Abstract
Young adulthood is the period from the late teens through the twenties and is associated with life transitions that could contribute to the development of obesity. Targeting this group will be critical to reversing the obesity epidemic. The aim of the study was to investigate the eating behaviors and lifestyle of healthcare students in Poland. We enrolled 227 students in the study. Convenience sampling was employed. Diet (Food Frequency Questionnaire), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsivity Scale), and eating behaviors (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) were assessed. One in three students exhibited depressive symptoms, one in four showed low levels of physical activity. More than 40% of the students did not consume vegetables at least once a day, and more than half did not consume fruit. Only approximately 50% of the students ate fish several times a month. There was an association between high scores of specific eating behaviors and body weight, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and consumption of specific product groups (sweets, alcohol). The results of our study are expected to contribute to a better understanding of dietary habits and overweight/obesity in university students, and support the development of programs to promote healthy lifestyles in that population.
Highlights
Out of the 235 participants recruited for the study, data from eight participants were excluded from analyses due to missing survey measures
Symptoms of at least mild depression were present in almost 35% of students, including 35.4% of physiotherapy and 34.0% of midwifery students
Our results indicate the need for interventions, targeting mental health, nutrition, and obesity prevention in the university setting
Summary
Emerging adulthood, is the period from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18–25 [1]. This period is associated with many life transitions that could contribute to the development of obesity, including leaving home to live independently, studying, social networks, first job, marriage. Young adults transitioning from secondary education to university-level education experience profound changes in their lives, and their dietary habits deteriorate [2]. A low quality diet may be associated with micronutrient deficiencies. It was shown that young adults’ diets were below the recommendations for vitamins and minerals, vitamin D, and overweight and obese participants had lower intakes of micronutrients than those of normal weight [3]
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