Psych Intro

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Palestrica of the third millennium - Civilization and sport Vol. 14, no. 1, January-March 2013, 7–11, 7–11

Copyright © 2010 by “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Publishing

ORIGINAL STUDIES

Nutrition, coffee, alcohol consumption in students’ life style Alimentaţia, consumul de cafea, alcool şi viaţa studenţească

Smaranda Laura Goţia, Smaranda Rodica Goţia, Camelia Gurban

University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Victor Babeş” Timişoara

Abstract

Background. The increase of coffee and alcohol consumption, smoking plus obesity associated with stress among young people represent risk factors for their health.

Aims. To estimate the incidence and motivation of coffee and alcohol consumption, smoking habits and physical activity among the students.

Methods. We used an anonymous questionnaire, with 30 questions related to: daily nutrition habits, coffee use, and smoking, the motivation of alcohol consumption, the frequency, occasions and life style. 132 students (66 boys, 66 girls), aged 18-28 years, from the Faculty of Medicine, Computers and Electrotechnics Timişoara were investigated.

Results. The students do not have a regular food timetable (87%), and 53% of them eat three times daily. The majority eat in a hurry and normally fast food. The incidence of coffee consumption was 58.34%, higher in girls (75%) than boys (46.66%). The incidence of smoking was 53.33% in boys and 33.33% in girls. The students are occasional drinkers. Youths drink alcohol to help their shyness, to escape from their own inhibitions and consider it a method of being accepted in a group. The main occasions of alcohol consumption were social events (67%) and going out with friends (61%). Only 10% practised a regular physical activity.

Conclusions. The incidence of risk behavior was increased in students. An educational programme aimed at changing behavior and attitude to coffee, tobacco smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, including nutritional counseling on a healthy diet, may be successful in the primary prevention of related diseases regarding these risk factors.

Keywords: teens, eating habits, alcohol use, motivation.

Rezumat

Premize. Creşterea consumului de cafea, alcoolul, fumatul, obezitatea la vârste tinere asociată cu stresul reprezintă factori de risc pentru sănătate.

Scop. Studiul obiceiurilor alimentare, a incidenţei şi motivaţiei consumului de cafea, alcool, fumatului şi activităţile fizice în rândul studenţilor.

Metodă. Am utilizat un chestionar anonim, cuprinzând 30 întrebări despre modul de alimentaţie, consumul de cafea şi tutun, motivaţia consumului de alcool, frecvenţa consumului şi stilul de viaţă. Au fost chestionați 132 studenţi (66 băieţi şi 66 fete), cu vârsta de 18-28 ani, de la Facultăţile de Medicină, Calculatoare şi Electrotehnică, Timişoara.

Rezultate. Studenţii nu au un orar de masă stabil (87%) şi 53% dintre ei mănâncă de trei ori pe zi. Cei mai mulţi mănâncă în grabă, mâncare nesănătoasă/fast food. Incidenţa consumului de cafea a fost de 58,34%, mai crescut la fete (75%) decât la băieţi (46,66%). Incidenţa fumatului a fost de 53,33% la băieţi şi de 33,33% la fete. Studenţii sunt consumatori de alcool ocazionali. Tinerii consumă alcool pentru a scăpa de timiditate, inhibiţii şi pentru a fi acceptaţi în grup. Cele mai frecvente ocazii pentru consumul de alcool sunt evenimentele sociale (67%) şi întâlnirile cu prietenii (61%). Activitate fizică permanentă au 10%.

Concluzii. Incidenţa factorilor de risc a fost crescută la lotul nostru. Un program educaţional axat pe schimbarea atitudinii faţă de consumul de cafea, fumat, consumul de alcool, incluzând consiliere nutriţională şi pentru o dietă sănătoasă, poate avea succes în prevenţia primară a bolilor care au aceşti factori de risc.

Cuvinte cheie: adolescenţi, obiceiuri alimentare, consumul de alcool, motivaţie.

