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Almoraie NM, Alothmani NM, Alomari WD, Al-Amoudi AH. Addressing nutritional issues and eating behaviours among university students: a narrative review. Nutr Res Rev 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38356364 DOI: 10.1017/s0954422424000088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
University life is a critical period for establishing healthy eating habits and attitudes. However, university students are at risk of developing poor eating habits due to various factors, including economic conditions, academic stress and lack of information about nutritional concepts. Poor diet quality leads to malnutrition or overnutrition, increasing the risk of preventable diseases. Food environments on university campuses also play a significant role in shaping the dietary habits of students, with the availability of and accessibility to healthy food options being important factors influencing food choices and overall diet quality. Disordered eating habits and body dissatisfaction are prevalent among university students and can lead to eating disorders. Income and living arrangements also influence dietary habits, with low household income and living alone being associated with unhealthy eating habits. This study is a narrative review that aimed to address nutritional issues and eating behaviours, specifically among university students. We investigated the eating behaviours of university students, including their dietary patterns, food choices and food environments. The objective of this review was to provide insights into the nutritional issues and eating behaviours of university students, with the aim of identifying target areas for intervention to improve the overall health and wellbeing among college students. University food environments need to be restructured to promote healthy eating, including the availability, accessibility, affordability and labelling of healthy foods, and policies to limit the availability of unhealthy foods and drinks on campus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha M Almoraie
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noor M Alothmani
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wajd D Alomari
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal H Al-Amoudi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Alothman SA, Al Baiz AA, Alzaben AS, Khan R, Alamri AF, Omer AB. Factors Associated with Lifestyle Behaviors among University Students-A Cross-Sectional Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:154. [PMID: 38255042 PMCID: PMC10815065 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Lifestyle behaviors are daily habits influenced by social and environmental factors. This study examined lifestyle behaviors and their associations with sociodemographics, comorbidities, and pain in Saudi university students during the academic year 2021 and 2022. All students received the study invitation via university emails to complete an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included four sections (sociodemographics, health-related information, desired health promotion activities, and a lifestyle behavior assessment) via Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II). The associations between study variables were assessed using Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression. The study questionnaire was completed by 1112 students. No correlation was found between sociodemographics and lifestyle-behavior-related factors except for students in the College of Science who appeared to have good lifestyle behaviors (an increase in HPLP II total scores of 3.69). Students with mental health issues have poorer lifestyle behaviors and spend more time sitting (p < 0.00). Students without disabilities have lower scores in health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, and stress management, while auditory disability specifically lowers health responsibility (p < 0.00). Pain was not associated with any assessed lifestyle behaviors. This study identified several significant correlations and differences between variables such as age, sedentary behavior, sleep duration, disability status, college major, and lifestyle behaviors among PNU students. These findings provide insights into the factors that influence students' health-promoting behaviors and can help guide interventions for promoting healthier lifestyles on campus. Targeted health promotion strategies at an early age could help in decreasing overall noncommunicable disease incidents later in life. The study results should be interpreted taking into consideration that the collected data were cross-sectional and self-reported. In conclusion, the findings of this study clearly demonstrate the need for specific lifestyle and health-promoting programs that are directed toward university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaima A. Alothman
- Lifestyle and Health Research, Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Alia Abdulaziz Al Baiz
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abeer Salman Alzaben
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ruqaiyah Khan
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, Deanship of Preparatory Year for Health Colleges, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ali Faris Alamri
- King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 13415, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Asma B. Omer
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
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Juber NF, Abdulle A, Ahmad A, Leinberger-Jabari A, Dhaheri ASA, Al-Maskari F, AlAnouti F, Al-Houqani M, Ali MH, El-Shahawy O, Sherman S, Shah SM, Loney T, Idaghdour Y, Ali R. Associations between Birth Weight and Adult Sleep Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the UAEHFS. J Clin Med 2023; 12:5618. [PMID: 37685686 PMCID: PMC10488743 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12175618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal birth weight, particularly low birth weight (LBW), is known to have long-term adverse health consequences in adulthood, with disrupted sleep being suggested as a mediator or modifier of this link. We thus aimed to assess the associations between birth weight and self-reported adult sleep characteristics: sleep duration, difficulty waking up in the morning, daily nap frequency, sleep problems at night, snoring, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, and ever-stop breathing during sleep. This cross-sectional analysis used the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study data collected from February 2016 to March 2023 involving 2124 Emiratis aged 18-61 years. We performed a Poisson regression under unadjusted and age-sex-and-BMI-adjusted models to obtain the risk ratio and its 95% confidence interval for our analysis of the association between birth weight and each adult sleep characteristics, compared to individuals with normal birth weight (≥2.5 kg). Those with LBW had significantly a 17% increased risk of difficulty waking up in the morning, compared to those with normal birth weight. In addition, females with LBW history were also at an increased risk of reporting difficulty waking up in the morning. Studies with objective sleep assessments that include measurements of more confounding factors are recommended to confirm these risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmin F. Juber
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
| | - Abdishakur Abdulle
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
| | - Amar Ahmad
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
| | - Andrea Leinberger-Jabari
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
| | - Ayesha S. Al Dhaheri
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Fatma Al-Maskari
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates; (F.A.-M.); (S.M.S.)
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatme AlAnouti
- College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 19282, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Mohammad Al-Houqani
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Mohammed Hag Ali
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 25026, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Omar El-Shahawy
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (O.E.-S.); (S.S.)
| | - Scott Sherman
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (O.E.-S.); (S.S.)
| | - Syed M. Shah
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates; (F.A.-M.); (S.M.S.)
| | - Tom Loney
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Youssef Idaghdour
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
| | - Raghib Ali
- Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 1291888, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.); (A.A.); (A.L.-J.); (Y.I.); (R.A.)
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SL, UK
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