McGinnis, J. M., and Foege, W. H. (1993). "Actual Causes of Death in the United States." Journal of the American Medical Association 270:2207–2212.

Steptoe, A., Wardle, J., Cui, W., Bellisle, F., Zotti, A., Baranyai, R., & Sanderman, R. (2002). Trends in smoking , diet, physical exercise and atittudes toward health in European university students from 13 Countries, 1990-2000. Preventive Medicine, 35, 97-104.

Webb, E., Ashton, C. H., Kelly, P. & Kamali, F. (1998). Na update on British medical students’ lifestyles. Medical education, 32, 325-331

Lifestyle

Pattern of personal behavioral choices

Health behaviours are established early in

life setting the pattern for latter years (Steptoe et al.,

2002)

It is of interest to examine lifestyles of

today’s medical students – tomorrow’s

doctors (Webb et al., 1998)

Induces higher or reduced health risks

(McGinnis et al,1993)

(1)Describe health related habits of Portuguese medical students

(2)Study the influence of medical schools and its’ knowledge on health behaviour of medical students

(3) Analyse the impact of some academic and social characteristics in student’s lifestyle.

Study Design

Cross-sectional study on the health habits of Portuguese medical students

Sample includes first and fourth year medical students from Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto

Information about health habits was obtained by applying a self-report questionnaire

Data collection instrumentHealth and Behaviour Survey (HBS)

•Created for the European Health and Behaviour Study (Steptoe & Wardle, 1991). It was used the Portuguese version (Geada, Justo, Santos, Steptoe & Wardle, 1994)•Only parts of section A was of interest for this study •It was added some independent variables like sex, residence status and grades•Other marginal changes were madeSteptoe, A., & Wardle, J. (1991). The European health and behaviour survey:

rationale, methods and initial results form the United Kingdom. Social Sciences Medicine, 33, 925-936.Geada, M., Justo, J., Santos, S., Steptoe, A., & Wardle, J. (1994). Hábitos de saúde, comportamentos de risco e níveis de saúde física e psicológica em estudantes universitários. Psicologia da Saúde: áreas de intervenção e perspectivas futuras, 157-175.

Sample description:

Number of questionnaires: 328

Blank questionnaires: 3

Non-respondents per variable: 3.28

Firts year students: 247 Fourth year students: 81

Females: 223 Males: 102

For the treatment of data it was used:

•SPSS software

•Unpaired T-test, for continuous variables

•Chi-square test, for categorical variables

• Statistical significance defined as p<0.05

Pattern of health behaviour of Portuguese medical students

Normal Body Mass Index 86%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Less than 3 times per fortnight

Never or almost 95%

62%

Weight

Exercise

Smoking

Alcohol

Would like to do more exercise 72%

Are not trying to loose weight 64%

Never or rarely drink 58%

Would not like to reduce what is consumed 89%

Avoid eating aliments rich in saturated fats

Rarely or never add salt to prepared dishes

At least one time per each two/three days

67%

83%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Eating fruit

Brush their teeth two times per day or more

Between six and eight hours 76%

Live with relatives 49%

86%

Residence

Fats

Oral hygiene

Sleeping

Adding salt

64%

Pattern of health behaviour of Portuguese medical students - Continuation

68%

55%

32%

45%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

1.º year

4.º year

Do not or rarely drink

Often drink

Comparison between first and fourth year students – alcoholic drinks

P=0,038

47%

27%

51%

73%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

Good/ reasonab

le

Excellent/ very good

2%

0% Weak

Difference between residency status - Perception of personal health condition

P=0,0025

68%

55%

32%

45%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

Less than three times

More than three times

Difference between residency status - Physical exercise per fortnight

P=0,019

8%

2%

92%

98%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

More than one cigarrett

less than one

cigarrett

Difference between residency - Smoking per day

P=0,029

10%

3%

90%

97%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

One or two

meals

Three or more meals

Difference between residency status - Number of meals per day

P=0,015

21%

12%

79%

88%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

Frequently or

sometimesNever or

rarely

P=0,036

Difference between residency status - Adding salt to food

17%

3%

83%

97%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Live with relatives

Do not live with relatives

Yes

No

P=0,008

Difference between residency status - Reducing the quantity of alcoholic drinks consumed

•New data entry

•Further general comparison

•Analysis of relation between variables

•The third objective has not yet been fulfiled

Geada, M., Justo, J., Santos, S., Steptoe, A., & Wardle, J. (1994). Hábitos de saúde, comportamentos de risco e níveis de saúde física e psicológica em estudantes universitários. Psicologia da Saúde: áreas de intervenção e perspectivas futuras, 157-175.

Piko BF. Does knowledge count? Attitudes toward smoking among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students in Hungary. J Community Health. 2002 Aug;27(4):269

Skemiene L, Ustinaviciene R, Piesine L, Radisauskas R. Peculiarities of medical students' nutrition. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007; 43(2):145-52.

Steptoe, A., & Wardle, J. (1991). The European health and behaviour survey: rationale, methods and initial results form the United Kingdom. Social Sciences Medicine, 33, 925-936.

Steptoe, A., Wardle, J., Cui, W., Bellisle, F., Zotti, A., Baranyai, R., & Sanderman, R. (2002). Trends in smoking , diet, physical exercise and atittudes toward health in European university students from 13 Countries, 1990-2000. Preventive Medicine, 35, 97-104.

Webb, E., Ashton, C. H., Kelly, P. & Kamali, F. (1998). Na update on British medical students’ lifestyles. Medical education, 32, 325-331