Eating habits and physical exercise patterns among undergraduate nursing students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Globally, overweight and obesity affect over one-third of the global population and it is projected that by 2030 obesity will affect more than half of the world population. The current burden of overweight and obesity is attributed to high rates of unhealthy eating and physical inactivity as it had also been revealed in Tanzania. The substantially increased prevalence of malnutrition at young ages is associated with a high incidence of non-communicable diseases in the young population and ultimately increased premature deaths.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess eating habits, physical exercise patterns, and the overweight/obesity status among undergraduate students at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2022 by employing a stratified sampling technique to recruit 232 undergraduate nursing students. A self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to obtain data which were finally analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 20.2%. Approximately 43% of the participants were physically inactive, with a higher proportion among females compared to males p=0.001. Male participants were more likely to perform physical exercises for a longer duration (≥ 30 minutes per day) compared to female participants, p=0.008. The consumption of more than three meals per day was associated with an increased odds of being overweight/obese than the consumption of three meals or less per day (OR: 3.11; 95%CI: 1.11-8.73). Similarly, the average long duration of sleeping per day (eight hours or more) was associated with an increased odds of being overweight/obese than sleeping less than eight hours per day (OR: 2.08; 95%CI: 1.06-4.11).

Conclusions: The findings revealed high rates of unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity patterns and a significant prevalence of overweight/obesity. This indicates a need for developing actionable interventions and national health programs to promote healthy eating habits and physical activity, particularly among university students.