ABSTRACT
Background: Non communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory disease and some cancers have become major global health issues and are the cause of most premature morbidity and mortality globally. The depreciation of NCDs revolves around risk factors (physical inactivity, poor diet, tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and stress) that are established in middle life globally. Because of stress, disorganized schedules and the lack of physical activity, medical students who are, by contrast, exposed to more information on health issues, may also embrace unhealthy lifestyles. The importance of comprehending the stated risk factors among medical students lies in subsequent early interventive and preventative care since they are the future healthcare providers.
Aim: The aim of this study was to acquire values of the risk factors among the medical students that are linked to non-communicable diseases and to help identify areas where health promotion efforts still need to be introduced.
Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad in the period June 2024 to May 2025. The sample size of the study was 110 medical students in the hair course of different academic years which was picked using stratified random sampling to get proportional share of both groups of batches and genders. The information was gathered based on a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire modeled on WHO STEP wise Surveillance (STEPS) instrument covering the following topics; socio-demographic data, lifestyle behaviors, dietary habits, physical activity levels, tobacco and alcohol use, body mass index (BMI) and family history of NCDs. The measurements that were used were anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and waist circumference with standard protocols. BMI was defined in a classification based on WHO, and the physical activity was defined with the aid of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). All data obtained were analyzed in SPSS version 26 and reported as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations.
Findings: Overall, 110 study participants (58 [52.7%] women and 52 [47.3], men) with a mean age of 22.1 1.8 years were recruited. The most common behavioral risk factor was physical inactivity among the students, which was reported in 69 students (62.7%) followed by unhealthy dietary patterns, the eating habits being characterized as inadequate intakes of fruit/vegetables and high consumption of fast food among 65 students (59.1%). Thirty four students (30.9%) were found to be overweight and obese with females proving to be less prevalent than males. Tobacco was used by 21 students (19.1%) and the intake of alcohol was not common and was present only in 4 students (3.6%). Familial presence was found in at least one of the NCDs in 49 students (44.5%), with most cases of hypertension and diabetes. A total of 72 students (65.5%) showed high perceived stress level with the major contributing factor being related to exams. Importantly, co-occurring risk factors were typical, particularly in that 68 (61.80%) students had two or more behavioral or biological risk variables at one time.
Conclusion: This research indicates that modifiable risk factors of non-communicable disease are prevalent among medical students, especially physical inactivity, unhealthy nutrition, the high level of stress, and overweight/obese. Most students exhibited practices that would dispose them to chronic diseases in the future despite their knowledge in medicine. These results supported the necessity of special interventions at medical institutions, the need of stress management programs, well-structured exercise opportunities, and the promotion of healthy nutrition. These risk factors may be addressed early at a young age among the future healthcare professionals to effect long-term reduction in NCD burden.
Keywords: Non-communicable diseases, risk factors, medical students, physical inactivity, obesity, stress, dietary habits, Pakistan.