Physical exercise and body-mass index in young adults: a national survey of Norwegian university students

Author:

Grasdalsmoen Michael,Eriksen Hege Randi,Lønning Kari Jussie,Sivertsen BørgeORCID

Abstract

Abstract Background Physical inactivity and obesity pose a major public health challenge. The aim of this study was to describe the level of physical exercise and body-mass index in college and university students, as well as to examine potential changes from 2010 to 2018. Methods Data stem from the SHoT study, a national student health survey for higher education in Norway, conducted at 4-year intervals. The SHOT studies conducted so far in 2010, 2014 and 2018, included 6053, 13,525 and 50,054 fulltime students (aged 18–35), respectively. Exercise frequency (average number of times exercising each week) was assessed in all three waves, and was used for the trend analysis. The last wave in 2018 also assessed the average intensity and duration of the exercise. Results Overall, students exercised less in 2018 compared to 2014, but comparable to level in 2010. The prevalence of overweight increased substantially from 2010 to 2018, but especially in the last 4 years and among older female students. Less than one of four male, and one of five female students, met the recommended criteria for both exercise frequency, intensity and duration. As expected, the associations between exercise and overweight/obesity were in a dose-response manner, and strong across all three waves. Conclusions Our findings show that the large majority of young adults fail to meet international recommendations on exercise, and that the proportion of overweight is increasing in both genders and across all age groups. We conclude that there is an urgent need for a broad approach to achieve a paradigm shift in supporting our college and university students to become more active.

Funder

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Reference24 articles.

1. Finkelstein EA, Khavjou OA, Thompson H, Trogdon JG, Pan LP, Sherry B, et al. Obesity and severe obesity forecasts through 2030. Am J Prev Med. 2012;42(6):563–70.

2. Luke A, Cooper RS. Physical activity does not influence obesity risk: time to clarify the public health message. Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42(6):1831–6.

3. Fisher G, Hunter GR, Allison DB. Commentary: physical activity does influence obesity risk when it actually occurs in sufficient amount. Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42(6):1845–8.

4. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Are there special recommendations for young people?. 2007. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/recommendations/young.htm . 22 May 2007.

5. World Health Organiztion (WHO). Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3