Prevalence of overweight and obesity among newly admitted medical students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29059/cie.v3.1.92Keywords:
Obesidad, sobrepeso, estudiantes de medicina, prevalencia, índice de masa corporalAbstract
Overweight and obesity constitute a major public health concern due to their high prevalence and their association with chronic noncommunicable diseases. University students represent a population particularly vulnerable to adopting behaviors associated with the development of excess body weight. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among first-year students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program and to analyze its distribution by sex. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 89 students during the August-December 2023 academic period. Body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were assessed using standardized anthropometric procedures. BMI was classified according to the criteria established by the World Health Organization, and the association between sex and excess body weight was evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test. Women accounted for 60.7% of participants and men for 39.3%. Mean BMI was 24.8 ± 4.4 kg/m² (95% CI: 23.91-25.79). The overall prevalence of excess body weight was 44.9%. Excess body weight was more frequent among men than women (60.0% vs. 35.2%; p = 0.022). These findings highlight the need to strengthen health promotion initiatives and nutritional surveillance from the beginning of medical training.
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Accepted 2026-08-03
Published 2026-08-03
