Obesity And Its Related Factors Among University Medical Students In Syria: A Cross- Sectional Study

Background: Obesity is a world-wide pandemic that has many contributing factors. Healthcare personnel has a crucial role in health promotion and is considered the role models for the general population. We aim to evaluate the BMI and physical activity (PA) of medical students their association with multiple variables, including psychological. Methods: : This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Damascus University. Paper-based questionnaires were distributed that included International PA Questionnaire short version (IPAQ-S7S) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21). Results: : The mean BMI was 23.5. Males had significantly higher BMI than females by 2.5 kg/m2. Shisha smoking, alcohol, family history, daily number of meals, high-fat meals, eating after midnight, physical activity, and having either moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and/or stress were all significantly associated with higher BMI (p<0.05). However, economic status, mean grades, marital status, living conditions, eating vegetables regularly, and number of snacks consumed did not significantly affect BMI. Low PA was found in 23.2% and was only associated with male gender. Conclusion: Our study found an association between obesity and the psychological factors among medical students. Smoking, fatty food and eating rates were also associated with obesity, while economic status was not. Low PA was prevalent among medical students and was associated with worse mental health which might reflect BMI being indirectly affected by war. This high BMI and low PA in medical students are particularly concerning and require rapid intervention.