DIETARY PRACTICES AMONG THE MEDICAL STUDENTS OF SHEIKH ZAYED MEDICAL COLLEGE, RAHIM YAR KHAN
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Keywords
Dietary habits, medical students, junk food, lifestyle
Abstract
Medical students & undergraduates are potentially important targets for promotion of health & dietary lifestyles as this reduces the risks of lifestyle-related and preventable disorders and diseases later in life. This cross-sectional study examined and assessed the knowledge and practice of dietary habits of the medical. university students.
Objective: The main objective of our study was to assess the dietary habits of the medical students of Sheikh Zayed Medical College Rahim Yar Khan, regarding junk foods.
Methodology: Study design used was cross-sectional type. Study subject was "Medical students of 4th Year MBBS" of Sheikh Zayed Medical College. A sample size of 50 people from among the medical students was selected using "Convenient sampling method". The study took place in Sheikh Zayed Medical College from March 2022 to April 2022. Questionnaire form was formulated by the students of 4th Year MBBS students of Batch A with the help of their supervisor. Before starting the collection of data, consent was taken from all study subjects. All the data was recorded on the questionnaire forms. It had the variables age, gender, residence, parent's education, parent's occupation, frequency of meals, eating habits regarding frequency of junk food consumption & types of junk food. The data was entered on IBM SPSS Statistics Software Version-26.
Results: Among the different variables studied showed that the mean age of students was 22 years (SD 1.06), male students were 21 (42%) and female students were 29 (58%) corresponding to the actual male to female ratio in this medical school. The majority of students (84%) were hostelites. And majority of students (84%) came from a well-educated background. It was seen that the majority of students (58%) ate two meals per day, breakfast being the most commonly skipped meal.
All the students (100%) ate junk foods. And the majority of students (46%) consumed junk foods 1-2 times per week. The most commonly consumed junk foods were fast foods (70%) and fried foods (68%).
Conclusion: Our study showed that all of the students were taking junk foods weekly and more than two-thirds were consuming junk foods up to 4 times a week. Additionally, the most common type of junk food that was consumed by students was fast foods and fried foods. This study highlights the presence of unhealthy eating behaviours in medical students.
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Dr Ghazala Yasmeen Iqbal
Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, MBBS MCPS MPH CHPE PhD Public Health Scholar, Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
Dr Farrukh Adeel
Consultant Family Medicine, Public Health Specialist and Researcher Fauji Fertilizer Company, Goth Maachi Sadiqabad, MBBS MCPS MPH PhD Public Health Scholar
Dr Nabeela Yasmeen
Assistant Professor of Physiology, Sheikh Zayed Medical College Rahim Yar khan, Pakistan
Dr Naila Jabeen
MPhil Biochemistry, Senior Demonstrator of Biochemistry, Sheikh Zayed Medical College Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
Dr Shazia Sultan
Assistant Professor of Physiology, Sheikh Zayed Medical College Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
Dr Tariq Hussain
APMO Biochemistry, Sheikh Zayed medical college Rahim yar khan