Evaluating nutrition and other lifestyle habits of the first and sixth grade medical students

Aim of the study. To evaluate the nutrition and other lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity) of the 1st and 6th year medical students. Methods. Epidemiological analytical quantitative study of observation. The electronic anonymous questionnaire was placed in the groups of \"LSMU medicina 2018\" and \"LSMU medicina 2013\" on the Facebook website account. The survey was conducted from December to March of 2019. 205 medical students participated in the survey. Results. On assessment of nutritional habits in medical students of Year 1 and Year 6 according to gender, it was identified that female students in Year 1 and Year 6 tend to consider product taste characteristics (respectively 33.3% and 34.7%), when choosing food products, while male students in Year 1 and Year 6 would consider prevention of diseases (respectively 45.5% and 33.3 %). The 1st year student boys and girls are under-consuming vegetables and fruit, more than half of the 6th year students (56.6%) consume fresh vegetables every day. The 1st year student girls (55.1%) use lean meat more often and the boys (60.4%) use the one with more fat, but the 6th year student girls and boys choose lean meat (respectively 45.3 % and 69.7%). Full grain, dairy, high sugar products, fast food are more commonly used by the 1st and 6th year student boys than girls in the respective year. Female students in Year 1 (34.7%) were dieting more often than male (18,8%) students, while in Year 6 half the female (46.7%) students were dieting as well as every fifth male (21.2%) student. On assessment of the peculiarities of physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking in medical students of Year 1 and Year 6 according to gender, it has been established that 30.6% of the female students and 22,9% of male students exercise on a regular basis in Year 1, while in Year 6 - 54.5% of the male students and 33.3% of females. Conclusion. On comparison of physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption habits in medical students from Year 1 and Year 6, it was identified that the nutritional and lifestyle habits are healthier in Year 6 students rather than Year 1. The nutritional habits of most medical students do not follow the guidelines of healthy nutrition, in addition, the students are not sufficiently physically active