PERCEPTION OF PARAMEDICAL STUDENTS IN A TEACHING INSTITUTE ON BMI, DIET AND SOCIAL HABITS–A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY

摘要

Objective : The study focuses on young paramedical students’ perception on Body Mass Index (BMI), diet, and social habits. Methods : A total of 232 paramedical (pharmacy, physiotherapy, and nursing) students were enrolled in the study. Information about socio-demographic details was obtained by using a self-administered questionnaire. Body weight and height were taken and BMI was calculated. The questionnaire also assessed the students’ eating habits, social habits, and exercise habits and also their perception towards their social habits like drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Results : The BMI of the female participants were on the upper limits of the normal Body Mass Index range levels. More female participants were found to be in the severely underweight or underweight, overweight, and obese category compared to their male counterparts. The study showed that most of the participants took either coffee or tea daily and a small percentage of students perceived smoking cigarettes and alcohol consumption to be good. Most students eat fewer amounts of fruits or vegetables than the prescribed daily intake and many do not exercise as required. Conclusion : The out comes with paramedical student fraternity caution us to plan changes in practices in teaching facilities to bridge the gap in preaching and following what we preach in reality. Keywords : Body mass index, Perception, Anthropometric, Obesity, Paramedical.