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Gender Differences and Clustering of Modifiable Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases Among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study in Nepal

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Abstract

The objective of the study was to explore gender differences in the risk factors of non-communicable diseases among medical students in Nepal. We randomly selected two private and one government medical college located in Kathmandu Valley. All the third year medical students (n = 191) from these selected colleges were requested to participate in an anonymous cross sectional survey. We gathered information about different risk factors for non-communicable diseases including smoking and drinking habits, physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. We identified significant gender differences in the clustering of modifiable risk factors among our study population (p value = 0.032). Logistic regression model showed that male and female medical students were significantly different in terms of smoking status [aOR = 4.12, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.57; 10.85] and high level of physical activity (aOR = 4.50, 95 % CI 1.80; 11.21). Male medical students should be targeted in future behavioral interventions for smoking cessation, while physical activity among female medical students needs to be promoted.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Department of Community Medicine and Public Health of Institute of Medicine, all the medical colleges we visited and the participants of the study. This paper is based on cross-sectional study data collected to explore the risk factors of major non-communicable diseases among medical students in Nepal.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Aditya Shakya, Shiva Raj Mishra & Kumar Paudel

  2. Health Science Center, The University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA

    Smith Giri

  3. Department of Public Health, Center for Global Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Dinesh Neupane

  4. Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, Nakhu-3, Lalitpur, Nepal

    Shiva Raj Mishra

Authors
  1. Aditya Shakya
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  2. Shiva Raj Mishra
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  3. Smith Giri
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  4. Kumar Paudel
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  5. Dinesh Neupane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiva Raj Mishra.

Additional information

Aditya Sakya and Shiva Raj Mishra shared first authorship.

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Shakya, A., Mishra, S.R., Giri, S. et al. Gender Differences and Clustering of Modifiable Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases Among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study in Nepal. J Community Health 40, 147–152 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9912-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9912-0

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