Received: 2012, December 12 Accepted for publication: 2013, January 27 Address for correspondence: University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Victor Babeş”, Eftimie Murgu str. No. 2., 300041 Timişoara, Romania, Phone/Fax +40-256-490507 E-mail: [email protected]

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Smaranda Laura Goţia et al.

Introduction

College students face multiple risks to their health and their behavior affects all areas of their existence. The link between chronic cigarette smoking and serious medical illnesses, such as cancer, emphysema, coronary heart disease, stroke, and obstructive pulmonary heart disease, are well documented. However, despite the recognition that smoking is a key factor (if not the major causal factor) in developing one of these diseases, many individuals continue to smoke.

Caffeine has previously been implicated in increasing the risk of high blood pressure but previous studies had already shown statistically insignificant associations between coffee drinking and clinical hypertension (Jarvis, 2005).

Alcohol consumption is a major contributor to risky behaviors and adverse health outcomes in adolescents and young adults. Motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries are four leading causes of death in individuals aged 15-20 years, and alcohol plays a substantial role in many of these events. In addition, alcohol consumption is associated with risky sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, and school and social problems (Culverhouse et al., 2005).

In one large community-based study of adolescents, increasing levels of alcohol use were associated with increasing lifetime occurrence of diagnoses of depressive disorders and disruptive behavior disorders, as well as problematic use of tobacco and drugs (Culverhouse et al., 2005; Ostafin et al., 2003).

Alcohol depresses the central nervous system by acting as a sedative. In some people, the initial reaction may be stimulation, but as drinking continues, sedating or calming effects occur. By depressing the control centers of the brain, alcohol relaxes and reduces the inhibitions (Lawyer et al., 2002; Ostafin et al. 2003; Palfai et al., 2002). Alcohol also raises the levels of dopamine in the brain, and it is associated with the pleasurable aspects of drinking alcohol (Zack et al., 2006).

Excessive use of alcohol can produce severe health effects summarized in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 – Health effects of excessive alcohol consumption (Goţia & Goţia).

Other complications of alcoholism and alcohol abuse may include: domestic abuse and divorce, poor performance

at work or school, arrest for drunken driving, higher incidence of suicide and murder (Zack et al., 2006).

Hypothesis

Over the past years, alcohol use has been a reality among teenagers and students. Most teenagers are focused on feeling well immediately and give little concern to the impact of alcohol use on their health (Palfai et al., 2002).

The aim of this study was to estimate nutrition, coffee consumption, smoking, the incidence and motivation of alcohol consumption among the students in Timişoara and the physical activity performed by the students.

Material and methods

a) Research protocol/ Period of the research The questionnaires were applied in the period 2010-

2011 to 132 healthy students. All participants in the study signed an informed consent

for this. The study investigators were physicians, who had the right to free practice and malpractice certificates. The human subject research protocol was approved by the Ethics Commission of the “Victor Babeş” University ofş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timişoara, Romania.

b) Subjects and groups The target group was represented by students from

the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Computers, the Faculty of Electrotechnics in Timişoara, aged 18-28 years. The students were divided into two groups, 66 boys and 66 girls.

c) Tests applied Anonymous questionnaires were used. The question-

naire was conceived in collaboration with the Faculty of Sociology, Timişoara and consisted of 30 items regarding: eating habits, coffee use, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, frequency, occasions, motivation, preferences, and driving after drinking alcohol. Also, the students were questioned about their attitude regarding physical activity.

d) Statistical processing Statistical analysis: the results of the questionnaires

were evaluated using the 2010 SPSS programme (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The frequency of affirmative answers for each question was calculated, according to the aim of the study.

Results

Of the investigated students, 87% did not have a food timetable, only 53% ate three times daily.

In this study, the incidence of coffee consumption was 58.34%, higher in girls (75%) than boys (46.66%). 25% of girls and 53.34% of boys never used coffee (Table I).

Table I

Coffee use and cigarette smoking in students. Coffee use Girls Boys More than 3 x/week 58.34% 20% Less than 3 x/week 16.66% 26.66% Never 25% 53.34% Cigarette smoking

More than 20 cig./day 25% 33.34% Less than 20 cig./day 8.34% 20% Never 66.66% 46.66%

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Nutrition, coffee, alcohol consumption in students’ life style

In the investigated students, the incidence of cigarette smoking was 53.34% in boys and 33.34% in girls. 66.66% of girls and 46.66% of boys had never smoked (Table I).

