Toxic Habits and Well-Being Measures in Spanish Healthcare University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy lifestyles are strongly entrenched in healthcare universities and have sometimes been linked to stress or lack of sleep. This study investigated the prevalence of toxic habits (smoking, patterns of harmful alcohol use, and illicit drug use), stress levels, perceived health status, and sleep duration and assessed the connections between toxic habits and said well-being measures, as well as healthcare students’ perception of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on these health-related behaviors. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, healthcare students from Alfonso X University (Spain) completed a health survey composed of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), self-perceived health status, and the number of hours of sleep. Results: A total of 997 healthcare students completed the survey, of which 982 were analyzed. Being a smoker (32.2%) was associated with worse health status and insufficient sleep. Risk drinkers (33.2%) were associated with being female, and the consumption of cannabinoids (6.7%), with being male. These three toxic habits were related to each other. High levels of stress (28.2%) were correlated with worse ratings in the perception of health status (29.2%) and with insufficient sleep (45.8%), and all of them were associated with the female sex. Respectively, 49.3% and 44.2% of students recognized a worsening in their perception of stress and their sleep habits during the pandemic. Conclusion: Healthcare universities must carry out health promotion programs for stress management, sleep habits, and unhealthy lifestyles.

Hábitos tóxicos en estudiantes universitarios en el contexto de la pandemia por Covid-19 – Arículo original

“…Una investigación realizada en España por Zapata et al (13), al encuestar a estudiantes universitarios del área de la salud sobre consumo de sustancias tóxicas reportó que el 88,7%, 11,1% y 32,2% de la muestra consumió alcohol, drogas de abuso y cigarrillo, respectivamente. En la presente investigación el consumo de alcohol fue del 60%, cigarrillo 4,9% y drogas de abuso 18%, superando el porcentaje de consumo de alcohol en un 14,4% al reportado por ENSANUT, mientras que se encuentra un 28,7% por debajo de la prevalencia reportada en la población española por Zapata.…”

“…De la misma manera, otro estudio llevado a cabo por Zapata et al (13), refiere que durante la pandemia se produjo un incremento en el consumo de cigarrillos, alcohol y drogas ilícitas en el 12%, 22,6% y 4,6% respectivamente; prevalencias menores a las encontradas en la presente investigación.…”

A Utilização De Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis E Cymbopogon Citratus Para O Tratamento De Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica: Revisão Integrativa

“…Diferente do encontrado no presente estudo, uma pesquisa realizada com universitários na Espanha, dos 982 estudantes 88,7% consumiam bebida alcoólica (Zapata et al, 2022). Assim como em estudo realizado com universitários dos EUA verificaram aumento significativo do consumo de álcool após o fechamento do campus relacionado ao COVID-19 (Schepis et al, 2021).…”

“…Diante disso, é importante uma avaliação contínua dos efeitos da pandemia nos determinantes de saúde, como na relação do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e outras substâncias nocivas na qualidade do sono, estresse e saúde da população (Zapata et al, 2022). sua vez, tem sido um espaço oportuno, com condições de acompanhar esse processo de construção e formação de bons hábitos alimentares, a partir da elaboração de cardápios e distribuição de uma refeição saudável.…”

Association between Anxiety Status and Hydration Status in Spanish University Students

“…Although the anxiety levels in this university community were not specifically studied, stress levels were analysed and considered to be medium-high in 64.5% of men and 85.7% of women. As a result, 29.2% of students considered their state of health to be fair, bad or very bad [ 5 ]. These data are in line with other studies published in university communities in Spain, who have identified the impact of factors such as age, gender, self-esteem, sleep quality and living conditions of university students on their anxiety levels.…”