Salman Zahir, Palwasha Zamir, Rakhum Kamal, Syed Jamal Nasir, Syed Ahsan Ali Shah, Muhammad Sulaiman, Zarak Khan.
Assessment of nutritional status, diet, and physical activity regimens among undergraduate medical students in Peshawar.
Northwest J Med Sci Jan ;2(2):2-6.

Background: Proper dietary patterns and habits are one of the most important factors shaping our health, as they influence people's physical and mental state and play an important role in maintaining a healthy body mass index.  The poor dietary pattern among undergraduate medical students has been reported as a lifestyle challenge, they face while in medical school. The objective of our study was to assess the dietary patterns of medical students and determine the nutritional status among medical students and its association with physical activity. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the dietary patterns and nutritional status among undergraduate medical students of Northwest School of Medicine, Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 218 undergraduate medical students during the 2021 academic year, including students from all study years of NWSM, data was collected through a self-structured questionnaire. Bodyweight and height were recorded using standard methods and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results: The mean Body Mass Index was 22.635(±3.7835), 29(13.3%) underweight, 141(64.7%) normal, 41(18.8%) overweight, and 7 (3.2%) obese. Dietary analyses revealed that 78 preferred carbohydrates, 128 preferred proteins, and 12 preferred fatty food. There was a preference for fruits over vegetables and white meat over red meat. A total of 152 had a high level of physical activity while 66 had a low level. Conclusion: The overall dietary patterns were satisfactory among medical students of NWSM and they follow a healthy lifestyle with proper physical activity and a nutritious diet. Keywords: Nutritional status, Diet, Physical activity, Undergraduate medical students.

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