Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Employees at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to assess the CVD risk (CVDRisk) in a sample of workers at a specific workplace: a higher education institution in Portugal. Data were collected using a questionnaire (e.cuidHaMUs.QueST®) with 345 HEI workers from June 2017-June 2018 with a high response rate (93.3%). Two constructs of risks for CVD were considered: (i) metabolic risk and hypertension (CVDRisk1); and (ii) modifiable behavioural risk (CVDRisk2). Logistic regression analyses were used to establish a relationship between risk indexes/constructs (CVDRisk1 and CVDRisk2) and groups of selected variables. The most prevalent CVD risk factor was hypercholesterolaemia (43.2%). Sixty-eight percent of participants were in the construct CVDRisk1 while almost half of the respondents were in CVDRisk2 (45.2%). The consumption of soft drinks twice a week or more contributed to a significantly increased risk of CVD in CVDRisk1. Lack of regular exercise and lack of daily fruit consumption significantly increased the risk of CVD in CVDRisk2. The challenge to decision makers and the occupational medical community is to incorporate this information into the daily practices of health surveillance with an urgent need for health promotional education campaigns in the workplace.

Description of an integrated e-health monitoring system in a Portuguese higher education institution: the e.cuidHaMUstm program.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization recognize that workplace health is not only affected by occupational hazards, but is mainly affected by social determinants and individual factors. An accelerated rise in noncommunicable diseases has fostered the importance of creating supportive environments and encouraging healthy behaviours. Therefore, an operational approach to making workplaces healthy and sustainable is needed. This paper describes the development of an e-Health monitoring program entitled 'Integrated eHealth Monitoring System for Health Management in Universities' (e.cuidHaMUsTM) as a possible solution to that operational approach. METHODS: We developed the program e.cuidHaMUsTM that proposes to detect risk behaviours related to noncommunicable diseases and to implement problem-solving measures by establishing a health-promoting workspace in a Portuguese higher education institution. Based on the 'I-Change' conceptual model, our program provides personalized feedback; improves health-related knowledge, attitude and good practices; and encourages actions to promote healthy lifestyles through individual health capacitation. Focusing on evaluation as an activity that generates knowledge, the e.cuidHaMUsTM program aggregates all the relevant health information, shares the results with decision-makers and evaluates health-related policy changes in the workplace. DISCUSSION: This paper presents the design of the e.cuidHaMUsTM program, the development of an eHealth web platform to share information between the different stakeholders, and a questionnaire to evaluate the health status of higher education institution workers (e.cuidHaMUs.QueST®). Also, the procedures for data collection and analysis are outlined. The e.cuidHaMUsTM program can enhance health surveillance through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and provide scientific evidence to support the envisioned interventions and promotions of healthy lifestyles. This program is an effort to incorporate a holistic culture of health-promoting workspace in higher education institution policies.

Is health behavior among university students determined by actual body shape or by body image? A European study.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate body image self-perceptions provide a good help to increase the feeling of personal well-being, thus having an important impact on health. Universities, having an important role in shaping of the future workers, represent an important setting to approach health issues. OBJECTIVE: This study determined to what extent different types of students in higher education (four categories of students were created: "self-secure", "perfect", "destructive" and "apologetic") are likely to adopt different health risk behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a sample of students from five European Universities in the 2016/2017 academic year was conducted. Based on the combination of body image perception and body mass index, four types of students were identified: "self-secure" (overweight students with a good self-esteem); "perfect" (underweight students with a good self-esteem); "destructive" (overweight students with a poor self-esteem); "apologetic" (underweight students with a poor self-esteem). RESULTS: The study reveals that the defined types of students differed in terms of risk behavior. When the control was included, the "self-secure" student type had a reduced likelihood of being on a diet (22.3%) and physically active (17.8%) than other students (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this paper raise concerns about the future because the body dissatisfaction of the college student could be a big impact in long term whether at collective, personally or even professionally.

Associations between depressive symptoms and being employed or retired in older adults with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: Analyse the association of depression with retirement in older adults with type 2 diabetes(T2D). METHODS: Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) was used to analyse 1100 T2D aged 51-74, employed or retired. Multilevel logistic models examined the relationships of health and socio-demographic characteristics with depression. RESULTS: The proportion of females was significantly higher among those with depression. Around half of those aged between 51 and 64 were employed, and less than 5% among those aged between 65 and 74 years. Female, employment, more chronic diseases and not perceiving their health as healthy were associated with depression among those aged 51-64. Among women, the odds of being depressed was significantly higher among those employed than among those who had retired. Among men, being employed or retired was not significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Depression was associated to more limitations of daily living and chronic diseases, and worst perception of health. The majority of those with depression were women, and being retired seems to have a protective effect on women.

