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[The frequency of cardiovascular disease-associated risk factors in a university student population]
Jacqueline Hernández-Escolar1, Yaneth Herazo-Beltrán, María V Valero
1Programa de Bacteriología, Programa de Fisioterapia, Universidad de San Buenaventura, Cartagena, Colombia. jhernandez@usbctg.edu.co
Insights
Cardiovascular disease risk factors are prevalent in university students, with high rates of physical inactivity, overweight, and smoking. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted health promotion and prevention strategies in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Cardiology
Context:
- University students in Cartagena, Bolívar, represent a key demographic for assessing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
- The Caribbean region is undergoing epidemiological and demographic transitions, necessitating localized risk factor assessment.
- Understanding CVD risk factors in young adults is crucial for long-term population health.
Purpose:
- To estimate the frequency of cardiovascular disease-associated risk factors among university students in Cartagena, Bolívar.
- To identify prevalent risk factors including overweight, obesity, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and smoking.
- To analyze associations between risk factors and demographic variables.
Summary:
- A cross-sectional survey of 301 university students in Cartagena assessed overweight, obesity, dyslipidemia (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL), physical inactivity, and smoking.
- Results indicated 34.2% had abnormal body mass index, 64.1% were physically inactive, and 23.9% smoked.
- Triglyceride elevation was the most common lipid abnormality (24.6%), with significant gender-based differences in physical activity, smoking, and lipid levels (p<0.05).
Impact:
- Findings reveal cardiovascular risk factor patterns similar to the broader Caribbean region, underscoring the need for early intervention.
- Highlights the critical need for implementing timely health promotion and disease prevention programs.
- Suggests that interventions can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases and associated mortality in young adults.
Objective:
Estimating the frequency of cardiovascular disease-associated risk factors in a university student population in Cartagena, Bolívar.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to establish the frequency of being overweight, obesity, dyslipidaemia, physical inactivity and smoking habits in 301 students from the University of Cartagena. Simple random sampling was carried out without replacement. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-sf) was applied in addition to lab tests for evaluating total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol. The main analysis was carried out for establishing the possible risk factors associated with heart diseases; a 0.05 statistical significance level was used.
Results:
34.2 % of the students in the survey had alterations regarding their body mass index. 64.1 % of the sample population were physically inactive and 23.9 % stated that they smoked. Triglycerides had the highest lipid prevalence (24.6 %). Statistically significant differences were found regarding gender, recorded statistically significant differences when were related to physical activity levels, smoking and HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Cardiovascular risk factors in this student population revealed similar patterns to those found in the Caribbean region which have shown epidemiological and demographic transition, as reported by national and local health services. These findings thus strongly suggest the need for implementing opportune health promotion and prevention models for reducing the burden of non-communicable disease and chronic disease-associated death.
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