Search

The Foresight report (Butland et al., 2007) has identified that risk perception is an area where additional evidence is needed to improve the understanding of obesity. The Department of Health (2009) reports university students as a group vulnerable to weight gain and therefore future programs for obesity could be informed by the knowledge of the target group. The aim of this project was to investigate the knowledge of Coventry University students regarding the health risks associated with obesity. Non-probability convenience sampling was used to recruit 40 participants from Coventry University. Data was collected using a 'pen-and-paper' questionnaire format and the validated Obesity Risk Knowledge-10 scale (ORK-10 scale) was used to assess level of knowledge (Swift 2006). The ORK-10 Scale consists of 10 brief questions covering obesity related co-morbidities such as diabetes, cancer, life expectancy and high blood pressure, with the option of answering true, false or don't know. Each correct answer scored 1 point, therefore a higher score indicated greater knowledge. Socio-demographic data including gender, age, ethnicity, course and faculty were also collected. Because of the small sample size of the study, these independent variables were dichotomised; gender into male and female, age groups into <20 and >20 years, ethnicity into Caucasian and non-Caucasian, course into undergraduate and postgraduate and faculty into health and life sciences compared with other faculties. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of the distribution of ORK-10 scale scores. The results indicated normal distribution of ORK-10 score for gender, ethnicity, course and faculty groups, supporting the use of a t-test. For comparing scores between age groups, the data was not normally distributed, supporting the use of a nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test. The study received approval from the Coventry University Ethics Committee. The participant population consisted of 16 males and 24 females, 13 < 20 and 27 > 20 years of age, 25 Caucasians and 15 non-Caucasians, 36 undergraduates and four postgraduates, and 20 in the health and life sciences faculty and 20 in other faculties including engineering and computing, art and design, business, environment and society, and lifelong learning. No significant differences were found in ORK-10 scores between gender ( P = 0.276), ethnicity ( P = 0.179), course ( P = 0.310), or faculty ( P = 0.168). However, a statistically significant difference was found in ORK-10 scores between age groups, participants >20 years of age had a greater level of knowledge (median = 6, interquartile range = 4), compared to those <20 years of age (median = 4, interquartile range = 2), P = 0.031. Significant differences were observed in ORK-10 scores according to age with older students scoring higher. This agrees with the finding of Swift (2006) and may be explained by the increased exposure of this age group to health messages. In contrast to previous findings (Swift 2006), studying health and life sciences was not associated with increased knowledge of health risks. This may be explained by the limited sample size of the study, the students may have been in the early stages of their course, sampling bias may have meant that only students interested in health took part, and the sampling technique may not have been representative of the population. This study found a statistically significant relationship between knowledge of health risk associated with obesity and age of the students. There is a need for further research in this area, and future studies of larger randomly selected students would help to confirm the need for targeted obesity education programs. The results conclude that students <20 years of age should be considered as a target population for future obesity education programs, in order to make a positive impact on heath behaviour and dietary choices. Butland, B., Jebb, S., Kopelman, P., McPherson, K., Thomas, S., Mardell, J., & Parry, V. (2007) Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices - Project Report. 2nd edn.Government Office for Science, Department of Innovation Universities and Skills. Department of Health (2009) Obesity [online] Available at: [Accessed on 13 September 2009]. Swift, J.A., Glazebrook, C. & Macdonald, I. (2006) Validation of a brief, reliable scale to measure knowledge about the health risks associated with obesity. Int. J. Obesity, 661-668. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the prevalence of obesity has been observed throughout the world (WHO 2010), which is thought to be due to many factors including psychological, physiological and environmental influences which are demonstrated in the obesity system map (Butland et al., 2007). University students may be susceptible to weight gain, with evidence suggesting a decline in physical activity (PA) and adherence to poor dietary habits during university life (Hoffman et al., 2006). It has not been determined whether university students of differing courses adhere to different dietary and PA habits. The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary and PA habits of students on health related courses (HRC) versus those on non-health related courses (NHRC). Non-probability convenience sampling was used to recruit university students. The study comprised of a 30 min structured interview, which assessed dietary