A Cross-Sectional Study on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Consumption Patterns and Nourish Status Among Students at Faculty of Medicine of Sarajevo University

Emerging adulthood is typically defined as 18-25 years of age. It may be a particularly important time for establishing long-term health behavior patterns. The transition between adolescence and adulthood is a period of increased risk for excess weight gain, because of shifts in activity patterns as well as declines in overall-diet quality. Sugar-sweetened beverages, a great source of added sugar to the diet, contribute to energy imbalance. A small, persistent energy imbalance of 50 calories per day could result in a 5-pound weight gain over the course of one year. This study aimed to assess the nourish status in a sample of students from Faculty of Medicine of Sarajevo University and correlate it with student consumption pattern of sugar-sweetened beverages. A cross-sectional survey of 246 students was performed during May 2018, at the Sarajevo University. Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants before completing the self-administered questionnaire that included questions on their frequency of consumption of SSBs eating habits and anthropometrics measures, weight and height. Body mass index was used to assess students nourish status. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (IBM, version 23.0). Results were expressed as percentages and means ± standard deviations. This study showed that the majority of the students (69.26%) were of normal weight. One quarter of sample (26.83%) had BMI > 24.9. Intake of soda was more common among students with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 than students with BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/m2 (78.79% vs. 63.89% respectively). Among students with BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/m2, 73.33% reported drinking energy drink never compared to 42.42% students with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. This study gives baseline information about weight status and consumption pattern of SSBs among a sample of university students. Regulating the intake of free sugars could be used as an approach for successful body weight control.