The students were occasional drinkers. The answers related to alcohol consumption revealed that 87% of students drank alcohol, 74% occasionally, 10% frequently, and 3% every day, while 13% of the students did not drink alcohol.

The answers to the question “When do you drink alcohol?” were 76% on holidays, 61% when I go out with friends, 16% when I need it, 0% when I argue. The occasions for alcohol consumption were festive and official events (67%), going out with friends (61%), when needed. The motivation of alcohol abuse was to overcome shyness, to get rid of inhibitions, to be accepted in a group. Alcohol raises the levels of dopamine in the brain and is associated with the pleasurable aspects of drinking alcohol.

Students prefer: beer (59%), wine (55%), strong drinks and liqueur (7%) (Fig. 2).

5 9 %

2 8 %

1 3 %

5 5 %

3 1 %

1 3 %

7 %

8 0 %

1 3 %

7 %

8 0 %

1 3 %

0 % 1 0 % 2 0 % 3 0 % 4 0 % 5 0 % 6 0 % 7 0 % 8 0 % 9 0 %

1 0 0 %

b e e r w in e s t ro n g d rin k s liq u e r

y e s n o it 's n o t t h e c a s e

Fig. 2 – Beverages preferred by students.

The amount of alcohol addiction in our study was: more than two bottles of beer (42%), less than two glasses of wine (36%), one glass of strong drink (13%). Although teenagers and students know the consequences of alcohol abuse, they cannot stop after the first glass (52%) and 13% of the investigated persons recognized that they drove after they drank alcohol. Alcohol-related automobile accidents are a major cause of teen’s deaths.

The question about the attitude regarding physical activity was answered as follows: students were aware of the positive effects of physical activity on their health (100%), but only 10% had a regular physical activity programme.

Discussion

Most of the investigated students eat depending on their daily schedule, but they eat in a hurry, mostly in fast foods. Healthy nutrition prevents obesity and gastrointestinal diseases at a young age.

Adolescents need good nutrition, both to grow to their full potential and to reduce the risk of obesity and chronic diseases in adolescence and later life (Phillips et al., 2004). Adolescents often skip a meal or they eat faster than usual in order to watch television or play a computer game. Daily meal skipping for television viewing occurs more regularly in boys and first-year students. A quarter of the adolescents eat faster at least once a week to be able to

watch television or play a computer game. The teenagers’ use of television or game computers during non-working or out-of-school hours partly displaces the amount of time that needs to be spent at meals. Practitioners and educators may try to encourage or restore a pattern of healthful meal consumption habits by reducing the amount of media use, and by supporting parental rule-making regarding children’s eating habits and media use (Van den Bulck & Eggermont, 2006).

The results of Alaimo’s study demonstrated that negative academic and psychosocial outcomes are associated with family-level food insufficiency and provide support for public health efforts to increase the food security of American families (Alaimo et al., 2001). In socio-economically developing countries, the change from a traditional lifestyle to a Western lifestyle has, among other things, led to an increase in sugar consumption from food and beverages, and in the form of sweets.

An educational programme aimed at changing behaviors and attitude to tobacco smoking and including nutritional counseling with high emphasis on the transition age from early to late adolescence may be a successful primary prevention strategy (Yorulmaz et al., 2002).

In our study, smoking was found in more than 50% of boys, but coffee use was higher in girls than boys.

Coffee is a complex mixture of chemicals that provides significant amounts of chlorogenic acid and caffeine. Unfiltered coffee is a significant source of cafestol and kahweol, which are diterpenes that have been implicated in the cholesterol-raising effects of coffee. The results of epidemiological research suggest that coffee consumption may help prevent several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s disease (Higdon & Frei, 2006). One hypothesis that has been suggested is a caffeine-related effect mediated through adenosine receptor antagonists or antioxidant actions (Cadden et al., 2007).

