Food Preferences in Undergraduate Nursing Students and Its Relationship with Food Addiction and Physical Activity.

The transition to college is a decisive stage for the acquisition of eating habits that continue into adulthood. The aim of this study is to assess the consumption of healthy elements of the Mediterranean diet in a group of university students and to evaluate whether the consumption pattern was related to sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), food addiction or the amount of physical activity performed. A total of 515 nursing students participated. The Mediterranean diet adherence questionnaire (PREDIMED), the food addiction scale (YFAS 2.0) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were completed. For data analysis, multivariate analysis was performed with multiple linear regression and adjusted for sex, age, and BMI. The results showed that females consumed various types of meats (white/red, processed) in a healthier proportion (p < 0.05). Students that consumed more than one per day (unhealthy) of red/processed meats (mean difference (MD) = −0.49; 95% CI: −0.83; −0.15), soft drinks (MD = −0.82; 95% CI: 82−1.36; −0.27) and pastries (MD = −0.63; 95% CI: −0.97; −0.30) displayed higher food addiction scores. In addition, students who skipped breakfast also scored higher on food addiction (MD = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.31−1.19). Higher values of physical activity were observed in those who presented a healthy consumption of vegetables (MD = 140.86; 95% CI: 72.71−209.02), fruit (MD = 145.78; 95% CI: 69.35−222.21), legumes (MD = 136.46; 95% CI: 60.43−212.50) and nuts (MD = 74.36; 95% CI: 14.23−134.49). Students who consumed more red or processed meats, more pastries and more soft drinks had higher values of food addiction, while those who consumed more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts had more minutes of physical activity per week. These findings invite us to insist on expanding knowledge regarding the health benefits of consuming a Mediterranean-type diet as a whole. The healthy consumption of fish, fruit and legumes should also be emphasized, especially among university students.

Food Addiction and Lifestyle Habits among University Students.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in our society, with a complex, multifactorial origin, and associated with greater morbidity and mortality in the population. Food addiction (FA) is a common disorder in overweight/obese people, which appears to be increasingly common in young people. This study analyzed food addiction in a group of young university students and to examine its association with body composition, quality of sleep, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity/sedentary habits, tobacco or alcohol consumption, and health status. A total of 536 undergraduate nursing students participated in a questionnaire that included the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0). Up to 6.4% of the students presented FA. Statistically significant associations were observed in the variables for sleep quality odds ratio (OR) 4.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66-13.87), anxiety/depression OR 8.71 (95% CI: 3.93-19.27), body mass index (BMI) OR 8.32 (95% CI: 3.81-18.15) and sedentary lifestyle OR 2.33 (95% CI: 1.09-5.01). A predictive model was developed after binary logistic regression (area under the ROC curve 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77-0.91). Students with FA presented higher BMI values, worse sleep quality, anxiety or depression problems, and more time spent in sedentary behaviors.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle in University Students: Changes during Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Regular physical activity is related to many factors in a university student's environment. The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown have restricted many elements of our environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate students' physical activity and sedentary behaviour at two points in time: before and during the coronavirus lockdown. As a secondary aim, we also wanted to look at changes resulting from other factors (alcohol, tobacco, diet, stages of change, symptoms of anxiety/depression and sociodemographic characteristics). We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, pre-post study with two cut-off points. Two hundred and thirteen students took part in the study. The main dependent variables were physical activity and sitting time, measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Parametric and non-parametric tests were used for paired and unpaired data, as well as group-stratified analysis. During lockdown, both weekly physical activity (MD: -159.87; CI: -100.44, -219.31) and weekly sitting time increased (MD: -106.76; CI: -71.85, -141.67). In the group analysis, differences were observed in relation to gender, year of study, BMI, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, symptoms of anxiety/depression, Mediterranean diet, living situation and stage of change. The results showed an increase in both physical activity and sitting time globally and by group.