Background: Lifestyle encompasses, among other things, eating habits, physical activity, and the use of stimulants. Individual choices in this area have a direct impact on human health. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the lifestyle in adolescents and to verify whether there is a relationship between selected lifestyle elements and gender. Materials and methods. A total of 304 students (160 women and 144 men) were included in the study. The study used an original questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to assess the correlations between gender and eating habits, physical activity and the use of stimulants among adolescents. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The students surveyed usually have 4-5 meals daily at 3-4-hour intervals (50.33% and 53.8%, respectively). They consume confectionery up to several times a week (35.2%), as declared by more women than men (41.9% of women and 27.8% of men). Adolescents usually practise physical exercise several times a week (36.51%), as reported by 29.38% of women and 44.44% of men. Occasional alcohol consumption was reported by 44.38% of women and 42.4% of men. A total of 61.92% of respondents were non-smokers, as declared by more women than men. Conclusions. The majority of adolescents lead an unhealthy lifestyle in terms of eating habits, alcohol consumption and smoking. Positive behaviours were observed for physical activity. Some lifestyle elements were correlated with gender. Women devote less time to physical activity compared to men. Men have a higher tendency to consume carbonated beverages and higher amounts of alcohol than women. The obtained research results indicate the need for health education.
Background. A properly balanced diet should provide multiple valuable nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body through the proper frequency of consuming food products that are their source. This is particularly important during the pandemic when there is a need to support the immune system. Objective. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of consumption of selected groups of food products and to determine whether this frequency differs among medical and non-medical students in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The study was conducted among 435 Polish and Turkish students using an original questionnaire. The proper study was preceded by a pilot study in 40 participants.The Wilcoxon test was used to assess the differences in the frequency of consumption of selected groups of products among medical and non-medical students both during and before the pandemic. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of consumption of: sweets (p=0.02 among medical students), salty snacks (p=0.03 among both groups of students), fast food products (p=0.00 among medical and p=0.01 among non-medical students) and energy drinks (p=0.02 among medical and p=0.00 among non-medical student) in the analysed periods of time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions. The study showed that during the pandemic, the frequency of food products consumption in the study groups of students from medical and non-medical faculties is mostly satisfactory. There were significant differences in the frequency of consumption of sweets, salty snacks, fast food products and energy drinks in both groups of students.
Background. Students are a group particularly high risk of adverse effects from such restrictions introduced within counter transmission the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Fear felt of contracting the disease and social isolation can lead to consuming excessive amounts of energy with food, resulting in weight gain and eating disorders. Objective. The aim of the study was analysed selected lifestyle aspects of Polish and Turkish students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the existence of differences between the lifestyles of these individuals during the two periods. Material and methods. The study was conducted at the turn of 2020-2021 among 435 students, including 331 Polish and 104 Turkish students. The research instrument was an original questionnaire created in a Google Forms, consisting of metric and a proper part regarding lifestyle before and during the pandemic. Prior to the actual study, in order to verify whether the research tool is understandable, a pilot study was conducted, which included 40 individuals. The Wilcoxon test was used to examine the differences between the lifestyle of students before and during the pandemic. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Both before and during the pandemic, most Polish students ate 4–5 meals daily (52.9% and 47.7%, respectively), while most Turkish students ate 3 meals (47.1% and 38.5%, respectively). There were statistically significant differences in: duration of sleep (p=0.001), way of spending one’s leisure time (p=0.001) and type of physical activity (p=0.001) among the Polish and Turkish students before and during the pandemic. Conclusions. The results of this study showed changes in the lifestyle of both Polish and Turkish students during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. This indicates the need to develop interventions to prevent harmful behaviour and their health consequences in the future.