An update of the profile of older adults with dementia in Europe: findings from SHARE.

Background: The increase in longevity due to the reduction of premature deaths has led to an increase of the number of people with dementia. The objective of the present work was to analyze the profile of the European population with dementia aged more than 50.Methods: The sample of individuals aged 51 or more years was taken from a European database within the last wave of the SHARE Project (Wave 6, March 2017). Participants with and without a diagnosis of dementia were compared in terms of socio-demographic, general health, mental health, behavioural risks, education and employment, by age group. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square test, quantitative variables were compared with the independent sample t-test.Results: From 45,340 subjects (40% males) 897 (2%) had dementia. The findings corroborate recent evidence stating that individuals with dementia have a lower physical and mental health as well as a lower quality of life than people without dementia. It was also verified that people with dementia: (i) had a lower employment rate; (ii) showed lower levels of formal education; (iii) less were living a married life; (iv) exhibited a moderate pattern of behavioural risks, but had higher levels of physical inactivity; (v) had more chronic diseases and (iv) higher intake of more than 5 drugs per day. The unfavourable health and well-being status of dementia subjects was found in all age groups.Conclusions: An update of the profile of older Europeans with dementia was performed with data from 18 countries. The findings of co-morbidity, high rates of intake of more than 5 drugs daily and low levels of well-being irrespective of age should be considered in the assessment and management of dementia in the European population.

Misperception of Healthy Weight: Associations Among Weight, Body Size Satisfaction and Body Appreciation in Older Adults.

Misperceived body weight in older people can affect their health and quality of life. We analysed the body image of older adults in Primary Health Care services in central Portugal, by considering participants' weight, body size satisfaction and body appreciation. This epidemiological and cross-sectional study involved 150 participants (56% women) with an average age of 74.9 years who completed questionnaires on body size and body appreciation. Forty-nine percent of participants were affected by overweight and 29% by obesity. The majority was not satisfied with their body size (71.2%), but had very high scores related to body appreciation. Around 40% of the participants with normal weight or overweight were satisfied with their body size. Multiple regression analysis revealed that both body size satisfaction and appreciation were negatively associated with obesity, but not with overweight. Older Portuguese adults are not able to assess if their weight is a risk to their health, but regardless of their perceived physical appearance, the elderly respect their body and are receptive to improving their health.

Systematic review of body image measures.

This systematic review synthesizes and critically appraises measurement properties of influential body image measures. Eight measures that met the definition of an assessment of body image (i.e., an individual's cognitive or affective evaluation of their body or appearance with a positive or negative valence), and scored high on systematic expert priority ranking, were included. These measures were: the Body Appreciation Scale (original BAS and BAS-2), the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, the Body Shape Questionnaire, the Centre for Appearance Research Valence Scale, the Drive for Muscularity Scale, two subscales of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, one subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory 3, and two subscales of the Multidimensional Body Relations Questionnaire. Articles assessing these scales' psychometric properties (N = 136) were evaluated for their methodological quality using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist, and a best evidence synthesis was performed. The results supported the majority of measures in terms of reliability and validity; however, suitability varied across populations, and some measurement properties were insufficiently evaluated. The measures are discussed in detail, including recommendations for their future use in research and clinical practice.

Obesity in Older Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Does Working Environment Add Vulnerability?

Little is known about how working adults with type 2 diabetes are managing their health. This study aims to analyze the associations between health, behavioral, and sociodemographic characteristics and obesity in older diabetic patients in Europe. Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe was used to compare 1447 participants that were identified as having type 2 diabetes with 28,047 participants without diabetes. Multilevel logistic models stratified by type 2 diabetes examined the relationships of health, behavioral, and sociodemographic characteristics with obesity. The proportion of physical inactivity was significantly higher among those with type 2 diabetes (15.0% vs. 6.1%). Individuals with diabetes had more chronic diseases, more limitations in activities, higher body mass index, more depression, lower quality of life and well-being, and lower employment rate. Among those with type 2 diabetes, those employed were more likely to be obese (OR = 1.377, 95% CI, 1.023 to 1.853) and women were 52% more likely to be obese than men. The surveillance of weight in working environments should be required within workers with type 2 diabetes. It is concluded that this and other adjustments could be beneficial in people with diabetes.

