Non-alcoholic beverage and fast-food consumption, among first- and fourth-year nursing students in Madrid

Sugar-sweetened beverages and fast-food consumption have been associated with non-communicable diseases. Objective. Was to analyze consumption of non-alcoholic beverage and fast-food consumption among first- and fourth-year nursing students. Materials and methods. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among first-and fourth-year nursing students in Madrid, Spain. Anthropometric data (weight and height) and demographic data were collected, as were data on consumption of specific foods and beverages. Results. The survey was completed by 436 students. Mean (SD) age was 22.0 (6.8) years, 84.1 % of were women.26.2 % of the students were underweight; 6.3 % were overweight. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and diet drinks was moderate. Slightly more than three-quarters of the students (75.5 %) purchased fast food in the previous month. Burger bars were the most frequently visited fast-food outlet (77.2 %). A direct relationship was observed between BMI and fast-food consumption (rho = 0.099; p = 0.042) and between BMI and consumption of diet cola or carbonated drinks (rho = 0.120; p = 0.013). Conclusion. We provide new epidemiological data from a specific university population that could be useful to promote more studies that help design appropriate strategies to increase a healthy lifestyle.