Health-related behaviors and knowledge of University students regarding physical activity and dietary habits

Promoting a healthy lifestyle can improve health and reduce the need for medical care. The aim of this study was to analyse health-related behaviours and knowledge of healthy lifestyles in relation to physical activity and diet among university students. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 300 university students (173 females; 127 males). The research tool was a questionnaire consisting of three sections. Respondents completed the questionnaires using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method, where the data set is collected using a script provided on a website. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson chi-square test were used to analyse the results. Results: There were statistically significant dependencies between the field of study and the level of general knowledge about physical activity and nutrition (p<0.001). Conclusions: A high level of knowledge about healthy lifestyle with a focus on physical activity and dietary habits was presented in the highest percentage by students of physiotherapy, and the lowest by students of pedagogy, which is a non-medical field not related to health care. The university should provide an interdisciplinary team to support physical activity and dietary habits to increase awareness among university students, especially in non-medical fields.