Threats to Health and Well-Being Perceived by Older People in Poland and Portugal.

INTRODUCTION: According to the OECD, Portugal and Poland rank below average in several well-being measures such as income and wealth, and health status. Investigating how people perceive the threats to health in these two countries, is an important issue to address priority needs. To meet this need, the objective of this paper was to compare the perceptions of the threats to the health and well-being among the Polish and Portuguese older persons and explore differences between the countries in respect of patterns of self-rated health. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Cross-sectional study with two convenience samples from primary health care services of Poland and Portugal was conducted; 480 adults aged 65 and over (247 Portuguese) were included. The EASYCare standard assessment of 2010 was applied under a joint project of both countries. The association between 'self-rated unhealthy' and socio-demographic and threats to health variables was examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: In both countries about two thirds of the older persons self-rated their health as unhealthy. Having more than enough finances was associated with a significant lower odds of being unhealthy compared with those without enough finances at the end of the month (Portugal: OR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.63; Poland: OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.88). Visual problems, bodily pain, memory loss, feeling bored or lonely and reporting shortness of breath during normal activities was consistently associated with fair or poor self-rated health. DISCUSSION: These findings provide important information regarding the health profile of older people which can help in the development of people-centred health systems where their lives and well-being can be improved. CONCLUSION: The unhealthy perception of older people was consistently associated with indicators of major health threats.

Introdução: De acordo com a Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Económico, Portugal e Polónia ficam abaixo da média em várias medidas de bem-estar, como renda e riqueza, e estado de saúde. Investigar como as pessoas percecionam as ameaças à saúde nesses dois países, é uma questão importante para atender a necessidades prioritárias sentidas. Para atender a essa necessidade, o objetivo deste trabalho é comparar as perceções das ameaças à saúde e ao bem-estar entre as pessoas idosas polacas e portuguesas e explorar as diferenças entre os países, no que respeita aos padrões da auto-perceção do estado de saúde. Material e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo transversal com duas amostras de conveniência nos Cuidados de Saúde Primários na Polónia e em Portugal; foram incluídos 480 adultos com 65 anos ou mais (247 portugueses). A avaliação padrão EASYCare de 2010 foi aplicada no âmbito de um projeto conjunto em ambos os países. A associação entre 'perceção não saudável' e as variáveis sociodemográficas e ameaças à saúde foi examinada através da regressão logística. Resultados: Em ambos os países cerca de dois terços das pessoas idosas avaliaram a sua saúde como não saudável. O fato de ter finanças mais do que suficientes produziu uma menor probabilidade de não ser saudável em comparação com aqueles cujas finanças não eram suficientes no final do mês (Portugal: OR = 0,25, IC 95%: 0,10 a 0,63; Polónia: OR = 0,33; IC 95%: 0,12 a 0,88). Problemas visuais, dor corporal, perda de memória, sentir-se aborrecido ou solitário e trefrir dificuladade respiratória durante as atividades normais foi consistentemente associado com uma saúde autoavaliada razoável ou insatisfatória. Discussão: Estes resultados fornecem informações importantes sobre o perfil de saúde de pessoas idosas, o que poderá ajudar no desenvolvimento de sistemas de saúde centrados nas pessoas em que as suas vidas e bem-estar possam ser melhorados. Conclusão: A perceção não saudável das pessoas mais velhas apresentou-se consistentemente associada a indicadores de principais ameaças para a saúde.

Reliability and validity of the EASYCare-2010 Standard to assess elderly people in Portuguese Primary Health Care / Fiabilidad y validez del EASYCare-2010 Standard para evaluar a las personas mayores en Atención Primaria de Salud en Portugal

