Determinants of health-related lifestyles among university students

Aceijas, Carmen; Waldhäusl, Sabrina; Lambert, Nicky; Cassar, Simon; Corassa, Rafael Bello

doi:10.1177/1757913916666875

Cited by 142 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Our results regarding the consumption of recreational substances indicated a lower prevalence of smoking (19.5%) than previously reported for the same environment [33,35]. However, our results on the prevalence of alcohol consumption were similar to previous studies, in that about six out of ten university students were regular consumers, most consumption occurred on weekends, and men consumed more than women [5,33,38].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

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Cluster Analysis of Health-Related Lifestyles in University Students

Bennasar‐Veny

Yañez

Pericàs

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Health-related lifestyles in young adults are a public health concern because they affect the risk for developing noncommunicable diseases. Although unhealthy lifestyles tend to cluster together, most studies have analyzed their effects as independent factors. This study assessed the prevalence, association, and clustering of health-related lifestyles (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and quality of diet) among university students. This cross-sectional study examined a sample of student participants from the University of the Balearic Islands (n = 444; 67.8% females; mean age: 23.1 years). A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess health-related lifestyles. Men that consumed more alcohol, had less healthy diets, were more likely to be overweight, and performed more physical activity. Women had a higher prevalence of low weight and performed less physical activity. Physical activity had a negative association with time using a computer (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.95) and a positive association with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.32). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a negative association with tobacco consumption (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.91), and positive associations with having breakfast every day (OR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.76) and consuming more daily meals (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.87). Cluster analysis indicated the presence of three distinct groups: Unhealthy lifestyles with moderate risk; unhealthy lifestyles with high risk; and healthy lifestyles with low risk. Health promotion interventions in the university environment that focus on multiple lifestyles could have a greater effect than interventions that target any single lifestyle.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…About two-thirds of our university students reported performing PA, more than in similar studies [8,19,33,34]. We also found that men had greater PA levels than women.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Cluster Analysis of Health-Related Lifestyles in University Students

Bennasar‐Veny

Yañez

Pericàs

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…For instance, a US study revealed that there was a significant increase in consumption of alcohol and foods with a high fat content among university students [19]. Also, other studies have indicated a frequent intake of snacks (in-between meals) [20], sugar sweetened beverage [21] and smoking [22] among students. There is consistent evidence demonstrating the relationship between high consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and weight gain [23], but it is still a debate if reducing the intake of sugar sweetened beverages can lead to weight loss [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross sectional analysis of eating habits and weight status of university students in urban Cameroon

2017

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Background: The changeover from high school to university is characterized by the inability to make informed food choices and unhealthy eating habits. This study sets out to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity, examine variations in dietary habits and assess the relationships between some dietary factors and overweight/ obesity in university students. Methods: University students (N = 906, mean age 21.4 ± 2.1 years) that included 434 males and 472 females were recruited using a simple random sampling technique from six departments in two universities in a cross sectional study in the North West Region of Cameroon. Weight and height were measured and body mass index calculated. Eating habits and weekly consumption of selected food items were self-reported by the students using a pre-tested questionnaire.Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 24.6% and 2.2% respectively. A majority (60.7%) of the students had less than three meals a day. Also, 53.4% ate fried foods, 46.0% had sweets/chocolates and 39.5% had sugar sweetened beverages twice or more times in a week. Skipping/rarely having breakfast (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.9) and having snacks in-between meals three or more times a day (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-5.5) were associated with overweight/obesity after controlling for confounding variables. In addition, skipping/rarely having breakfast (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.5) independently predicted overweight/obesity in a model that included confounding variables and selected dietary behaviors. Conclusion: The unhealthy eating habits exhibited by students in this study is worrying. Qualitative studies need to be carried out in the future to identify determinants (of Cameroon ethnicity) of poor eating habits in university students.

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“…The inadequacy of HTA from an overall PH perspective is also reported in literature (12,(25)(26)(27). One of the underlying reasons probably lays in the multi-dimensional character of PH, a field which is increasingly affected by a full range of extra-clinical circumstances (28,29), including demographic transitions (30) and modifiable risk factors of disease development associated with unhealthy lifestyle habits in the general population (31)(32)(33)(34)(35). Lifestyle research has to do with socio-economic aspects including behavior sciences and drivers of individual choices; effective PH management therefore requires an integrated perspective on the health-disease continuum (36)(37)(38)(39)(40).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Evaluating Public Health Interventions: A Neglected Area in Health Technology Assessment

Stojanovic

Wübbeler

Geis

et al. 2020

Front. Public Health

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Introduction: Public health (PH) interventions are crucial for ensuring sustainable healthcare services. Nevertheless, they represent a neglected area in the field of health technology assessment (HTA) due to various methodological issues and their complex design that goes beyond clinical setting. The present study provides an environmental scan of HTA initiatives related to the assessment of PH technologies on a global level.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 85 HTA-related European and international societies, health bodies, and networks from September 2018 to January 2019. The questionnaire contained four sections and 18 questions regarding activities related to the evaluation of PH technologies, information on existing PH technologies, and methodologies of assessment as well as barriers and facilitators to reaching a decision and implementing a PH technology.Results: Among 52 survey responses, the majority of the respondents came from European countries (35%), followed by North American (27%), and South American (19%) countries. The main type of organizations covered by our survey included HTA agencies, public administrations, and research institutes. Seventy-one % of the institutions reported engagement in any aspect of HTA in the area of PH (N = 37). Among those, 81% evaluated less than 5 PH technologies from 2013 to 2018. The most common barriers for reaching a decision on PH technologies were lack of data, conflicting stakeholder priorities, and methodological issues. A total of 76 PH interventions were reported, and most cited initiatives were related to chronic disease screening, prevention of infectious diseases, and maternal, prenatal, and neonatal screening.Conclusion: Our survey reported a rather limited involvement of HTA in the evaluation of PH technologies. In particular, an evaluation of behavioral and lifestyle interventions remains extremely rare. The implementation of collaborative HTA approaches in the setting of PH practice and policy needs to be prioritized and further strengthened. Moreover, ensuring reliable data structures and consolidation of HTA methods for the evaluation of PH technologies will be crucial for tackling the enormous burden of non-communicable diseases in societies.

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Determinants of health-related lifestyles among university students

Cited by 142 publications

References 37 publications

Cluster Analysis of Health-Related Lifestyles in University Students

Cluster Analysis of Health-Related Lifestyles in University Students

A cross sectional analysis of eating habits and weight status of university students in urban Cameroon

Evaluating Public Health Interventions: A Neglected Area in Health Technology Assessment

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