Assessment of Body Mass Index, Lifestyle and Health Perception Among Female University Students in Morocco

Overview

Journal Tunis Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2024 Nov 20

PMID 39564641

Authors

Souad Rahim

Karima Mohtadi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI), dietary habits, physical activity, and health perception among female university students in Morocco.

Methods: The study was conducted at a Moroccan university among female students from the Faculty of Sciences Ain-Chock in Casablanca. Participants were given a self-administered questionnaire that evaluated sociodemographic factors, dietary habits, food group consumption, physical activity, and self-assessed health status. Data collection took place from February 2023 through the end of April 2023.

Results: A total of 335 students aged 18 to 29 years participated in the survey. The study revealed that 72.5% of the participants were within the normal weight range (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m²), while 15.9% were classified as overweight and 3.9% as obese. Additionally, 47.9% of the participants engaged in physical activity, with 30.2% dedicating more than 45 minutes to their activities. The health perception was found to be related to weight classification, with poor health perception most commonly associated with the "18.5-25" BMI range (57.8%).

Conclusion: The study sheds light on the intricate interaction between weight, health, and lifestyle in Morocco. The frequency of normal-weight persons and active participation indicates university students' health awareness. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, on the other hand, need ongoing health measures. These findings help to build focused methods for promoting healthier lives in Morocco, utilizing educational institutions as health promotion platforms.

References

Hsu W, Chiang C . Effect of BMI and Perceived Importance of Health on the Health Behavior of College Students: Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22(6):e17640. PMC: 7317634. DOI: 10.2196/17640. View

Mohtadi K, Msaad R, Benalioua N, Jafri A, Meftah H, Elkardi Y . Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors Associated with Adherence to Mediterranean Diet in Representative Adult Population in Casablanca City, Morocco: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Nutr Metab. 2020; 2020:3105271. PMC: 7115148. DOI: 10.1155/2020/3105271. View

El Rhazi K, Nejjari C, Zidouh A, Bakkali R, Berraho M, Barberger Gateau P . Prevalence of obesity and associated sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in Morocco. Public Health Nutr. 2010; 14(1):160-7. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980010001825. View

Benaich S, Mehdad S, Andaloussi Z, Boutayeb S, Alamy M, Aguenaou H . Weight status, dietary habits, physical activity, screen time and sleep duration among university students. Nutr Health. 2020; 27(1):69-78. DOI: 10.1177/0260106020960863. View

El Rhazi K, Nejjari C, Romaguera D, Feart C, Obtel M, Zidouh A . Adherence to a Mediterranean diet in Morocco and its correlates: cross-sectional analysis of a sample of the adult Moroccan population. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:345. PMC: 3438093. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-345. View

Alsulami S, Baig M, Ahmad T, Althagafi N, Hazzazi E, Alsayed R . Obesity prevalence, physical activity, and dietary practices among adults in Saudi Arabia. Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1124051. PMC: 10086171. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1124051. View

Al-Awwad N, Al-Sayyed H, Zeinah Z, Tayyem R . Dietary and lifestyle habits among university students at different academic years. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021; 44:236-242. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.06.010. View

Boukrim M, Obtel M, Lahlou L, Razine R . University students' perceptions and factors contributing to obesity and overweigh in Southern of Morocco. Afr Health Sci. 2021; 21(2):942-950. PMC: 8568212. DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v21i2.56. View

Agrawal P, Gupta K, Mishra V, Agrawal S . Effects of sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits on body mass index change among adult women in India: findings from a follow-up study. Ecol Food Nutr. 2013; 52(5):387-406. PMC: 5562270. DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2012.719346. View

10.

Thompson F, Byers T . Dietary assessment resource manual. J Nutr. 1994; 124(11 Suppl):2245S-2317S. DOI: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_11.2245s. View

11.

Rabanales-Sotos J, Villanueva-Benites M, Jacinto-Magallanes-Castilla J, Leiton-Espinoza Z, Lopez-Gonzalez A, Lopez-Torres-Hidalgo J . Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Health Sciences Students in the Amazonia Region of Peru. Healthcare (Basel). 2020; 8(4). PMC: 7761865. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare8040538. View

12.

Idler E, Benyamini Y . Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. J Health Soc Behav. 1997; 38(1):21-37. View

13.

. Dairy Consumption and Body Mass Index Among Adults: Mendelian Randomization Analysis of 184802 Individuals from 25 Studies. Clin Chem. 2017; 64(1):183-191. PMC: 5837824. DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2017.280701. View

14.

Grygiel-Gorniak B, Tomczak A, Krulikowska N, Przyslawski J, Seraszek-Jaros A, Kaczmarek E . Physical activity, nutritional status, and dietary habits of students of a medical university. Sport Sci Health. 2016; 12:261-267. PMC: 4951501. DOI: 10.1007/s11332-016-0285-x. View

15.

Jha R, Yadav A, Shrestha S, Shrestha P, Shrestha S, Jha M . Study of Body Mass Index among Medical Students of a Medical College in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study. JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc. 2021; 59(235):280-283. PMC: 8369547. DOI: 10.31729/jnma.6282. View

16.

Monteiro L, Ramirez Varela A, Lira B, Contiero L, Carneiro M, de Souza P . Weight status, physical activity and eating habits of young adults in Midwest Brazil. Public Health Nutr. 2019; 22(14):2609-2616. PMC: 10260673. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019000995. View

17.

. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2001; 894:i-xii, 1-253. View