title: Factors associated with being overweight among Inner Mongolia medical students in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A major goal of our study was to identify the associations between lifestyle factors and obesity in adolescents and young adults at risk by surveying students in Inner Mongolia Medical University. A second goal was to determine these factors differed by gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students grade 1-3 in Inner Mongolia Medical University.
  
  
  METHODS
  5471 grade 1-3 medical students, composed of 3891 female and 1580 male students. Students with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 were defined as overweight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI for male students was 22.1±2.9 and 21.2±2.2 for female students. The prevalence of overweight was 7.6%, with the prevalence being higher for male students compared with females, urban higher than rural and being an only child higher than having sibling children. For male students, urban residence was a risk factor, while for female students being an only child and staying up at night were risk factors, with physical activity a protective factor. A dose-dependency relationship was found between physical fitness and overweight prevalence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that being an only child and resident in an urban area are risk factors; staying up late and lack of physical activities increased the risk of being overweight. BMI was associated with declines in physical fitness. Our study provides more insight into adolescent obesity problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Zhiyue
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yancun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Wenfang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wulantuya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: Lifestyle; Overweight; Physical Fitness; Students