DIETARY PATTERNS OF HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS IN REGARDING TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AND SOMATIC INDICATORS OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS

Abstract

Background. In extensive world literature, there is no relationship has been noted between dietary patterns defined a posteriori ("data driven") and metabolic risk indicators, especially among medical and health science students. Objective. The aim of the study was recognition of dietary patterns defined a posteriori ("data driven") among students in discipline of Health Sciences in regarding to their levels of physical activity, as well as selected nutritional status indicators. Material and methods. The studied population group consisted of 609 respondents aged 19 - 30. Data was collected on: the frequency of consumption of 16 groups of food products, levels of physical activity, body weight and hight. Based on the data, the somatic indicators were calculated: BMI (Body Mass Index), WC (Waist Circumference) and WHtR (Waist to Hight Ratio). Four dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, i.e. including two health-promoting factors, “vegetables and fruits” and “milk, fermented milk drinks and cottage cheese”, and two non-health-promoting factors, “carbonated drinks, energy drinks, alcohol and canned food” and “fast food and confectionery products”. The relationship between levels of physical activity, somatic indicators and dietary patterns was tested using the Chi-square test. Results. Respondents with a high level of physical activity were statistically significantly more often characterized by high intensity of all health-promoting dietary patterns and low intensity of one unhealth-promoting dietary patterns such as “fast food and confectionery products”. There was no statistically significant differentiation between underweight and normal body weight according to the BMI criteria or differentiation according to the severity of separate dietary patterns, but such a difference was found between overweight according to the BMI criteria and obesity according to the BMI and WC criteria. There was often a statistically significant relationship between overweight and obesity according to the BMI and visceral obesity with a high risk of metabolic complications according to the WC index, and a high intensity of unhealthy dietary patterns was more often observed than a high intensity of health-promoting dietary patterns. Conclusion. Effective programs and methods of nutritional education and motivation to change health behaviours should be implemented among students of Health Sciences, especially those who are overweight or obese, or have lower activity level values.