Eating habits among medical students in a Sudanese medical faculty

Abstract

Poor nutritional habits and obesity are major public health problems among young adult who experienced transition into university life (18 to 25 years of age) as this time associated with unhealthy lifestyle characteristics. This study aimed to assess the patterns of eating habits among medical students. This is a cross sectional faculty based study was conducted among 180 medical students (66% from the 1st grade and 34% from the 5^th grade) at Alneelain University Faculty of Medicine. The questionnaire was composed of close-ended questions on socio-demography, anthropometry, eating habits and knowledge assessment factors as well as their weight, height, percentage body fat and body mass index were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was used to assess students' weight status. More than half of the students had normal body BMI mean was 22.5 ± 3.7, and perform exercise (66 and 60% respectively), while the majority of the students had daily breakfast and vegetable intake of at least three times per week (76 and 71% respectively), and less than half of the students had daily water intake more than 2 L, and snack intake at least three times per week (30 and 42% respectively). There was no significant association between eating habits score (mean was 6.7 ± 0.96) and socio-demographic variables (except for father occupation), or BMI. Lack of time was the most frequently reported as a barrier from healthy eating and physical activity. In conclusion, the majority of the students have healthy eating habit and most of them have normal body weight. In spite of the presence of educational grade deference related to some aspect of eating habits, the students eating habits score is not influencing by educational grade, and by socio-demographic variables (except for father occupation).

Keywords: Eating habits, body mass index, medical students.