title: A cross-sectional study of Colombian University students' self-perceived lifestyle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire was designed for enabling staff working in health sciences and physical activity (PA) areas to measure lifestyles (LS) in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the lifestyle in a sample of university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study involving 5,921 subjects' aged 18- to 30-years-old (3,471 females) from three Colombian cities. Was applied "Fantastic" instrument (that consists of 25 closed items on the lifestyle), translated to Spanish in versions of three and five answers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Having a "good LS" was perceived by 57.4% of the females and 58.5% of the males; 14.0% of the females rating their LS as being "excellent" and males 19.3% (p < 0.001); 20.3% of the females and 36.6% of the males stated that they spent more than 20 min/day on PA (involving four or more times per week). Negative correlations between FANTASTIC score and weight (r = -0.113; p < 0.01), body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.152; p < 0.01) and waist circumference (r = -0.178, p < 0.01) were observed regarding females, whilst the correlation concerning males was (r = -0.143, p < 0.05) between Fantastic score and weight, (r = -0.167 for BMI, p < 0.01) and (r = -0.175, p < 0.01 for diastolic blood pressure). In spite of the students being evaluated referring to themselves as having a healthy LS (i.e. giving a self-perceived view of their LS), stated behaviour involving a health risk was observed in the domains concerning nutrition, PA and smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific diffusion, education and intervention action is thus suggested for motivating the adoption of healthy LS.
authors.affiliation: Grupo GICAEDS, Facultad de Cultura Física, Deporte y Recreación, Universidad Santo Tomás, Carrera 9 No 51-23, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Robinson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Vélez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Licenciatura en Educación Física y Deporte, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Héctor R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Triana-Reina
authors.affiliation: Programa de Licenciatura en Educación Física y Deporte, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Hugo A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.affiliation: Facultad Educación a Distancia y Virtual. Institución, Universitaria Antonio José Camacho, Santiago de Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jeison A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos-Sepúlveda
authors.affiliation: Programa de Licenciatura en Educación Física y Deporte, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios en Medición de la Actividad Física (CEMA), Escuela de medicina y ciencias de la salud (EMCS), Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poches-Franco
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios en Medición de la Actividad Física (CEMA), Escuela de medicina y ciencias de la salud (EMCS), Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rincón-Párraga
authors.affiliation: Grupo GICAEDS, Facultad de Cultura Física, Deporte y Recreación, Universidad Santo Tomás, Carrera 9 No 51-23, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Meneses-Echávez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios en Medición de la Actividad Física (CEMA), Escuela de medicina y ciencias de la salud (EMCS), Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Correa-Bautista
keywords: Health promotion; Latin America; Lifestyles; Student