AIM:
This study aimed to verify the association between moment of the undergraduate course and cardiovascular risk factors in a representative sample of university students
Methods:
A total of 1,599 university students (1,197 freshmen and 402 seniors) were investigated for the following risk factors: insufficient practice of physical activity, tobacco and alcohol consumption, poor eating habits, excess body weight, increased waist circumference and elevated arterial pressure. Information regarding the practice of physical activity were obtained using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) instrument, the behaviors using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, and the socio-environmental information using the methodology of the Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa (Brazilian Association of Research Companies).
RESULTS:
A significantly higher probability of presenting the following risk factors was verified among the senior students: insufficient practice of physical activity, smoked, consumed alcohol or drank alcohol in excess within the last thirty days.
CONCLUSION:
The results suggest that students closer to the end of the undergraduate course show a higher possibility of presenting some cardiovascular risk factors than those just entering the university environment. Therefore, prevention programs and health promotion during the undergraduate course should be investigated.
Risk Factors; Life Style; Students