Hábitos alimentares e atividade física de universitários da cidade de Pelotas, RS

Abstract

The objective of this study is to describe the eating habits and the physical activity of university students entrants in public and private universities in the city of Pelotas, RS. Dietary habits were evaluated based on the Ten Steps of Healthy Eating, of the Ministry of Health. And for physical activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used in its short short version. Of the 500 university students evaluated over the age of 18, 64.5% were female, 90.8% were non-smokers, 77.2% were alcohol users, 35.2% were overweight, 33.4% were active and 14% sedentary. No student adhered to all the "Ten Steps of Healthy Eating". The highest adhesion steps were 4 (bean consumption at least five times a week) and 9 (intake of at least two liters of water per day). Men were 63% more active than women. There was a positive association between the physical assets and adherence to the number of food guide steps. The low index of healthy eating habits, even with a low prevalence of sedentary lifestyle, confirms the importance of strategies to support and encourage healthy nutrition and physical activity, whereas the most active university students are those who have the highest adherence to the "Ten Steps of Healthy Eating".