Abstract:

Aim: This study was aim to determine the nutritional habits and obesity status of Health Sciences students. Methods: In the study, a nutritional status assessment questionnaire including 60 questions, which was created by a literature search and participated by 277 volunteer students studying in the health sciences at a private university, was applied. Survey results and demographic data from students; height, weight, body fat percentage and calculated Body Mass Index (BMI) data and descriptive statistics were used. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate the survey data. Results: 67.9% of the students participating in the research were female, 32.1% were male, and the average age of the participants was 21.02±2.13 years. In our study, 29.2% of the students stated that they were on a diet; 78.7% of the students declared that they skip meals. The most frequently skipped meal was lunch with a percentage of 48.7% (p=0.001); The reason for skipping meals was determined as 50.2% of the lack of time (p=0.001). When the BMI status of the students was evaluated, it was found that normal and overweight students tended to perceive themselves as obese (p=0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between exercise status (p=0.028), eating speed (p=0.031), self-seeing overweight (p<0.001) and BMI, regardless of gender. Conclusion: Our study output is important in terms of higher rate of skipping meals in the university age, when the foundations of the habits that have become entrenched in adulthood, in terms of exercise frequency and eating speed as well as significant tendency of the normal and overweight students to perceive themselves as obese.

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