for taking sweets and candy several times a day after additional adjustment for the corresponding dietary behavior at baseline. Maternal educational level was inversely associated (p < 0.001) with child’s screen time at follow up and being in the lowest maternal educational category was associated with an increased odds of surpassing the maximum recommended time of screen time of 120 min per day (OR (95% CI) 1.43 (1.07 to 1.90), p = 0.016). Maternal education is a predictor for unhealthy dietary habits and high screen time in children.


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