The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice

Register      Login

SEARCH WITHIN CONTENT

FIND ARTICLE

Volume / Issue

Online First

Archive
Related articles

VOLUME 18 , ISSUE 10 ( October, 2017 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Relationship of Body Mass Index with Diet, Physical Activities, and Lifestyles of Dental Students

Syed R Habib, Sakhar Alghofaily, Hussam Alshamrani, Abdullah Alhammad

Citation Information : Habib SR, Alghofaily S, Alshamrani H, Alhammad A. Relationship of Body Mass Index with Diet, Physical Activities, and Lifestyles of Dental Students. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017; 18 (10):899-904.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-2146

Published Online: 01-09-2015

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2017; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction

The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight issues and obesity by recording the body mass index (BMI) and explore the dietary habits, physical activities (PAs), and lifestyles of male students at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University.

Materials and methods

A custom-designed self-administrative form and questionnaire were used in this study for data collection. The first part of the form was used to record the participants’ height and weight for the BMI. The participants were grouped as underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9), overweight (BMI = 25–29.9), and obese (BMI > 30.0). The second part comprised questions related to the dietary habits, PAs, and lifestyles of the male dental students. Chi-squared test was used to generate the significance of each question at significance <0.05.

Results

A total of 211 male students (mean age 22.31 ± 2.10 years) participated in the study (response rate 78.1%). The findings revealed that 29 and 28% of the dental students were overweight and obese respectively. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the groups was found for the questions asked about time spent exercising per day (p = 0.003), time spent sporting per week (p = 0.003), and time spent watching television and internet surfing per day (p = 0.012).

Conclusion

The prevalence of overweight issues and obesity is high among the dental students compared with the general population of Saudi Arabia, and there is a need for intervention programs to combat obesity among the dental students. The awareness about PA, healthy diet/lifestyle, consequences of overweight and obesity on their health and profession must be increased among the dental students to avoid future complications.

Clinical significance

The impact of obesity on individuals’ oral health and its influence on dental treatment protocols and postoperative procedures has been well documented. Dental students are more prone to obesity due to their lifestyle with less PA and disordered eating habits and, thereby, are prone to obesity-related health hazards.

How to cite this article

Habib SR, Alghofaily S, Alshamrani H, Alhammad A, Awan KH. Relationship of Body Mass Index with Diet, Physical Activities, and Lifestyles of Dental Students. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017;18(10):899-904.


PDF Share
  1. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press; 2010. Available from: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_recommendations/en/. [Last accessed on 2016 Oct 12].
  2. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 2006 Apr;295(13):1549-1555.
  3. Progressive changes in overweight and obesity during the early years of schooling among children in a central region of Saudi Arabia. Food Public Health 2012;2(5):159-167.
  4. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet 2014 Aug 30;384(9945):766-781.
  5. Non communicable diseases: risk factors and regional strategies for prevention and care. East Mediterr J 2004 Nov;10(6):778-783.
  6. Diet quality is associated with obesity and hypertension in Australian adults: a cross sectional study. BMC Public Health 2016 Oct 1;16:1037.
  7. Dietary approaches to prevent and treat hypertension: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension 2006 Feb;47(2):296-308.
  8. Physical patterns and eating habits of adolescents living in major Arab cities. The Arab Teens lifestyle study. Saudi Med J 2010 Feb;31(2):210-211.
  9. Physical activity changes during adolescence: a systematic review and a pooled analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2011 Jun;40(3):685-698.
  10. Prevalence of physical activity and inactivity among Saudis aged 30-70 years: a population-based cross-sectional study. Saudi Med J 2007 Apr;28(4):559-568.
  11. The child obesity epidemic in Saudi Arabia: a review of the literature. J Transc Nurs 2016 Sep 21. pii: 1043659616668398.
  12. Prevalence and socioeconomic risk factors of obesity among urban female students in Al Khobar city, Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2003. Obes Rev 2007 Mar;8(2):93-99.
  13. The prevalence and trends of overweight, obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in the Arabian Gulf States. Obes Rev 2011 Jan;12(1):1-13.
  14. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents. Ann Saudi Med 2010 May-Jun;30(3):203-208.
  15. Regional variation in prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents. Saudi J Gastroenterol 2012 Mar-Apr;18(2):129-132.
  16. Methodologies to assess paediatric adiposity. Ir J Med Sci 2015 Mar;184(1):53-68.
  17. Validity of body mass index compared with other body-composition screening indexes for the assessment of body fatness in children and adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Jun;75(6):978-985.
  18. Diagnosis and treatment of obesity in the elderly. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2003.
  19. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee report 2008. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.
  20. Does physical activity prevent weight gain – a systematic review. Obes Rev 2000 Oct;1(2):95-111.
  21. A cross-sectional analysis of physical activity and obesity indicators in European participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study. Int J Obes (Lond) 2009 Apr;33(4):497-506.
  22. Depression and stress amongst undergraduate medical students. BMC Med Educ 2015 Aug 27;15(1):141.
  23. An examination of the relationship among academic stress, coping, motivation, and performance in college. Res High Educ 2000 Oct;41(5):581-592.
  24. Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Acad Med 2006 Apr;81(4):354-373.
  25. Attentional bias to threat: roles of trait anxiety, stressful events, and awareness. Q J Exp Psychol A 1994 Nov;47(4):841-864.
  26. Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of dental students towards obesity. Saudi Dent J 2016 Jan;28(1):44-48.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.