Lifestyle in Nursing Students: Physical Activity Level, Diet Quality, Body Composition, and Cardiovascular Risk (ABSI)

TL;DR

This study examines lifestyle habits in nursing students, finding that physical activity improves body composition and that ABSI is a useful marker for cardiovascular risk.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of the ABSI-z index as an early marker of cardiovascular risk in university students.

Findings

Active students had better body composition with higher fat-free and muscle mass compared to sedentary students.

High ABSI values correlated with greater abdominal girth and visceral fat in women.

Dietary adherence to healthy criteria was low, particularly for legumes and fish consumption.

Abstract

Background/Objective: One of the life stages that affects the consolidation of habits and health is the university stage. This transition to adulthood is associated with a decrease in physical activity, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study describes lifestyle habits related to physical activity level, diet quality, and body composition in nursing students and analyzes cardiovascular risk using the ABSI-z index. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 296 students from the Faculty of Nursing of Albacete (Spain). Physical activity was assessed via the IPAQ-SF. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance, from which BMI and ABSI-z scores were obtained as indicators of cardiovascular risk. The eating patterns of the participants were analyzed. Results/Discussion: The active students had significantly better body composition, with greater fat-free mass and muscle mass than the sedentary students, both in men (p = 0.037 and p = 0.046, respectively) and in women (p = 0.002 and p = 0.007). These findings corroborate evidence of the protective role of physical activity in maintaining metabolic health. The analysis of the ABSI-z score revealed different patterns in the distribution of body fat. High ABSI values were associated with greater abdominal girth (p < 0.001) and visceral fat (p < 0.001) in women, confirming its usefulness as an early marker of cardiovascular risk in university students. In contrast, the fulfillment of healthy dietary criteria was low, especially in the consumption of legumes (19%) and fish (25.9%). Conclusions: Regular physical activity is a determining factor in the body composition of university students, and ABSI is a good indicator of cardiovascular risk.