Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Underweight | Research article

A cross-sectional study investigating lifestyle and weight perception of undergraduate students in southern Italy

Authors: Francesca Gallè, Elita Anna Sabella, Giovanna Da Molin, Giorgio Liguori, Maria Teresa Montagna, Giovanni Battista Orsi, Giuliana Valerio, Christian Napoli

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2019

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The aim of the study was to explore lifestyle of undergraduate students in southern Italy and to investigate their determinants.

Methods

An anonymous, web-based questionnaire investigating weight and its perception, smoking and alcohol use, achievement of recommended levels of physical activity and time spent daily in screen-based sedentary behaviors was administered to students attending two universities in southern Italy. Age, gender, city, type of degree course attended, occupational status and residential status were considered as possible demographic determinants.

Results

The majority of the participants reported a normal weight (71.2%), were non-smokers (66.6%), occasional alcohol consumers (60.5%) and insufficiently active (62.6%), with a reported mean screen time exceeding 2 h per day. Gender, city, type of degree course and occupational status were found to be associated with lifestyle by regression analysis. Normal weight, overweight and obese students were generally properly aware of their weight condition; however, weight misperceptions were registered among normal and underweight undergraduates.

Conclusions

This study highlighted some critical issues regarding lifestyles of university students that suggest the need for health promotion interventions targeted mainly on physical activity.
Literature
1.
World Health Organization. World Health Report 2002: Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life. Geneva: WHO; 2002.
2.
Grosso G, Marventano S, Buscemi S, Scuderi A, Matalone M, Platania A, Giorgianni G, Rametta S, Nolfo F, Galvano F, Mistretta A. Factors associated with adherence to the mediterranean diet among adolescents living in Sicily, Southern Italy. Nutrients. 2013;5(12):4908–23.CrossRef
3.
Grosso G, Galvano F. Mediterranean diet adherence in children and adolescents in southern European countries. NSF J. 2016;3:13–9.
4.
Iaccarino Idelson P, Scalfi L, Valerio G. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017;27(4):283–99.CrossRef
5.
Archero F, Ricotti R, Solito A, Carrera D, Civello F, Di Bella R, Bellone S, Prodam F. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among School. Children and Adolescents Living in Northern Italy and Unhealthy Food Behaviors Associated to Overweight. Nutrients. 2018;10(9):1322.CrossRef
6.
Johansen A, Rasmussen S, Madsen M. Health behavior among adolescents in Denmark: influence of school class and individual risk factors. Scand J Publ Health. 2006;34(2):32–40.CrossRef
7.
El Ansari W, Stock C, Mikolajczyk RT. Relationships between food consumption and living arrangements among university students in four European countries - a cross-sectional study. Nutr J. 2012;11:28.CrossRef
8.
Moreno-Gómez C, Romaguera-Bosch D, Tauler-Riera P, Bennasar-Veny M, Pericas-Beltran J, Martinez-Andreu S, Aguilo-Pons A. Clustering of lifestyle factors in Spanish university students: the relationship between smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet quality. Public Health Nutr. 2012;15(11):2131–9.CrossRef
9.
Sánchez-Ojeda MA, De Luna-Bertos E. Healthy lifestyles of the university population. Nutr Hosp. 2015;31(5):1910–9.PubMed
10.
Lupi S, Bagordo F, Stefanati A, Grassi T, Piccinni L, Bergamini M, De Donno A. Assessment of lifestyle and eating habits among undergraduate students in northern Italy. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2015;51(2):154–61.PubMed
11.
World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva: WHO; 2010.
12.
Simchon Y, Turetsky O, Carmeli E. Characterization of physical activity in undergraduate students in Israel. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2016;29(6):1–6.
13.
Yahia N, Wang D, Rapley M, Dey R. Assessment of weight status, dietary habits and beliefs, physical activity, and nutritional knowledge among university students. Perspect Public Health. 2016;136(4):231–44.CrossRef
14.
Moulin MS, Irwin JD. An assessment of sedentary time among undergraduate students at a Canadian University. Int J Exer Sci. 2017;10(8):1116–29.
15.
Teleman AA, de Waure C, Soffiani V, Poscia A, Di Pietro ML. Physical activity and health promotion in Italian university students. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2015;51(2):106–10.PubMed
16.
Italian Institute of Statistics. Indagine Multiscopo “Aspetti della vita quotidiana”, http://​dati.​istat.​it/​Index.​aspx?​ DataSetCode=DCCV_INTRAT_MUSEI; 2016 [accessed 12.12.18].
17.
Maruf FA, Akinpelu AO, Nwankwo MJ. Perceived body image and weight: discrepancies and gender differences among university undergraduates. Afr Health Sci. 2012;12(4):464–72.PubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Laus MF, Costa TM, Almeida SS. Gender differences in body image and preferences for an ideal silhouette among Brazilian undergraduates. Eat Behav. 2015;19:159–62.CrossRef
19.
Vijayalakshmi P, Thimmaiah R, Nikhil Reddy SS, K BV, Gandhi S, BadaMath S. Gender differences in body mass index, body weight perception, weight satisfaction, disordered eating and weight control strategies among Indian medical and nursing undergraduates. Invest Educ Enferm. 2017;35(3):276–68.CrossRef
20.
Gallè F, Di Onofrio V, Arpesella M, Bacci S, Bianco A, Brandi G, Bruno S, Anastasi D, Carraro E, Flacco ME, Giampaoli S, Izzotti A, Leoni E, Bertoncello C, Minelli L, Napoli C, Nobile C, Pasquarella C, Liguori G. Romano Spica V; SItI working group on movement sciences for health (GMSH). The role and working conditions of movement science students employed in sport and recreational facilities: an Italian multicenter study. Work. 2015;52(2):385–92.CrossRef
21.
Gallè F, Di Onofrio V, Barbone F, Brandi G, Calimeri S, Carraro E, Carraturo F, Dallolio L, De Meo C, De Santi M, Fantuzzi G, Fortunato F, Gorrasi I, Guida M, La Milia DI, Leoni E, Lo Giudice D, Minelli L, Napoli C, Parpinel M, Pasquarella C, Prato R, Spica VR, Signorelli C, Tafuri S, Valeriani F, Liguori G. Investigating the role of physical education in physical activity promotion: an Italian multicenter study. J Phys Act Health. 2016;13(8):854–60.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
A cross-sectional study investigating lifestyle and weight perception of undergraduate students in southern Italy
Authors
Francesca Gallè
Elita Anna Sabella
Giovanna Da Molin
Giorgio Liguori
Maria Teresa Montagna
Giovanni Battista Orsi
Giuliana Valerio
Christian Napoli
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7695-z

Other articles of this Issue 1/2019

BMC Public Health 1/2019 Go to the issue

Research article

Rising HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: a trend analysis

Research article

Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards Hepatitis B infection among nurses and midwives in two maternity hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan

Research article

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men: results of the first integrated biological and behavioral survey in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Research article

Effects of the home-based educational intervention on health outcomes among primarily Hispanic children with asthma: a quasi-experimental study

Research article

Qualitative exploration of the impact of employment and volunteering upon the health and wellbeing of African refugees settled in regional Australia: a refugee perspective

Research article

Statistical analysis of socioeconomic and demographic correlates of perinatal mortality in Tigray region, Ethiopia: a cross sectional study