Gutiérrez-Espinoza Héctor, Cassola-Cajiao María, Garzón-Ulloa Emilia, Celi-Lalama Daniela, Araya-Quintanilla Felipe, Valenzuela-Fuenzalida Juan, López-Gil José Francisco
Faculty of Education, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Escuela de Fisioterapia, Universidad de las Americas, Quito, Ecuador.
Front Sports Act Living. 2025 May 20;7:1499828. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1499828. eCollection 2025.
The first year of university has been identified as a period of adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. However, only a few studies have addressed the extent of this phenomenon in Latin American universities. The aim of this study was to examine changes in physiotherapy students' lifestyle behaviors after one year at university.
A total of 100 students of in Quito, Ecuador, were prospectively recruited. In all patients' sociodemographic variables, anthropometric indices, adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep), diet, and alcohol consumption were assessed. Measurements were performed at the start of the first academic semester and after one year at university.
The total of sample, 60 students were female (60%), 40 were male (40%), and the mean age was 21.2 years old. At one-year follow-up, the mean difference (MD) for weight was +5.8 kg [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9 to 8.5; < 0.001] and for body mass index was +3.3 kg/m (95% CI: 1.1 to 5.2; = 0.001). Additionally, number of students with high levels of physical activity according to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) decreased from 42 to 28 ( < 0.001), the MD for total metabolic equivalents (METs) per week was -1.0 (95% CI -0.8 to -2.0; = 0.001), and decreased from 10 to 6 students ( = 0.042) who met the overall 24-hour movement guidelines. Finally, there was an increase from 70 to 79 students ( = 0.041) who showed significant sleep disturbances, from 70 to 80 students ( = 0.035) who needed changes in diet quality, and from 20 to 30 students ( = 0.035) who showed harmful alcohol consumption.
At the end of the first year of university, most students showed unhealthy lifestyle behaviors characterized by an increase in weight and body mass index, a decrease in the level of physical activity, low adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines, more sleep disturbance, poor diet quality, and harmful alcohol consumption. This indicates a need to address this problem during this critical period for developing interventions to improve lifestyle behaviors and prevent the occurrence of non-communicable chronic diseases.
大学一年级已被认定为采用不健康生活方式行为的时期。然而，只有少数研究探讨了拉丁美洲大学中这一现象的程度。本研究的目的是调查物理治疗专业学生在大学学习一年后生活方式行为的变化。
前瞻性招募了厄瓜多尔基多的100名学生。评估了所有患者的社会人口统计学变量、人体测量指标、对24小时运动指南的遵循情况（即身体活动、久坐行为和睡眠）、饮食和饮酒情况。在第一学期开始时和大学学习一年后进行测量。
样本总数中，60名学生为女性（60%），40名学生为男性（40%），平均年龄为21.2岁。在一年的随访中，体重的平均差异（MD）为+5.8 kg [95%置信区间（CI）：2.9至8.5；P < 0.001]，体重指数的平均差异为+3.3 kg/m²（95% CI：1.1至5.2；P = 0.001）。此外，根据全球身体活动问卷（GPAQ），身体活动水平高的学生人数从42人减少到28人（P < 0.001），每周总代谢当量（METs）的平均差异为-1.0（95% CI -0.8至-2.0；P = 0.001），符合24小时整体运动指南的学生人数从10人减少到6人（P = 0.042）。最后，出现明显睡眠障碍的学生人数从70人增加到79人（P = 0.041），需要改善饮食质量的学生人数从70人增加到80人（P = 0.035），出现有害饮酒行为的学生人数从20人增加到30人（P = 0.035）。
在大学一年级结束时，大多数学生表现出不健康的生活方式行为，其特征为体重和体重指数增加、身体活动水平下降、对24小时运动指南的遵循度低、睡眠障碍增多、饮食质量差以及有害饮酒。这表明有必要在这个关键时期解决这一问题，制定干预措施以改善生活方式行为，预防非传染性慢性病的发生。