and PA habits. Dietary habits were assessed through a current diet history for whilst studying at university, which was documented and validated in a sub sample of the population ( n = 25) through a 7-day weighed food diary. Anthropometric variables including weight, height, and waist circumference were measured by the interviewer before proceeding with the interview questions. Energy and macronutrient intakes were analysed using Dietplan-6 dietary analysis software program (Forestfield Software, Horsham, UK). Fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes were assessed by portions according to UK recommendations (DH 2010). All variables were found to be normally distributed and so independent T-tests were used using SPSS (v.17.0.2). Significance was accepted at P < 0.05. Ethics approval was obtained from the Coventry University Ethics committee. One hundred and thirty-nine students (HRC n = 81; NHRC n = 58) participated in the study (males n = 56, females n = 83; average age = 24 ± 7 years). Individuals on HRC reported a higher FV intake than NHRC students (4.3 ± 1.5 versus 3.2 ± 1.8 portions per day; P < 0.001) and a lower waist circumference was observed in HRC students (76.4 ± 8.8 cm), compared with NHRC students (83.2 ± 9.5 cm; P < 0.001). However, no significant differences were found in energy intake from macronutrients: protein ( P = 0.787), carbohydrate ( P = 0.657), fat ( P = 0.458), total fat ( P = 0.298), saturated fat ( P = 0.383), sugars ( P = 0.285), and PA ( P = 0.404). HRC students had a significantly higher intake of FV, and a significantly lower waist circumference compared to NHRC students. This is likely to be attributed to their enrolment on HRC, which potentially promotes a greater exposure to the awareness on the impact of healthy behaviours through teaching activities and clinical placements (Swift et al., 2007). No significant differences were found in other dietary and PA habits between HRC and NHRC students, which are contrary to previous studies conducted in differing countries (Irazusta et al., 2006). Irazusta et al. (2006) found that the level of PA among first-year female nursing students was lower than that of other first-year female students. The contradictory results may be due to inadequate sampling. This could have led to NHRC students who have an underlying interest in health taking part. HRC students consumed more FV and presented lower waist circumferences than NHRC students. No other differences in dietary and PA habits were observed. This study suggests that it may be beneficial to target some nutritional messages such as increasing FV intake, at those on NHRCs. Larger randomised studies of this population will be needed to confirm these conclusions. Butland, B., Jebb, S., Kopelman, P., McPherson, K., Thomas, S., Mardell, J. & Parry, V. (2007) Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices - Project Report, 2nd edn.Government Office for Science, Department of Innovation Universities and Skills. Department of Health (2010) Available at [Accessed on 19 September 2010]. Hoffman, D., Policastro, P., Quick, V. & Lee, S. (2006) Changes in body weight and fat mass of men and women in the first year of college. J. Am. Coll. Health , 45-45. Irazusta, A., Gil, S., Ruiz, F., Gondra, J., Jauregi, A., Irazusta, J. & Gil, J. (2006) Exercise, Physical fitness, and dietary habits of first-year female nursing students. Biol. Res. Nurs., 175-186. Swift, J.A., Sheard, C. & Rutherford, M. (2007) Trainee health care professionals' knowledge of the health risks associated with obesity. J. Hum. Nutr. Diet., 599-604. World Health Organisation. (2010) Obesity Available at [Accessed on 10 September 2010]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives This study aims to assess adequacy in micronutrient intake in comparison with reference nutrient intakes (RNI) and to identify differences in intakes between normal weight and overweight individuals. Study design A sample of 542 university students (18–25 years), normal weight (N = 369) and overweight (N = 173), were included in a cross-sectional study. Methods A three-day diet diary was used to assess energy and nutrient intake. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured. Results Mean dietary vitamin D intake was lower than RNI in both men (4.44 μg) and women (5.04 μg). Mean intakes of calcium (597.44 mg), iron (8.62 mg) and folate (171.29 mg) were also lower than recommendations in women. Weight status (normal weight versus overweight) was significantly associated with micronutrient intake, and a trend towards a decrease in vitamin and mineral intake with increasing weight was noted. Conclusions Results suggest the need to increase the intake of some micronutrients to meet the RNI, to ensure optimal health. This study provides a helpful tool to reinforce recommendations and potential health promotion and intervention strategies in university settings and could influence manufacturers involved in new food product development targeted to this young population. Highlights • Male and female university students (18-25 years) have inadequate intakes of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin D. • Women seem to have more inadequacies in the diet than men with regard to calcium, iron and folate. • Overweight and obese individuals have lower intakes of micronutrients than normal weight individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]