Nutritional status and metabolic risk factors among university students in Morogoro and Dodoma regions

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMgetta, Neema John
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-15T11:56:52Z
dc.date.available2025-07-15T11:56:52Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.descriptionMSc Dissertation
dc.description.abstractThe transition from adolescence to adulthood coupled with the demands of academic life often leads to significant changes in dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviors among university students. These changes can have profound implications for their nutritional status and metabolic health. The lifestyle choices due to independence increases the incidence of chronic illnesses for this sub-population. University is an opportune setting in the transition from youth to adulthood and provides a chance to influence healthy habits and good nutritional status. University students are important group to target in influencing future health-promoting habits, prevention and management of obesity which is associated with the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, information on the nutritional status and metabolic risk factors of university students is scarce. Therefore, findings from the present study could serve as a stepping stone in enhancing the nutritional and healthy quality of university students. The cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 university students in Mzumbe and Saint John‟s Universities in Morogoro and Dodoma regions respectively. Two Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) accredited universities present based on agro-ecological zones. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a pre-tested structured questionnaire that included the socio-demographic characteristics of the population, food-frequency questionnaire and dietary habits. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height and waist circumference) were collected as well as the metabolic risk bio-markers (blood lipid profile, blood pressure and blood glucose) by trained medical personnel. The study commenced after receiving approval from National Health Research Committee of the National Institute for Medical Research. Permission to conduct this study was also sought from each university‟s authorities. Data were managed and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 26.0. IBM Corp, 2011, Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics were generated for each variable. The distribution of continuous variables was tested for normality using box plots and-Q plots and the Shapiro-Wilk test. Multivariate analysis (Multiple linear regression) was used to assess the determinants of metabolic risk factors among variables. A sub- sample of 118 students was drawn from the total study cohort for metabolic risk factors assessment. Students from each university were selected randomly; 65 students from Mzumbe University and 53 students from Saint Johns' university. The study findings revealed the overall prevalence of overweight (44%) and obesity (11.1%) in the study population. University students with a high dietary diversity score (consumed ≥7 food groups) were linked with central obesity (P=0.04). The risk of morbidity (central obesity) was significantly associated (P=0.000) with being female and age above 25 years (P=0.001) in both universities. Students at Saint John‟s University were significantly at higher risk of being overweight (P=0.031) than their counterparts. Findings from the assessed metabolic risk factors namely central obesity, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) revealed that LDL was the most prevalent metabolic risk factor among students in both universities. The LDL levels were (20.3%), (13.6%), (11%) and (14.4%) for above optimal, borderline high, high and very high respectively. Students from Mzumbe University were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia (P=0.000). The susceptibility to LDL were found among students who were receiving scholarship (β=21.83, SE=10.4, p=0.1) and those with high dietary diversity (β=5.731, SE=3.14, p=0.1). In conclusion, findings from this study revealed that university students are at a risk of being overweight, generally obese and centrally obese. This sub-population is also prone to a cluster of metabolic risk factors, which according to the findings include elevated triglyceride levels, elevated low-density lipoprotein levels and central obesity. This indicates the necessity of enhancing the availability of exercise and sports facilities, healthier food outlets and implementing nutrition education intervention to empower students in making healthy life style choices.
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6843
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSokoine University of Agriculture
dc.subjectNutritional Status
dc.subjectMetabolic Risk Factors
dc.subjectUniversity Students
dc.subjectanthropometric status
dc.subjectdietary diversity
dc.subjectMorogoro Region
dc.subjectDodoma Region
dc.titleNutritional status and metabolic risk factors among university students in Morogoro and Dodoma regions
dc.typeThesis

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
NEEMA_MGETTA_DISSERTATION_2023_FOR_EXAMINATION_FINAL-EDITED_.pdf
Size:
2.4 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Theses and Dissertations Collection