However, coffee consumption is associated with increases in several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure and plasma homocysteine. Some groups, including people with hypertension, children, adolescents, and the elderly, may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of caffeine (Higdon & Frei, 2006).

Our results show that 66.66% of girls and 46.66% of boys had never smoked.

According to Azevedo’s study, overall, 35.8% of the high-school students had never smoked, 39.4% were experimental smokers, 3.3% were former smokers and 6.6% were occasional smokers, while 14.9% were regular smokers. The proportion of regular smokers increased significantly with age (Azevedo et al., 1999).

Although it is commonly reported that children smoke their first cigarette while attending primary school, smoking is most likely to begin during adolescence when various factors, such as peer pressure, family influence, social class and other psychosocial determinants, influence an individual to start and maintain the habit. Currently, among students in developed countries there tends to be more female than male smokers, while the rates of smoking initiation are also higher for females. In various populations, a higher rate of alcohol and drug use has been

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Smaranda Laura Goţia et al.

reported among smokers than non-smokers, and multiple longitudinal studies conclude that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for illegal drug use (Azevedo et al., 1999).

In our study, 2/3 of the investigated students are occasional alcohol drinkers.

Alcohol use among teens increases dramatically during the high-school years, and leads to serious consequences for many teens. Teens that drink are more likely to become sexually active, have sex more frequently and engage in risky, unprotected sex than teens who do not drink. In recent years, the rates of alcohol use among young female adolescents have increased (Hipwell et al., 2005).

For young people, the likelihood of alcohol addiction depends on: (i) the influence of parents, peers, and other role models; (ii) susceptibility to advertising; (iii) how early in life they begin to use alcohol; (iv) their psychological need for alcohol (Ostafin et al., 2003).

The signs which may indicate that a teenager has a problem with alcohol include: less or no interest in activities and hobbies; bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and memory lapses; difficulties or changes in relationships with friends; joining a new crowd; declining grades and problems in school; frequent mood changes and defensive behavior (Monti et al., 2001).

The parents’ behavior can prevent alcohol use by teenagers (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 – Parents’ behavior to prevent teenage alcohol use.

Few studies have examined college students’ reasons for not drinking, and no studies have addressed their reasons for not playing drinking games. The factors correlate in theoretically meaningful directions with measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol outcome expectancies, and reasons for drinking, self-esteem, and personality (Johnson et al., 2004). Anxiety sensitivity is implicated as a factor for drinking followed by ”tension reduction” in college students (Lawyer et al., 2002).

Special programs with the educational, social and psychological evaluation of the young people that use alcohol can be useful. Campus administrators who have applied the environmental management approach have focused primarily on reducing alcohol-related problems. Key strategies include limiting alcohol availability, restricting alcohol marketing and promotion, and developing and enforcing new policies that restrict the times, places, and circumstances under which alcohol can be purchased and consumed.

The students of our study know the positive effects of

physical activity on their health (100%), but only 10% have a regular programme of physical activity. They believe that physical activity such as football, physical fitness, swimming, tennis can be an alternative option for smoking and alcohol use.

Regular physical activity is an essential part of a healthy life style (Angyan 2003).

Some preventive recommendations can be summarized: informing and educating the youths about the consequences of alcohol consumption, NO ALCOHOL on an empty stomach, NO ALCOHOL to get rid of shyness, anxiety, depression or stress, preventive treatment, moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, promotion of physical activity as an alternative option for health risky behaviors.

Conclusions 1. The incidence of risk behaviors was increased in

students. Of the investigated students, 87% did not have a stable food timetable, 87% of the students drank alcohol, 58.33% used coffee, the incidence of smoking was 53.33% in boys and 33.33% in girls.

2. The motivation of alcohol abuse was to get rid of shyness, to overcome inhibitions, to be accepted in a group, anxiety, depression or stress.

3. Primary prevention of disease-related risk factors can be obtained by: an educational programme, changing behavior and attitude to coffee, tobacco smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, nutritional counseling on a healthy diet.

Conflicts of interests

There are no conflicts of interests.

Authors’contributions: Each author contributed to every part of the study.

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