INTRODUCTION: The EASYCare is a multidimensional assessment tool for older people, which corresponds to the concerns and priorities of older people in relation to their needs, health, and quality of life. The EASYCare instrument has been used in many countries worldwide. Lack of reliability evidence has recently been raised by researchers. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the EASYCare-2010 instrument in community-dwelling Portuguese older people attended in Primary Health Care centres. METHODS: The sample for this transversal study (N = 244) was collected from Portuguese Primary Health Care Centers. Categorical Principal Component Analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensions of EASYCare-2010. Construct validity was evaluated through correlation with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument-Short Form. RESULTS: A two-factor model (labelled "mobility and activities of daily life", and "general well-being and safety") was found. The EASYCare-2010 instrument showed acceptable levels for internal consistency (≥0.70). The EASYCare-2010 factors were correlated with measures of quality of life. Results showed that in most polytomous items, some of the more extreme categories were not considered at all or only by a residual number of participants. CONCLUSION: EASY Care -2010 version is a valid and reliable instrument for holistic assessment of the older people attended in Primary Health Care centres in Portugal

INTRODUCCIÓN: El EASYCare es una herramienta de evaluación multidimensional para las personas mayores, que corresponde a las preocupaciones y prioridades de las personas mayores en relación con sus necesidades, salud y calidad de vida. El instrumento EASYCare se ha utilizado en muchos países del mundo. La falta de pruebas de fiabilidad ha sido planteada recientemente por los investigadores. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo probar la validez y fiabilidad del instrumento EASYCare-2010 en personas mayores portuguesas residentes en la comunidad, atendidos en centros de Atención Primaria de la Salud. MÉTODOS: La muestra para este estudio transversal (N = 244) se recogió en Centros de Atención Primaria de Portugal. Se utilizó el Análisis de Componentes Principales Categórico para evaluar las dimensiones subyacentes de EASYCare-2010. La validez del constructo se evaluó mediante la correlación con el instrumento de evaluación de la calidad de vida de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, instrumento en su forma corta. RESULTADOS: Se encontró un modelo de dos factores (denominado «movilidad y actividades de la vida diaria» y «bienestar general y seguridad»). El instrumento EASYCare-2010 mostró niveles aceptables de consistencia interna (≥ 0.70). Los factores EASYCare-2010 se correlacionaron con medidas de calidad de vida. Los resultados mostraron que en la mayoría de ítems politómicos en algunas categorías extremas no se consideraron o solo por un número residual de participantes. CONCLUSIÓN: La versión EASY Care-2010 es un instrumento válido y fiable para la evaluación holística de las personas mayores atendidas en centros de Atención Primaria de Salud en Portugal

Reliability and validity of the EASYCare-2010 Standard to assess elderly people in Portuguese Primary Health Care.

INTRODUCTION: The EASYCare is a multidimensional assessment tool for older people, which corresponds to the concerns and priorities of older people in relation to their needs, health, and quality of life. The EASYCare instrument has been used in many countries worldwide. Lack of reliability evidence has recently been raised by researchers. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the EASYCare-2010 instrument in community-dwelling Portuguese older people attended in Primary Health Care centres. METHODS: The sample for this transversal study (N=244) was collected from Portuguese Primary Health Care Centers. Categorical Principal Component Analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensions of EASYCare-2010. Construct validity was evaluated through correlation with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument-Short Form. RESULTS: A two-factor model (labelled "mobility and activities of daily life", and "general well-being and safety") was found. The EASYCare-2010 instrument showed acceptable levels for internal consistency (≥0.70). The EASYCare-2010 factors were correlated with measures of quality of life. Results showed that in most polytomous items, some of the more extreme categories were not considered at all or only by a residual number of participants. CONCLUSION: EASY Care -2010 version is a valid and reliable instrument for holistic assessment of the older people attended in Primary Health Care centres in Portugal.

Quantitative in vivo longitudinal nerve excursion and strain in response to joint movement: A systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Neural system mobilization is widely used in the treatment of several painful conditions. Data on nerve biomechanics is crucial to inform the design of mobilization exercises. Therefore, the aim of this review is to characterize normal nervous system biomechanics in terms of excursion and strain. METHODS: Studies were sought from Pubmed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scielo. Two reviewers' screened titles and abstracts, assessed full reports for potentially eligible studies, extracted information on studies' characteristics and assessed its methodological quality. FINDINGS: Twelve studies were included in this review that assessed the median nerve (n=8), the ulnar nerve (n=1), the tibial nerve (n=1), the sciatic nerve (n=1) and both the tibial and the sciatic nerves (n=1). All included studies assessed longitudinal nerve excursion and one assessed nerve strain. Absolute values varied between 0.1mm and 12.5mm for median nerve excursion, between 0.1mm and 4.0mm for ulnar nerve excursion, between 0.7 mm and 5.2mm for tibial nerve excursion and between 0.1mm and 3.5mm for sciatic nerve excursion. Maximum reported median nerve strain was 2.0%. INTERPRETATION: Range of motion for the moving joint, distance from the moving joint to the site of the lesion, position of adjacent joints, number of moving joints and whether joint movement stretches or shortens the nerve bed need to be considered when designing neural mobilization exercises as all of these factors seem to have an impact on nerve excursion.

