Nutrition and physical activity among foreign students of the University of Georgia

Abstract

Background Nowadays millions of students are moving to another country to advance their education. They must adapt to the changing conditions for education. Students who leave their own country face many challenges. The purpose of the study was to investigate and evaluate the nutrition and physical activity of foreign students of the University of Georgia (UG) after entering the university. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted among international students. We used self-administrated validated questionnaire with closed and open questions. Behaviors regarding the physical activity, diet of foreign and Georgian students were identified. Local students of the UG were used as a comparison group. Study participants were selected randomly among all international and Georgian students of UG. Results The results of the study showed that stress factors, the environment and various cultures influence students' nutrition and physical activity. A noticeable change in the deterioration of physical activity was observed among Georgian and foreign students (8% of international students physical activity has deteriorated sharply). The students showed a significant changes of body mass index (BMI). Meanwhile, most international students are overweight. 10 % of international students are facing obesity. Weight of Georgian students increased by 32 % after entering the University, while international students it increased by 30 %. The results showed that the nutritional ratio worsened after entering at the university almost equally with both Georgian and foreign students. However, the study identified that 56% of Georgian, and 86% of international students are willing to improve their physical activity in the future. Conclusions The study identified that international students of the UG face nutrition and healthy lifestyle problems, such as overweight, physical inactivity. Further promotion of a healthy lifestyle of international students is recommended. Key messages More attention on health promotion and monitoring should be given to international students who are coming to advance their education in Georgia. More research is recommended to better promote healthy lifestyle among international students in Georgia.