Abstract
Students enrolled in health professional (HP) programs receive varying amounts of credit hours dedicatedto nutritional education, and obesity remains anissue in the United States among healthcare providers. To assess whether HP students differ in nutrition and exercise habits from non-health professional (NHP) students at a single university, and whether any gender-related differences existed in those habits. From September 25, 2018 to October 10, 2019, a 16-question multiple-choice survey was distributed via e-mail or in person to HP and NHP students enrolled at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Questions targeted participant dietary and exercise habits. Each question had five multiple-choice answer options, each of which was assigned a coded value to compare similarities and differences between the HP and NHP groups. Of 732 responses (569 HP, 163 NHP), results showed no statistically significant difference between enrollment groups (p>0.05) in any response parameter including consumption of sweets, fast food, red meat, caffeine, water, fruit, and vegetables. Comparisons among sexes demonstrated significant differences. Women consumed less red meat, water, and protein, and women participated in less exercise compared to men. Women also consumed more sweets compared to men. Results suggest that NSU students enrolled in HP and NHP programs have similar nutritional concepts and eating habits. This may indicate a need to strengthen nutritional education in dietary health and wellness for HP students.
Highlights
Context: Students enrolled in health professional (HP) programs receive varying amounts of credit hours dedicated to nutritional education, and obesity remains an issue in the United States among healthcare providers
To assess whether HP students differ in nutrition and exercise habits from non-health professional (NHP) students at a single university, and whether any gender-related differences existed in those habits
A systematic review of controlled trials [3] showed that nutritional plans and physical activity leading to weight loss of ≥5% yielded improvements in patients’ lipid panels, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and highdensity lipoprotein (HDL) [3]
Summary
Context: Students enrolled in health professional (HP) programs receive varying amounts of credit hours dedicated to nutritional education, and obesity remains an issue in the United States among healthcare providers. Conclusions: Results suggest that NSU students enrolled in HP and NHP programs have similar nutritional concepts and eating habits. This may indicate a need to strengthen nutritional education in dietary health and wellness for HP students. Students who reported more physical activity were more likely to counsel patients on preventive health These students reported healthier lifestyle choices, defined by increased fruit and vegetable consumption, less tobacco use, and less alcohol consumption [8]. Because HP students tend to receive more nutritional education than non-health professional (NHP) students, the primary goal of this study was to evaluate whether this education creates differences between HP and NHP students’ everyday diet and exercise practices
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