Background:

Attendance to university is a major change in a student’s lifestyle, which may be reflected in their nutritional status.

Objective:

Seek the association between lifestyle and anthropometric changes in university students of the Polytechnic School of the Litoral in Guayaquil-Ecuador over a period of three years.

Materials and Methods:

Descriptive cohort study with a sample of 336 students of both sexes, in whom nutritional status was evaluated by anthropometry, and lifestyle was investigated through a previously validated survey.

Results:

Between 2014 and 2017, excess weight (overweight + obesity) increased from 25.6% to 31.9%, BMI, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to hip ratio (p <0.05). Alcohol consumption was associated with greater weight (+3.7 Kg) and waist to hip ratio, and higher frequency of consumption of soft drinks with greater weight (+5 kg). The consumption of fast foods was associated with increase in waist to hip ratio (p <0.005). No anthropometric differences were found associated with cigarette use, physical activity, or consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Conclusion:

In the university population studied, excess weight and body fat is increasing, while alcohol and soda consumption as well as smoking affect nutritional status.

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