title: Impact of academic exposure on health status of university students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of academic life on health status of university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study including 154 undergraduate students from the Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, with at least two years of follow-up observations. Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were collected using questionnaires. Students' weight, height, blood pressure, serum glucose, serum lipids and serum homocysteine levels were measured. Regression analysis was performed using linear mixed-effect models, allowing for random effects at the participant level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher rate of dyslipidemia (44.0% vs. 28.6%), overweight (16.3% vs. 12.5%) and smoking (19.3% vs. 0.0%) was found among students exposed to the academic life when compared to freshmen. Physical inactivity was about 80%. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and physical activity levels were significantly associated with gender (p<0.001). Academic exposure was associated with increased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (about 1.12 times), and marginally with total cholesterol levels (p = 0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High education level does not seem to have a protective effect favoring a healthier lifestyle and being enrolled in health-related areas does not seem either to positively affect students' behaviors. Increased risk factors for non-transmissible diseases in university students raise concerns about their well-being. These results should support the implementation of health promotion and prevention programs at universities.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Piedade
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Francisco Luís
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Margarida Fonseca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult