Overweight, Obesity, and Associated Risk Factors among Students at the Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University

Overweight, Obesity, and Associated Risk Factors among Students at the Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and the associated risk factors among medical students at Jazan University in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 228 medical students from their second to sixth academic years at the Faculty of Medicine, Jaza...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 60; no. 6; p. 940
Main Authors: Alqassimi, Sameer, Elmakki, Erwa, Areeshi, Areej Siddiq, Aburasain, Amani Baker Mohammed, Majrabi, Aisha Hassan, Masmali, Enas Mohammed Ali, Refaei, Eman Adel Ibrahim, Mobaraki, Raghad Abdu Ali, Qahtani, Reem Mohammed A, Oraibi, Omar, Darraj, Majid, Madkhali, Mohammed Ali, Mohrag, Mostafa
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-06-2024
MDPI
Subjects:
Adult
Body Mass Index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Feeding Behavior
Female
Health aspects
Humans
Jazan University
Life Style
Male
Medical colleges
Medical research
Medical students
Medicine, Experimental
Obesity
Obesity - epidemiology
Obesity in adolescence
overweight
Overweight - epidemiology
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Saudi Arabia - epidemiology
Sociodemographics
Socioeconomic factors
Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data
Surveys and Questionnaires
Universities - statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
Saudi Arabia
prevalence
risk factors
Jazan University
medical students
dietary habits
overweight
obesity
physical activity
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and the associated risk factors among medical students at Jazan University in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 228 medical students from their second to sixth academic years at the Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data regarding sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, dietary habits, comorbidities, medication use, family history, and lifestyle factors. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, and waist circumference were recorded. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to identify the risk factors associated with obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the participants was 13.3% and 15%, respectively. Hence, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity is 28.3%. The mean weight was 63.39 ± 18.93 kg, and the mean height was 163.48 ± 9.78 cm. On the other hand, 17.3% of participants were underweight, whereas 54.4% had normal BMI. Most of the participants (61%) did not engage in regular exercise. A high proportion consumed fruits (82.9%) and vegetables (58.8%) 3 or fewer days per week, and 84.2% consumed 3 or fewer meals per day. Fast-food consumption more than 3 days per week was reported by 42.1% of participants. Obesity was not significantly associated with sociodemographic factors, physical activity, dietary habits, comorbidities, medication use, or family histories. However, those with a monthly family income of SAR 15,000-24,999 had significantly lower odds of obesity than those in the lowest income group (OR 0.230, = 0.045). The prevalence of overweight and obesity among medical students at Jazan University is high. Although no significant associations were found between obesity and most risk factors, this study highlights the need for interventions that promote healthy lifestyles among medical students. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for preventing and managing obesity in this population.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1648-9144
1010-660X
1648-9144
DOI:10.3390/medicina60060940