Abstract

SALAZAR BLANDON, Diego Alejandro et al. ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IN STUDENTS FROM TWO MEXICAN UNIVERSITIES. Hacia promoc. Salud [online]. 2016, vol.21, n.2, pp.99-113. ISSN 0121-7577.  https://doi.org/10.17151/hpsal.2016.21.2.8.

Objective: To decide the association between affective disorders (anxiety, depression), physical activity and combined prevalence of overweight/obesity in a group of university students. Material and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from May 2013 to November 2014 in a random sample of 450 nursing and nutrition students from two Mexican universities. A structured questionnaire on physical activity and presumptive symptoms of anxiety and depression was applied, weight and height were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The data obtained was processed using the SPSS statistical software. Results: The combined prevalence of overweight-obesity estimated by BMI was 32.4% in the total study population; it was higher in the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) (41%) than in the Universidad Autónoma San Luis Potosí (UASLP) (27.5%). The difference between universities is statistically significant (p<0.05), prevalence is higher in men (38.5%) than in women (30.5%). Variables that investigate alterations in appetite according to the emotional state show statistically significant association (p<0.05) between overweight-obesity and increased appetite for stress, anxiety and sadness. There is insufficient statistical evidence in the data to establish an association between overweight-obesity and physical activity and differences in physical activity characteristics between universities were not found. Conclusion: Symptoms of anxiety and depression in university students in the health area are evident, which, associated with excessive food intake and mild physical activity, lead to overweight and obesity.

Keywords : Obesity; affective symptoms; motor activity; life style; students.

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