Physical Activity, Dietary Intake and Anthropometric Indices of a Group of Nigerian University Undergraduates

Abstract

This study explores the interrelationships among the physical activity level, dietary pattern and anthropometric indices of some pre-clinical undergraduates in a university in southeastern Nigeria. One hundred and twenty-one (121) consecutively-recruited volunteers (57 male and 64 female), aged 19-29 years, who were pre-clinical students participated in the study. Information on physical activity level (PAL), dietary pattern and anthropometric characteristics as well as demographics was collected. About 80% of the male and female participants had normal weight. Fewer males (11.1%) than females (17.6%) reported low PAL. Fewer males (5.7% and 7.7%) tended to have undesirable waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) than the females (16.2% and 41.2%). Also fewer males (24.1%) tended to have a high fat intake than females (30.9%). However, more males (87.0%) tended to take low amounts of fruit/vegetable (FV) than females (79.4%), whereas more females (89.75%) tended to take low amount of fibre than the males (57.4%). The females had a higher (P<0.05) WHR than the males, while the males consumed more fibre (P<0.05) than the females. Fat intake correlated very significantly (P<0.05) with WC. Fibre intake correlated very significantly (P<0.05) with WC and WHR, while PAL correlated significantly with only BMI and WC. Although the prevalence of general obesity is not alarming in this sample, a sizeable number of the respondents have the tendency to be obese and also have central obesity. Fruits and vegetables and fibre consumption were generally low.