Witkowiak Maria M, Idris Adama Nana, Sato Alma, Sacre Hala, Haddad Chadia, Rizk Rana, Malaeb Diana, Strahler Jana, Salameh Pascale, Ierodiakonou Despo
Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus.
INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, Epidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie - Liban), Beirut, Lebanon.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):3571. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21033-3.
University students, often unemployed and reliant on low-nutrition foods, are susceptible to food insecurity (FI) with potential physical and mental health challenges. This study explores FI and its impact on lifestyle behaviours among university students.
A cross-sectional web-based study was performed by sending an online questionnaire to university students in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using validated measures, i.e., the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, adjusted linear regression models were performed to assess the associations between country, FI and physical activity, sleep quality, and diet.
In a convenience sample of 611 individuals (350 in Germany, 214 in Lebanon, and 47 in Cyprus) enrolled in the study, 547 provided complete response. 190 (34.7%) experienced FI, of whom 52 (9.5%) were severely food-insecure, with variation of FI prevalence between countries (18.9% in Germany, 14.9% in Cyprus, and 60.3% in Lebanon). Lifestyle behaviours also differed between participants from the three countries, with students in Germany exhibiting the highest physical activity level and the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet compared with Lebanon and Cyprus. On the other hand, participants from Lebanon and Cyprus had similar physical activity and diet behaviours. Concerning sleep, students in Cyprus showed the poorest quality. FI significantly correlated with reduced physical activity (beta - 0.171, 95% Confidence Interval (-0.313, -0.029)), but not with sleep or diet. The country of residence independently predicted lifestyle behaviours (p < 0.05).
This study suggests that FI impacts university students in countries of varying income levels, and the country of residence independently influences lifestyle behaviours. Larger-size studies are essential to confirm these findings and further explore FI's impact on university students outside the context of the pandemic.
大学生常常没有工作且依赖低营养食品，易面临粮食不安全问题，这可能对身心健康构成挑战。本研究探讨大学生的粮食不安全状况及其对生活方式行为的影响。
在新冠疫情期间，通过向黎巴嫩、塞浦路斯和德国的大学生发送在线问卷进行了一项基于网络的横断面研究。使用经过验证的测量工具，即家庭粮食不安全获取量表、国际体力活动问卷、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数和地中海饮食依从性筛查工具，进行了调整线性回归模型分析，以评估国家、粮食不安全状况与体力活动、睡眠质量和饮食之间的关联。
在纳入研究的611名个体（德国350名、黎巴嫩214名、塞浦路斯47名）的便利样本中，547人提供了完整回复。190人（34.7%）经历了粮食不安全，其中52人（9.5%）存在严重粮食不安全问题，各国粮食不安全患病率存在差异（德国为18.9%，塞浦路斯为14.9%，黎巴嫩为60.3%）。三个国家的参与者的生活方式行为也有所不同，与黎巴嫩和塞浦路斯相比，德国学生的体力活动水平最高，对地中海饮食的依从性最低。另一方面，黎巴嫩和塞浦路斯的参与者的体力活动和饮食行为相似。在睡眠方面，塞浦路斯的学生睡眠质量最差。粮食不安全与体力活动减少显著相关（β=-0.171，95%置信区间为[-0.313, -0.029]），但与睡眠或饮食无关。居住国家独立预测生活方式行为（p<0.05）。
本研究表明，粮食不安全对不同收入水平国家的大学生有影响，居住国家独立影响生活方式行为。需要更大规模的研究来证实这些发现，并在疫情背景之外进一步探讨粮食不安全对大学生的影响。
