An Analysis of California Pharmacy and Medical Students’ Dietary and Lifestyle Practices

Abstract

Objective. To assess dietary and lifestyle practices of pharmacy and medical students in California and investigate whether they adhered to behaviors consistent with current dietary and exercise guidelines. Methods. The Block Brief 2000 Food Frequency Questionnaire and a supplemental survey assessing demographics, exercise, and dietary behaviors were administered to students across 10 California pharmacy and medical schools. Results. While the majority of students consumed sodium ,2300 mg/day (73%) and dietary cholesterol ,300 mg/day (84%), only 50% had a saturated fat intake #10% total kcal, 13% met fiber intake goals, 10% consumed $8 servings/day of fruit and vegetables, and 41% exercised $150 minutes/week. The largest barrier to consuming a healthful diet was lack of time. Conclusion. A high proportion of pharmacy and medical students in California did not meet many of the dietary and physical activity recommendations. Health care programs may benefit from implementing nutrition and lifestyle education in their curriculum.

A Comparative Study of Nutritional Status, Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) and Dietary Intake between International and Chinese Students in Nanjing, China

“…In vegetables, we found that the consumptions of green leafy vegetables on daily basis were higher in Chinese students as compare to international students. Fast food, a high energy-dense diet, low in fiber, and poor in micronutrients, associated with unhealthy weight gain and obesity [ 36 ]. In our study, most students consumed fast food on weekly basis, but this percentage was found more in international students.…”

“…In our study, most students consumed fast food on weekly basis, but this percentage was found more in international students. A study in medical students showed that 60% of the medical students consume fast food from weekly basis to monthly basis [ 36 ]. Another study reported that in US adults 57% of 18–29 years eat fast food on weekly basis and 33% eat on monthly basis [ 37 ].…”

First-Year University Students Who Self-Select into Health Studies Have More Desirable Health Measures and Behaviors at Baseline but Experience Similar Changes Compared to Non-Self-Selected Students

“…A lower score indicates a more healthful diet (minimum = 0, maximum = 16) [ 27 ]. The STC questionnaire has successfully been used to identify changes in dietary patterns over a four-month period [ 27 ] (including with college students [ 28 , 29 ]), making it a useful measure of dietary behaviors in this timeframe and population. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used to screen participants for heavy drinking or alcohol abuse [ 30 ].…”

Persian Version of Healthy Lifestyle and Personal Control Questionnaire (HLPCQ): A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

“…4 ,3 It has been found that these unhealthy behaviors are also common and worrying among university students. [5][6][7] This age period is very critical due to development of life style habits which may affect the progression of common NCDs. [8][9][10] At this period, the likelihood of fast food consumption is higher than healthy foods and on the other hand, due to time constraints, physical activity also reduced.…”

“…[8][9][10] At this period, the likelihood of fast food consumption is higher than healthy foods and on the other hand, due to time constraints, physical activity also reduced. 7 Therefore, the universities have great opportunity to establish healthy behavioral choices among their students through effective health promoting interventions . 9 To improve healthy behaviors among young adult, the first step is to measure their lifestyle by a valid and reliable tool.…”