Obesity and its related factors among university medical students in Syria: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Obesity is a worldwide pandemic that has many contributing factors. There is very scarce data available on this issue for the population in Syria. We aim to evaluate the body mass index and related obesity rates of medical students as they are the role model for the general population....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:SAGE open medicine 2024-01, Vol.12, p.20503121241267224
Main Authors: Naeem, Ahmad, AlJaber, Yazen, Kakaje, Ameer, Ghareeb, Amjad, Al Said, Bayan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Body mass index
Cross-sectional studies
Exercise
Medical students
Obesity
Original
Role models
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Summary:Introduction: Obesity is a worldwide pandemic that has many contributing factors. There is very scarce data available on this issue for the population in Syria. We aim to evaluate the body mass index and related obesity rates of medical students as they are the role model for the general population. We aim to explore the breadth of potential associated factors including psychological, physical activity, dietary, and a broad array of lifestyle and socio-demographic factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted at a major university in Damascus. Paper-based questionnaires were distributed that included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Results: The mean body mass index was 23.5 (±4.2) kg/m2 with 540 participants enrolled in this study. Males had significantly higher body mass index than females by 2.5 kg/m2 (p 
ISSN:2050-3121
2050-3121
DOI:10.1177/20503121241267224