Relationship between unhealthy weight-control behavior and health-risk behavior in medical freshmen and sophomores

ObjectiveTo analyze the cooccurrence of unhealthy weight-control behavior and other health-risk behavior in undergraduates.MethodsA total of 3 777 freshmen and sophomores froma medical university in Hefei city were selected as participants.The information on 7 kinds of unhealthy weight-control behaviors as well as multiple health-risk behaviors were collected.ResultsTotally 3 718 participants completed the questionnaire.The prevalence of unhealthy weight-control behavior was 91.8% (6.9% in boys and 12.5% in girls).Compared with the boys with unhealthy weight control behaviors, the girls had higher prevalences of overexcercise(5.0% vs 3.2%),without eating rice in a day(3.4% vs 1.5%),and drinking weight loss tea(2.1% vs 1.1%).Prevalences of binge eating,current smoking,current alcohol drinking,curren heavy alcohol drinking,current drunk,and internet addiction tendency in students with unhealthy weight-control behaviors were higher than the prevalences in those without unhealthy weight-control behavior(P<0.05).More cooccurences of other health-risk behaviors were reported in students with unhealthy weight-control behaviors(P<0.05).ConclusionThere is a cooccurence of unhealthy weight-control behaviors and other health-risk behaviors.