Serum homocysteine concentrations in Portuguese young adults reference interval.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hyperhomocysteinemia has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Assessing the reference intervals for homocysteine among young adults is a critical step in the process of preventing cardiovascular diseases later in life. This study aimed to identify reference intervals for total serum homocysteine concentration in young adults. METHODS: The sample was composed of 469 (74.4% female) young adults (mean age 20.4 ± 2.1) who participated in an ongoing longitudinal study of apparently healthy undergraduate students registered in different academic years and different scientific areas in a Portuguese University, and coming from all regions of the country. Total homocysteine concentrations were determined and the data were analyzed employing the Hoffmann approach. This approach method has been widely used to evaluate reference intervals for various analytical parameters. Reference intervals (5th and 95th percentiles) for the total homocysteine concentration were first estimated by gender and since male and female reference intervals were similar, one reference interval for total homocysteine was estimated irrespective of gender. RESULTS: Reference intervals showed to be similar for both genders. The reference range, for homocysteine in young Portuguese adults, was 6.2-11.6 µmol/l, regardless of gender. Above 11.6 µmol/l surveillance should be considered in young adults. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first known study providing reference intervals for total homocysteine in young adults, based on a sample of Portuguese university students. The identification of a reference interval for total serum homocysteine concentration at these ages may help to identify those with a higher cardiovascular disease risk. Values above 11.6 µmol/L should lead physician concern and surveillance in adulthood.

Impact of academic exposure on health status of university students / Impacto da exposição académica no estado de saúde de estudantes universitários / Impacto de la exposición académica en el estado de salud de estudiantes universitarios

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência da vida académica na saúde de estudantes universitários. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal envolvendo 154 estudantes de graduação da Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, por pelo menos dois anos de acompanhamento. Características sociodemográficas e comportamentais foram recordados, por meio de questionários. Foram medidos peso, altura, pressão arterial, glicemia, perfil lipídico e os níveis séricos de homocisteína dos alunos. Foi realizada análise de regressão com modelos lineares mistos considerando as medidas repetidas de cada sujeito. RESULTADOS: Estudantes expostos à vida académica, quando comparados àqueles de ingresso recente à universidade apresentaram proporção mais elevada de dislipidemia (44,0 por cento versus 28,6 por cento), sobrepeso (16,3 por cento versus 12,5 por cento) e tabagismo (19,3 por cento versus 0,0 por cento). No geral, foi observada alta proporção de sedentarismo (cerca de 80 por cento). O colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidade, triglicérides, pressão arterial sistólica e níveis de atividade física apresentaram associação significativa com o género (p < 0,001). A exposição académica apresentou-se associada com o aumento dos níveis das lipoproteínas de baixa densidade (cerca de 1,12 vezes), e marginalmente com os níveis de colesterol total (p = 0,041). CONCLUSÕES: Nem o alto nível de instrução parece ter papel protetor na adoção de estilo de vida saudável, tampouco o envolvimento com áreas de saúde muda o comportamento dos estudantes. Altas proporções de fatores de risco para doenças não-transmissíveis em jovens universitários podem afetar seu bem-estar. Os resultados podem servir de apoio às universidades no desenvolvimento de programas de prevenção e promoção da saúde.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of academic life on health status of university students.METHODS: Longitudinal study including 154 undergraduate students from the Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, with at least two years of follow-up observations. Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were collected using questionnaires. Students' weight, height, blood pressure, serum glucose, serum lipids and serum homocysteine levels were measured. Regression analysis was performed using linear mixed-effect models, allowing for random effects at the participant level.RESULTS: A higher rate of dyslipidemia (44.0% vs. 28.6%), overweight (16.3% vs. 12.5%) and smoking (19.3% vs. 0.0%) was found among students exposed to the academic life when compared to freshmen. Physical inactivity was about 80%. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and physical activity levels were significantly associated with gender (p<0.001). Academic exposure was associated with increased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (about 1.12 times), and marginally with total cholesterol levels (p=0.041).CONCLUSIONS: High education level does not seem to have a protective effect favoring a healthier lifestyle and being enrolled in health-related areas does not seem either to positively affect students' behaviors. Increased risk factors for non-transmissible diseases in university students raise concerns about their well-being. These results should support the implementation of health promotion and prevention programs at universities.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la influencia de la vida académica en la salud de estudiantes universitarios. MÉTODOS: Estudio longitudinal involucrando 154 estudiantes de pregrado de la Universidad de Aveiro, Portugal, por al menos dos años de acompañamiento. Características sociodemográficas y de comportamiento fueron recordados, por medio de cuestionarios. Se midieron peso, altura, presión arterial, glicemia, perfil lipídico y los niveles séricos de homocisteína de los alumnos. Se realizó análisis de regresión con modelos lineares mixtos considerando las medidas repetidas de cada sujeto.RESULTADOS: Estudiantes expuestos a la vida académica, al compararlos con aquellos de ingreso reciente a la universidad presentaron proporción más elevado de dislipidemia (44,0% versus 28,6%), sobrepeso (16,3% versus 12,5%) y tabaquismo (19,3% versus 0,0%). En general, se observó alta proporción de sedentarismo (cerca de 80%). El colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidad, triglicéridos, presión arterial sistólica y niveles de actividad física presentaron asociación significativa con el género (p<0,001). La exposición académica se presentó asociada con el aumento de los niveles de las lipoproteínas de baja densidad (cerca de 1,12 veces), y marginalmente con los niveles de colesterol total (p=0,041). CONCLUSIONES: Ni el alto nivel de instrucción parece tener un papel protector en la adopción de estilo de vida saludable, tampoco el involucrarse con áreas de salud cambia el comportamiento de los estudiantes. Altas proporciones de factores de riesgo para enfermedades no transmisibles en jóvenes universitarios pueden afectar su bienestar. Los resultados pueden servir de apoyo a las universidades en el desarrollo de programas de prevención y promoción de la salud.

