Excess weight in students of the Universidad Especializada de las Américas
a cross-sectional study
Keywords:
malnutrition, obesity, Panama, food security, overweightAbstract
Background: Excess weight is one of the most relevant public health problems in Panama. Objective: To determine excess weight among university students at the Faculty of Social Education and Human Development at the Specialized University of the Americas (UDELAS) in Panama. Materials and Methods: A non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 subjects FROM the Faculty of Social Education and Human Development at UDELAS, carried out from August to December 2019. Sociodemographic factors, anthropometric markers (weight and height), and household food security measurement of the students were analyzed. The collected data were compared using the Chi-square test to determine the relationship between nutritional status and sociodemographic variables. To assess the association between excess weight and sociodemographic risk factors, multivariate logistic regression adjusted for sex, age, fixed effects of the studied career, and robust standard errors were utilized. Results: 150 subjects were evaluated (age: 22.0 ± 3.2 years; 76% women). 54% were found to have excess weight, with 39% being overweight and 15% obese, with no differences by sex. Excess weight was associated with employment status, students who work compared to those whose parents finance their studies [OR: 3.93; 95% CI: 1.09 to 14.12]; also, an association was observed between excess weight and those who worry about body weight compared to those who do not worry [OR: 4.24; 95% CI: 1.26 to 14.31]. Conclusion: A high proportion of individuals with overweight and obesity. Excess weight was associated with economic independence to afford university and with concern about body weight.
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