Eating Habits and Lifestyle Practice of Young Adults in Karachi, Pakistan; a Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Each year in Pakistan about 35% to 40% of deaths occur due to cardiovascular disease that is mainly caused by decreased physical activity and unhealthy food consumption. Obesity among young people is a serious public health issue because it is frequently associated with multiple metabolic syndromes. Objective: To determine young adults' eating habits and lifestyle practices and compare this among male and female genders. Methods: A total of 249 participants aged between 18 to 25 years young adults were recruited from different universities using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. The participants' eating habits and lifestyle practices were analyzed using a self-designed questionnaire. Results: Among 249 students, 43.8% were male 56.2% were female. Statistically, there was a significant difference found between the two genders in the consumption of water (p<0.001), and meal consumption daily (p=0.007), Eating habits after joining university (p=0.44), thinking of physically strong (p=0.001), Physical inactivity (p<0.001) and their preferred living place in leisure time (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study concluded that most of the female were involved in unhealthy dietary habits concerning skipping meals and having fast food, whereas there is no difference found between genders in their physical activity. However further research should be conducted to explore the relation of eating habits and lifestyle in gender