Distribution and association of weight-loss diet programs with body mass index and health status among students at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Jordan
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Osama Y. Althunibat 1 , Sultan Ayesh Mohammed Saghir 1 * , Saleem Hmoud Aladaileh 1 , Atika Alrawadeh 1 , Mahmoud Al-Areefi 2 , Reham D. Alghonmeen 1 , Alayn ' Al-Marddyah A. Alkhawaldeh 1 , Heba M. Obaidat 1
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1 Department of Medical Analysis, Princess Aisha Bint Al-Hussein College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an, JORDAN2 Faculty of Public Health & Health Informatics, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, SAUDI ARABIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Introduction: Many people today, even those with a healthy body mass index (BMI), misperceive their body image and attempt an unhealthy diet regimen to lose weight. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of weight-loss diet programs among undergraduate students at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University (AHU), Jordan, and to study the association of these strategies with students’ BMI and health status.
Materials and methods: 1,200 questionnaires were distributed for undergraduate students at AHU, then the data were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 21.
Results: The results show that 43.53% (8.50% males & 91.50% females) of respondents were following weight-loss diet programs. Dieting students had a significantly higher mean BMI value (25.67±2.86), compared to non-dieting students (23.23±3.70). “To look better” was found to be the most common reason for trying a weight-loss diet program. Additionally, a significant correlation (p=0.008) was found between skipping breakfast and the occurrence of irregular and painful periods among dieting students.
Conclusion: Weight-loss diet programs, which involve several unhealthy practices, are widely practiced among AHU undergraduate students, leading to the development of a variety of dietary side effects. Hence, more caution must be taken when attempting weight-loss diet programs.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Original Article

ELECTRON J GEN MED, 2022, Volume 19, Issue 6, Article No: em414

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/12424

Publication date: 05 Sep 2022

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Article Downloads: 909

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