Intake of foods high in saturated fats, vegetarian dietary pattern, and sociodemographic characteristics associated with body weight in Peruvian university students

Background

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase among university students and the general population. Consumption of a diet high in saturated fats could be one of the risk factors.

Objective

The consumption of foods high in saturated fats, the vegetarian diet pattern, and sociodemographic characteristics associated with excess body weight (overweight/obesity) were evaluated in Peruvian university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out selecting 5,608 Peruvian university students through no probabilistic convenience sampling. The survey was carried out during the months of February and April 2022. The Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between diet (saturated fats intake and dietary pattern) and sociodemographic factors with excess body weight in a cross-sectional analysis.

Results

It was observed that students who reported high consumption of foods high in saturated fats (ORB = 1.14) and those who had a non-vegetarian dietary pattern (ORB = 2.76) were found to be more likely to have excess body weight. On the contrary, students who reported adherence to the vegetarian diet pattern for more than 5 years were less likely to be overweight or obese (ORB = 0.84). Being ≥26 years of age (ORB = 3.28), living in urban areas (ORB = 1.68) and coastal areas of the country (ORB = 1.17), and enrolled in the engineering faculty (ORB = 1.19), were significantly associated with excess body weight.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study evidenced several factors associated with excess body weight in university students. Therefore, it is necessary to promote and implement healthy lifestyle programs, considering sociodemographic and dietary aspects such as age and dietary intake to control and prevent obesity in university students.

Body mass index and healthy lifestyle practices among Peruvian university students: a comparative study among academic discipline

Background

Excess body weight and an unhealthy lifestyle are a risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. University students are susceptible to unhealthy habits and obesity. This study compared body mass index (BMI) and healthy lifestyle practices among university students from four academic disciplines: Health Sciences, Business Sciences, Human Sciences and Education, and Engineering/Architecture.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out using a sample of 6,642 university students selected by non-probability convenience sampling. The Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS), the Peruvian validation of the Vegetarian Lifestyle Index (VLI), was used to assess healthy lifestyle practices.

Results

Students in the areas of Business Sciences and Engineering/Architecture had a higher BMI than their peers in Health Sciences (B = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.56 and 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.52; p = 0.001). Additionally, these students tended to adopt less healthy lifestyle (B = -0.11, 95% CI: -0.20 to -0.01 and -0.09, 95% CI: -0.18 to -0.00; p < 0.05) compared to those in Health Sciences.

Conclusion

Although students of Health Sciences and Human Sciences and Education exhibited healthy lifestyle patterns, there is a clear need to improve eating and living habits in general among the university population to mitigate the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases.

Association between sleep duration and burnout in healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional survey

Background

Short sleep duration in healthcare professionals is a recurring concern among researchers. On the other hand, the prevalence of burnout in this population group is experiencing exponential growth. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between sleep duration and burnout in healthcare professionals.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected by applying a non-probabilistic convenience sampling, considering a sample of 300 healthcare professionals from the public sector in Peru. The association between variables was explored using multivariate logistic regression. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

The results of the analysis in the crude models revealed that both men and women who slept < 7 h during workdays and days off were 8.33 (95% CI = 2.68-13.99, p = 0.004) and 17.18 (95% CI = 10.50-23.87, p < 0.001) times more likely to have burnout compared to those who reported ≥7 h, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, the association remained statistically significant.

Conclusion

The findings of this study underscore the critical importance of sleep duration in the incidence of burnout among healthcare professionals. In the context of the global challenges to the mental and physical health of these professionals, our results highlight the urgent need to implement strategies at the organizational and individual level. This includes promoting a better work-life balance, and effective stress management and improved sleep quality.