This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity and the related demographic data and health behaviors of Thai medical students. A cross-sectional study of 5441 medical students from all the 13 medical schools in Thailand was conducted in 2006 by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Demographic data, health behaviors, and self-reported body weight and height were recorded. The results revealed that Thai medical students have a lower prevalence of overweight/obesity than the general population of the same age group. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher academic year was associated with being overweight or obesity in males, having improper dietary habits were associated with being overweight or obesity in both genders, whereas alcohol consumption was associated with being overweight in male only. Therefore, medical curricula should place an emphasis not only on knowledge but also on attitudes and behaviors for healthy lifestyles.
World Health Organization. Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series No. 894. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2000.
2.
World Health Organization. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Report of a joint WHO/IASO/FAO expert consultation. WHO Technical Report Series No. 916. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003.
MustASpadanoJCoakleyEHFieldAEColditzGDietzWH. The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. JAMA. 1999;282(16):1523-1529.
5.
World Health Organization/International Association for the Study of Obesity/International Obesity Task Force. The Asia-Pacific Perspective: Redefining Obesity and Its Treatment. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Health Communication Australia; 2000.
6.
BulgibaAMDahluiM. Developing global public health links in Southeast Asia. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2010;22(3 suppl):14S-18S.
7.
KamienMPowerR. Lifestyle and health habits of fourth year medical students at the University of Western Australia. Aust Fam Physician. 1996;(suppl 1):S26-S29.
8.
NisarNQadriMHFatimaKPerveenS. Dietary habits and life style among the students of a private medical university in Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc. 2008;58(12):687-690.
9.
WattanasirichaigoonSRuksakomHPolboonNSithisarankulPVisanuyothinT. Thai physicians health survey. J Med Assoc Thai. 2004;87(suppl 4):S1-S4.
10.
RattanamongkolgulSSithisarankulPWattanasirichaigoonS. Life expectancy of Thai physicians during 1998-2002. J Med Assoc Thai. 2004;87(suppl 4):S19-S22.
11.
VutyavanichTSreshthaputraRThitadilokWSukcharoenN. Quality of life and risk factors that affect the quality of life of Thai female physicians. J Med Assoc Thai. 2007;90(11):2260-2265.
12.
DeurenbergPDeurenberg-YapMGuricciS. Asians are different from Caucasians and from each other in their body mass index/body fat per cent relationship. Obes Rev. 2002;3(3):141-146.
13.
PopkinBMGordon-LarsenP. The nutrition transition: worldwide obesity dynamics and their determinants. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004;28(suppl 3):S2-S9.
14.
WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet. 2004;363(9403):157-163.
15.
Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Report on the 5th Thai National Nutrition Survey. Nonthaburi, Thailand: Ministry of Public Health; 2003.
16.
AekplakornWMo-SuwanL. Prevalence of obesity in Thailand. Obes Rev. 2009;10(6):589-592.
17.
CarterAOElzubeirMAbdulrazzaqYMRevelADTownsendA. Health and lifestyle needs assessment of medical students in the United Arab Emirates. Med Teach. 2003;25(5):492-496.
18.
FrankECarreraJSElonLHertzbergVS. Basic demographics, health practices, and health status of U.S. medical students. Am J Prev Med. 2006(6);31:499-505.
19.
SakamakiRToyamaKAmamotoRLiuCJShinfukuN. Nutritional knowledge, food habits and health attitude of Chinese university students: a cross sectional study. Nutr J. 2005;4:4. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-4-4.
20.
AekplakornWChaiyapongYNealB. Prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in Thai adults: results of the Second National Health Examination Survey. J Med Assoc Thai. 2004;87(6):685-693.
21.
RasheedPAbou-HozaifaBMKhanA. Obesity among young Saudi female adults: a prevalence study on medical and nursing students. Public Health. 1994;108(4):289-294.
22.
SwinburnBACatersonISeidellJCJamesWP. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity. Public Health Nutr. 2004;7(1A):123-146.
23.
OsakaRNanakornSSanseehaLNagahiroCKodamaN. Healthy dietary habits, body mass index, and predictors among nursing students, northeast Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1999;30(1):115-121.
24.
HillJOMelansonELWyattHT. Dietary fat intake and regulation of energy balance: implications for obesity. J Nutr. 2000;130(2S suppl):284S-288S.
25.
RuidavetsJBBongardVBatailleVGourdyPFerrierresJ. Eating frequency and body fatness in middle-aged men. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;26(11):1476-1483.
26.
TanakaMMizunoKFukudaSShigiharaYWatanabeY. Relationship between dietary habits and the prevalence of fatigue in medical students. Nutrition. 2008;24(10):985-989.
Lahti-KoskiMPietinenPHeliövaaraMVartiainenE. Associations of body mass index and obesity with physical activity, food choices, alcohol intake, and smoking in the 1982-1997 FINRISK Studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;75(5):809-817.
29.
GorberSCTremblayMMoherDGorberB. A comparison of direct vs. self-report measures for assessing height, weight and body mass index: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2007;8(4):307-326.
30.
SabanayagamCShankarASawSM. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus, glycemic control, and associated factors in a Malay population in Singapore. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2009;21(4):385-398.
