ArticleBMC public health2025
Overweight and obesity among Saudi university students and their relationships with various lifestyle habits: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity and Their Prevalence Among Medical Students in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nutritional status and attitudes toward overweight and obesity among health-science students in Vietnam.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associations with lifestyle habits among late adolescents in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia: a cross‑sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Associations of nutrition knowledge and dietary habits with stress among university employees in Saudi Arabia: mixed-methods evidence.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Association between chronic health problems and quality of life in medical students. Results of the POLLEK cohort study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Eating Habits, Physical Activity, Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in University Students: A Cross- Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2025Article
- The Relationship Between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Levels of Health Literacy of University Students in Mogadishu, Somalia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveThe primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Saudi university students, while the secondary aim was to explore the associations of overweight/obesity and various lifestyle habits.
methodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2023. A random sample of 420 students aged 21-26 years was selected with a male-to-female ratio of 0.99:1. The data were collected using questionnaires and anthropometric instruments. The data were analysed using the chi-square test and forward stepwise binary logistic regression. Statistical significance was determined using a p value of less than 0.05.
resultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity were 26.4% (95% CI: 22.3%, 30.9%) and 17.1% (95% CI: 13.7%, 21.1%), respectively. Furthermore, 53.6% of the female students were overweight or obese, while 33.5% of the male students were overweight or obese. The most significant predictors of overweight or obesity were female sex, smoking status, frequent consumption of meals at restaurants and university cafeterias, regular consumption of rice and chocolate (three or more times per week), and engagement in emotional eating in response to being upset/nervous or bored.
conclusionThe study's findings revealed an alarming prevalence of overweight and obesity among Saudi university students. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, dietary patterns, and psychological factors have been identified as contributing factors to this issue. Consequently, universities should implement structured health promotion programs that include nutrition education, expanded access to fitness facilities, awareness campaigns on healthy eating, and targeted strategies for obesity prevention..
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