Impact of Demographics, Education, and Stress on Body Mass Index Among Jordanian University Students

Abstract

Obesity prevalence increased dramatically and impacted negatively on developing chronic diseases. The main objective of this study is to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and demographic factors, stress, dietary intakes, and physical activity levels among Jordanian university students. A convenience sample was chosen from 3 universities. Data were analyzed based on questionnaires about BMI, dietary intakes, and demographics. The χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine the association between BMI and the studied variables. The results showed that 20.6% of participants were overweight and 8.4% were obese. The results indicate a significant association between BMI and students' gender, nationality, and age; males compared with females and Jordanian participants compared with non-Jordanian students had significantly higher obesity. There was a significant association between stress, general health, and BMI. The results indicate that students who had normal weight perceived their health more as excellent and had less stress compared with students who were overweight or obese. This study indicates a relatively high prevalence of obesity among university students, especially males, Jordanians, and participants who felt stressed.