Exploration of the Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors and Weight Status and Their Self-Perceptions among Health Sciences University Students in North Lebanon
Table 1
Sociodemographic characteristics grouped by BMI categories.
Total ( = 369)
Underweight ( = 16)
Normal ( = 234)
Overweight ( = 102)
Obese ( = 17)
Test of sig.
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Age
Min.–max.
17.0–25.0
17.0–22.0
17.0–25.0
17.0–25.0
17.0–21.0
0.134
Mean ± SD
19.60 ± 1.67/sqrt (369)
18.94 ± 1.34/4
19.61 ± 1.63
19.78 ± 1.84
19.06 ± 1.09
Gender
Male
50
13.6
2
4.0
27
54.0
17
34.0
4
8.0
= 0.310
Female
319
86.4
14
4.4
207
64.9
85
26.6
13
4.1
University
Public
209
56.6
6
2.9
139
66.5
57
27.3
7
3.3
0.188
Private
160
43.4
10
6.3
95
59.3
45
28.1
10
6.3
Level
Junior
193
52.3
13
6.7
113
58.6
56
29.0
11
5.7
0.042
Senior
176
47.7
3
1.7
121
68.8
46
26.1
6
3.4
Living conditions
With family
341
92.4
15
4.4
214
62.8
97
28.4
15
4.4
= 0.492
Away from home
28
7.6
1
3.6
20
71.4
5
17.9
2
7.1
Residence area
Urban
250
67.8
12
4.8
155
62.0
71
28.4
12
4.8
0.837
Rural
119
32.2
4
3.4
79
66.3
31
26.1
5
4.2
Educational level of father
Illiterate
28
7.6
0
0.0
18
64.3
10
35.7
0
0.0
= 0.571 (0.445)★★
Primary school
82
22.3
3
3.7
51
62.2
26
31.7
2
2.4
Prep. school
75
20.4
3
4.0
44
58.7
21
28.0
7
9.3
Secondary school
58
15.8
3
5.2
40
69.0
12
20.8
3
5.2
Above secondary school
53
14.4
4
7.5
29
54.7
18
34.0
2
3.8
University
72
19.6
3
4.2
51
70.8
15
20.8
3
4.2
Educational level of mother
Illiterate
16
4.3
0
0.0
7
43.8
8
50.0
1
6.3
= 0.394 (0.508)★★
Primary school
64
17.4
2
3.1
42
65.6
20
31.3
0
0.0
Prep. school
64
17.4
2
3.1
41
64.1
16
25.0
5
7.8
Secondary school
76
20.7
3
3.9
49
64.6
22
28.9
2
2.6
Above secondary school
68
18.5
3
4.4
47
69.1
15
22.1
3
4.4
University
80
21.7
6
7.5
48
60.0
20
25.0
6
7.5
Major of the participant
Health and environment
16
4.3
0
0.0
13
81.2
3
18.8
0
0.0
0.486 (0.684)★★
Medical lab
86
23.3
5
5.8
51
59.3
25
29.1
5
5.8
Medical social assistance
20
5.4
0
0.0
12
60.0
8
40.0
0
0.0
Nursing
124
33.6
7
5.6
75
60.6
35
28.2
7
5.6
Nutrition
89
24.1
4
4.5
60
67.4
22
24.7
3
3.4
Physiotherapy
13
3.5
0
0.0
6
46.2
6
46.2
1
7.6
Radiology
21
5.7
0
0.0
17
81.0
3
14.2
1
4.8
Statistically significant at ≤ 0.05. ★★Chi square test was repeated and the reported value represents results after aggregating the responses in order to avoid very low cells. MC: Monte Carlo for Chi square test.
