Exercise and fruit/vegetable intake, and their associations with body weight status in university students

Background: evidence suggests that exposure to risk factors related to excess body weight is more frequent in the second and third decades of life. Thus, one of the most propitious environments for the acquisition of habits that can inhibit overweight is the university. Objective: to identify the frequency of aerobic and strength exercises and of fruit/vegetable intake in university students, and subsequently establish associations between both health behaviors and excess body weight. Methods: the sample was comprised of 5,310 university students. An online questionnaire was used to collect the frequency of exercises and fruit/vegetable intake. The body mass index was used to define body weight status. The data were analyzed statistically by employing a bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression. Results: the practice of aerobic and strength exercises was reported by 80.4 % and 51.6 % of the sample, respectively. Only 13 % of the surveyed university students had an adequate fruit/vegetable intake. The proportion of excess body weight was 39.1 %, the condition being significantly higher in men. The risk for excess body weight identified in the university students who reported not consuming fruits/vegetables daily was two to three times higher than in their peers who reported an adequate intake (women: OR = 2.92 [95 % CI 2.07-4.12]; men: OR = 1.98 [95 % CI 1.41-3.02]). Exposure to the risk for excess body weight was progressively lower as the reported frequency of aerobic exercise became higher. Conclusion: these findings suggest the need to promote initiatives aimed at the preparation and implementation of health education and promotion programs in the university context, through actions of guidance about exercise and food intake that may help to minimize the risks of onset and development of excess body weight.