Assessment of Physical Development, Nutritional Status and Metabolic Risk in Medical University Students

INTRODUCTION: Currently, bioimpedance analysis as a method for assessing the health status of the population, including student youth, is widely used in the Russian Federation. In this regard, bioimpedance study of the body composition of medical students in the Ryazan region determines the relevance of this study. AIM: To assess the level of physical development, nutritional status and metabolic risk in medical students using bioimpedance analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 255 students (109 boys and 146 girls aged 19–20 years) of the Ryazan State Medical University. The level of physical development, nutritional status and metabolic risk were determined by screening bioimpedance parameters. RESULTS: Most of the subjects had high values of fat mass: 53.5% of boys and 68.5% of girls, and the proportion of girls with excess weight was 1.3 times that of boys, which does not correspond to the results of the body mass index obtained by us, where most of the examined students had normal values of the body mass index, with 1.3 times more girls than boys — 71.9% and 56.9% respectively. An increased content of fat mass with normal values of the body mass index indicates latent obesity or normal weight obesity. This fact is confirmed by the results of the correlation analysis, where high body mass index in young men is explained by both excess nutrition (classic obesity) and the development of muscle mass due to active exercise and fluid retention in the body, due to nutritional disorders, while in girls increase in this parameter is associated only with classic obesity against the background low physical activity and low level of fitness. Latent obesity, or normal weight obesity in 68.5% of girls and 53.5% of boys and classic obesity in 15.8% of girls and 11.1% of boys can be factors of increased and high risk of developing metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Increased and high risks of metabolic syndrome in medical students indicate the need for a more in-depth analysis of their dietary patterns, eating habits and level of physical activity with subsequent development of targeted preventive recommendations.