Impact of academic exposure on health status of university students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of academic life on health status of university students. METHODS: Longitudinal study including 154 undergraduate students from the Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, with at least two years of follow-up observations. Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were collected using questionnaires. Students' weight, height, blood pressure, serum glucose, serum lipids and serum homocysteine levels were measured. Regression analysis was performed using linear mixed-effect models, allowing for random effects at the participant level. RESULTS: A higher rate of dyslipidemia (44.0% vs. 28.6%), overweight (16.3% vs. 12.5%) and smoking (19.3% vs. 0.0%) was found among students exposed to the academic life when compared to freshmen. Physical inactivity was about 80%. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and physical activity levels were significantly associated with gender (p<0.001). Academic exposure was associated with increased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (about 1.12 times), and marginally with total cholesterol levels (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: High education level does not seem to have a protective effect favoring a healthier lifestyle and being enrolled in health-related areas does not seem either to positively affect students' behaviors. Increased risk factors for non-transmissible diseases in university students raise concerns about their well-being. These results should support the implementation of health promotion and prevention programs at universities.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in a Portuguese university population.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the distribution of risk factors for cardiovascular disease among university students, through calculating the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, overweight, and sedentarism, as well as nutrient intake. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in a random stratified sample of 378 students from Aveiro University in the 2005/2006 academic year. Lifestyle questionnaires were completed on dietary habits and physical activity. The following were assessed: anthropometric measures, blood pressure, lipids, glycemia and homocysteine. Homocysteine was measured in 32 (25.2%) males and 95 (74.8%) females. RESULTS: A high prevalence of sedentarism was found (0.55, 95% CI: 0.50 to 0.60). The prevalence of overweight was 12.2% (0.122, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.16) and of obesity 3.2% (0.032, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.06). Hypercholesterolemia was found in 17.7% (0.177, 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.2) of the students and hypertension in 13.7% of males and 3.5% of females (p<0.001). High levels of homocysteine were found in 15.6% of males. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia among health sciences students was higher than in technical and natural sciences (20.2% vs. 13.7%). Human and social sciences was the area with the highest prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (38.1%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of risk factors for NCDs in higher education highlights the need for nutritional and health promotion programs, emphasizing the harmful effects of sedentary behavior. Longitudinal study of this cohort will enable analysis of the impact of such behavior in early life on subsequent development of health problems.