Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Lifestyle Habits in College Students

Abstract

Introduction: The main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases are:  obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet among others.  Cardiovascular diseases are showing at earlier ages turning a public health issue that affects the person experiencing it, his/her family, and the health system since it increases costs. Objective: To determine the cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyles habits in students of a private college. Methodology:  Observational descriptive study with transversal focus.  The sample was not shuffled, it was composed of 323 students who attend a private university in the city of Bucaramanga Colombia.  The given questionnaire allowed the identification of sociodemographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle habits in college students. Results:  The average age of students participating in this study was 20 years. 73.7% were women and 26.3% men. 13.8% of students presented overweight issues and 5% were obese. 1.9% had systolic hypertension and 2.2% dyastolic hypertension. By gender, 24.8% were women, and 7.3% were men who presented abnormal waist measurement. 49.8% of students had history of chronic diseases. 13% suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiopathy. 46.7% of students have drunk alcohol, 9.28% smoke and 41.8% do not exercise a week. Conclusions: Cardiovascular risk factors exist among college students.  Among the most relevant risk factors are obesity and sedentarism but with an appropriate care can be decreased.  It is worrying to find cases of hypertension. [Padilla CI, Jaimes ML, Fajardo S, Ramos AM. Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Lifestyle Habits in College Students. MedUNAB 2014; 17(2):81-90]