Prevalence of obesity and its association with stress levels among undergraduate medical students

Abstract

The burden of obesity and its related disorders is growing to an epidemic form, particularly among young adults, both in the developing and developed countries. Pursuing medical education is considered stressful throughout the course of the training. Stress leading to disordered eating habits along with lack of physical activity tend to make medical students more prone to obesity related disorders. The present study was carried out to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity and its association with stress among medical undergraduates.This cross-sectional study was conducted at Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. After obtaining approval from the Institutional ethics committee, both male and female students were invited to participate. Data on age, gender, type of diet, physical activity, consumption of junk food and other habits were collected. Cohen’s perceived stress score questionnaire was used to quantify the level of stress. Among 170 students, about 18.2% (n=31) of students were obese and 8.2% (n=14) were overweight. The mean stress score was 17.2 (± 4.72) and about 78% (n=133) reported to have stress with scores > 13. There was a significant association between BMI and consumption of junk food and a mild positive correlation existed between BMI and perceived stress score index(PSSI) among first year medical undergraduates.Obesity and stress remain a common problem among medical undergraduates. The causality can be established with more robust study designs. Encouraging proper eating habits combined with daily physical activity, yoga and body weight management programs might help curbing the problem.