A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS OF MADRAS MEDICAL COLLEGE, CHENNAI, 2011

Abstract : BACKGROUND- Overweight and obesity once considered a problem of developed countries is now on the rise in developing countries due to changing lifestyles and increasing urbanisation. Health professionals have a major role in promotion of healthy lifestyle. But studies in various parts of the world indicate a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among this community including medical students. This study was designed to find out the prevalence of overweight among Undergraduate medical students of Madras Medical College. OBJECTIVES- To estimate the prevalence of overweight among Undergraduate medical students of Madras Medical College, Chennai and to find out the association of overweight with risk factors like diet and physical activity in the above students. MATERIALS AND METHODS- A cross sectional, descriptive study among Final year MBBS students of Madras Medical College, Chennai. A standardized, semi-structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on dietary habits and physical activity. Body weight and height recorded and BMI calculated. BMI 23 kg per square m. was defined as overweight. Appropriate statistical tests were used for analysis. RESULTS- The prevalence of overweight was 33.3 percent. Significant associations were noted between overweight and family history of chronic diseases, weekly fruit intake, time spent in walking per day, number of days of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, time spent sleeping and sedentary habits per day (p less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS- The prevalence of overweight is high among medical students. This problem should be addressed effectively to prevent major non communicable diseases among them in future. Keyword :Overweight, medical students, diet, physical activity