Study Of Body Mass Index And Dietary Behaviors Of The Undergraduate Students In A Medical College In Hefei

Objective To examine the body mass index ( BMI) status and the dietary behaviors of the undergraduate students in a Medical College in Hefei. And the purpose of the study was to analyse the affecting factors of overweight and underweight in this population and to provide evidence for nutritional education interventions and developing good eating behavior.Methods The survey was conducted with stratified cluster sampling method. Using the combination of two ways to investigate, which were self-administered questionnaire and physical examination.Dietary behaviors were self-reported by a questionnaire, and nutritional status were evaluated with body mass index in anhui medcal college. Then randomly selected 50% of all classes according to the grade were as our samples. According to Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) published Body Mass Index Reference in November 2003, BMI 24 and 18.5 are used as overweight and underweight cutoff points.Results (1) The average BMI is (20.08±2.33) kg/m2, and BMI values of the boys and girls of sophomore grade has significant statistical difference (χ2=25.252, P<0.01) (2) The prevalence of underweight and overweight or obesity in investigated students were 25.8% and 4.8 % respectively. Male overweight rate was 2.0%, and underweight rate was 3.6%; the corresponding indexs of girls were 2.8%and 22.1%. And the difference has no significant statistical difference(χ2=22.380, P=0.004). (3) Significant statistical difference in certain dietary behaviors among students with different BMI were observed. Preference for dessert , snacks and frying were common in students. Food choice behaviors were more frequent in underweight students than those students at healthy weight. Female students were more likely to take measures to control their weight than male students.The students'selection in plain water when thirsty or drink, and the types of beverages was significant. (4) Multivariate logistic regression analysis of BMI showed that affecting factors of overweight or underweight were age, dietary bias, meat, night snack, engorgement and training.Conclusions (1) Unhealthy dietary behaviors may contribute to underweight, overweight and obesity.The nutrition education interventions concerned with dietary behaviors and weight control should be delivered to the students to encourage more healthy dietary behaviors. (2) A appropriate nutrition education could be carried out according to the gender, with the aim to keep ideal weight for college students by correcting the dietary bias, night snack and engorgement, providing suitable meat intake and enhancing physical exercise.