Risky Behaviours of Spanish University Students: Association with Mediterranean Diet, Sexual Attitude and Chronotype.

Pedro Manuel Rodríguez-Muñoz,Juan Manuel Carmona-Torres,Fabio Fabbian,Pablo Jesús López-Soto,Roberto Manfredini,María Aurora Rodríguez-Borrego,Ignacio Morales-Cané,Cristina Rivera-Picón

doi:10.3390/nu13114042

Abstract

The most common drugs that are consumed by young people are alcohol and tobacco, which are especially prevalent in universities. These risk behaviours can be determined by a series of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption of alcohol and tobacco by Spanish university students and the relationship between the Mediterranean diet, sexual attitudes and opinions, and chronotype. A multicentre observational study enrolled 457 students from two public universities in Spain. The study period was from December 2017 to January 2018. The majority of the participants consumed alcohol (90.2%), tobacco consumption was low (27.2%), with a high percentage of students (78.6%) having a low dependence on nicotine. The surveyed students demonstrated a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which was shown to be associated with less risky alcohol consumption. The Mediterranean diet is a part of healthy lifestyle, and avoiding heavy drinking results in the intention to maintain such a lifestyle. In addition, unhealthy eating habits (skipping breakfast, eating sweets and pastries daily, and fast-food consumption) had a tendency to induce risky alcohol consumption. Therefore, to promote healthy lifestyle habits, it is considered important to establish programs that promote healthy diets in university settings and to evaluate them periodically.

Highlights

Drugs are psychoactive substances that affect perception, mood, awareness, and behaviour [1]
Previous research has revealed that the low adherence of Spanish university students to a Mediterranean diet is related to high alcohol consumption [5,8], smoking, low levels of physical activity (PA), living alone, and leading a sedentary lifestyle [5], and good adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with an improved quality of life related to perceived health [9] and low body weight [5]
University students have a more evening-centric personal circadian tendency, which, in turn, is associated with risky behaviours [20]. For all of these reasons and given the relationship between tobacco and alcohol consumption, dietary habits, sexual opinions and risky sexual practices, our study aimed to evaluate the consumption of alcohol and tobacco by Spanish university students and the relationship between the Mediterranean diet, sexual attitudes and opinions, and chronotype

Summary

Introduction

Drugs are psychoactive substances that affect perception, mood, awareness, and behaviour [1]. Most students are living alone for the first time, meaning that they become responsible for their own diet for the first time. They often cut down or skip meals, prefer to eat fast food, snack between meals, and consume alcohol regularly [4]. Previous research has revealed that the low adherence of Spanish university students to a Mediterranean diet is related to high alcohol consumption [5,8], smoking, low levels of physical activity (PA), living alone, and leading a sedentary lifestyle [5], and good adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with an improved quality of life related to perceived health [9] and low body weight [5]

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion