Snacking Behavior and Obesity among Students in Medical College

Abstract

Background: Snacking behaviour varies across the different regions in the world. As there is a rapid change in the lifestyles of adolescents and young adults, eating habits have changed. The objective of this study is to assess the pattern of snacking behavior among professional students in a medical college and to find out the association with obesity.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 first-year undergraduate students in a selected medical college.

Results: Among the students, 19.3% had poor snacking behavior. 17.1% had obesity/overweight. Eighteen (26.1%) males had overweight/obesity, compared to 19 (12.8%) in females (OR=2.39, 95% CI. 1.2-4.9, p=0.016). There was no significant association between frequent snacking and overweight/obesity.