Cardiovascular health risk behaviors among college students of Pokhara, Nepal

Cardiovascular Health Risk Behaviors among College Students

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. However, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors. This study aimed to identify cardiovascular health risk behaviors among college students of Pokhara.

 Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional, a web-based study was conducted among 390 college students of Pokhara from 10 June to 30 July 2021. An online self-administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square).

 Result: In this study, smoking, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption were present among 33(8.5%), 13(3.3%), and 45(11.5%) respondents respectively. Further consumption of junk food was found among 349(89.5%) followed by screen time of more than two hours among 300(76.9%) respondents. A statistically significant association was found in age (p=0.17) and gender (p<0.001) with smoking. Similarly, a statistically significant association was found in gender (p<0.001)   with tobacco use and in age (p=0.028), gender (p<0.001), education (p=0.026), and family type (p=0.009) with alcohol consumption.

 Conclusion: Cardiovascular health risk behaviors such as smoking, tobacco use, and alcohol intake were found more among male students. Further consumption of junk food and screen time of more than two hours was found among most college students.

 Keywords: cardiovascular, college students, health, risk behavior