Background: Admission to the university is a new stage of life for students that are generally associated with independence, social activities, and changes in lifestyle and behavior including changes in nutritional habits.
Objectives: The study objective was to investigate the lifestyle and major dietary risk factors associated with the development of overweight and obesity among Najran University students, Saudi Arabia.
Materials and Methods: 300 undergraduate students attending Najran University completed a self-administered questionnaire on demographic, social, and cultural data, as well as information on eating habits, health and nutritional status. The questionnaire was labeled and coded by the researcher. The data obtained were subjected to analysis using Microsoft Office Excel 2007.
Results: Analysis of the dietary habits of the students in the present sample revealed adoption of several undesired dietary habits. Two-thirds of them had between 1 and 2 weekly servings of fruit and vegetables, more than half choosing the less healthy food, fast food in particular, and about one-third only having a regular healthy breakfast on a daily basis. Almost two-thirds (62%) of the students have normal body mass index, almost 14.2% are underweight, 11% are overweight, and 12% are obese. 29% of the students engaged in regular exercise while another 25% stated that they never or hardly ever perform physical exercise. Most students, about 40% go to bed between 1 and 3 am, 47% sleep for
Key words: Lifestyle; Obesity; Physical Activity; Dietary Habits; Undergraduate Students
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