INFLUENCIA DEL HÁBITO DE FUMAR SOBRE EL CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS Y EL ESTILO DE VIDA EN ESTUDIANTES DE LA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess food consumption and life styles in relation to cigarette smoking in students ofthe School of Sciences at Javeriana University in Bogotá. It was a cross sectional study which included 130subjects who were randornly selected from the total population of students ofthe School of Sciences. Chi-square analyses were used for categorical data, and t tests or Z scores analyses were used for continuous data. All testsresults were considered significant at p < 0.05. Comparisons were made between smokers and non- mokers.Cigarette smoking was not associated with sex, health farnily history or physical activity (P > 0.05). Overweight/fatness (p = 0.03) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.009) were associated with cigarette smoking. Smokers had ahigher consumption of energy (13%), total fat (3.8%), saturated fat (2.5%) and cholesterol (18.9%) than nonsmokers(p < 0.05). The highest associations were between cigarette smoking and the low consumption of fruits(p = 2.53 x 10-6) and vegetables (p = 5.8 x 10-4). Less that 50% of smokers reported changes in food taste. In conclusion, smokers showed to be at higher risk to develop cardiovascular diseases ·as they presented more riskfactors, as well as higher consumption of energy, total and saturated fat and cholesterol and a low consumption offruits and vegetables