Profile of healthy female students in Syria: Investigation on anthropometric, lifestyle, and dietary characteristics, along with hematological and plasma biochemical parameters

Abstract

In Syria, a Mediterranean country, health risk data on young women are limited. The aim of study: is to evaluate lifestyle factors, along with biomarkers related to cardiovascular risk factors in a group of university female students. Healthy female students (n = 206, 18–25 years old) participated in the study. Participant anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure were measured; alcohol drinking, smoking, and physical activity were assessed; the Mediterranean dietary pattern was evaluated; biomarkers such as glucose, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were determined. Results: Among participants, 22.34% were overweight and obese; 10.2% were considered to be at high risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases associated to waist circumference (>88 cm); 47.58% have abdominal obesity; 94.17% were non-alcoholic beverage consumers; 70.87% were non-smokers; and 63% practice sport daily. The average of adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern was 49.14 ± 8%. No correlation was found between Mediterranean dietary score and anthropometric or biomarkers’ measurements. Non‐refined cereal consumption was inversely correlated with uric acid measurement. Participants with normal levels of hemoglobin had significant correlation between fruits and vegetables’ consumption. Clearly, young women in Syria should consider a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Keywords:

• obesity
• Mediterranean diet
• lifestyle
• biological markers
• hematologic tests
• metabolic syndrome X

Public Interest Statement

Unfortunately, after decades of highlighting on health benefits of Mediterranean diet and daily physical activities, in Syria and south Mediterranean countries, food diet and lifestyle traditions are increasingly changing. Description and understanding the consequences of this changing lifestyle require the application of established methods on large population. Primarily, the performance of these methods needs to be assessed on a small group. Hence, 206 healthy female students participated in this study; their MedDietScore® score, daily behavior, physical activities, and physical shape were recorded and cardiovascular biomarkers (like glucose and total cholesterol levels) were measured in their blood samples. The results drew a food, lifestyle, and health profile for young females in Syria, as well as showed, almost, a six times increase of hubble-bubble smokers since 2004 and 47.6% of participants have abdominal obesity. Exploration of food diet and lifestyle in public can help governments set a preventive health policy.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Maysam Al Asaad, Ahmad Khaled, and Nour Aldin Ibrahim for their help in the medical laboratory. We also thank the following pharmacy students for their excellent participation in many aspects of this work: Dana Maksoud, Loulia Kassem, Marwa Ashek, Zeina Al Azmeh, Abdulrahman Al Beiroty, Jwan Sulaiman, and Mouhab Zeidan.

Additional information

Funding

Funding. This work was funded, entirely, by Arab International University (private university), Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic.

Notes on contributors

Mazen Rajab

Mainly, our research activities are concentrated on linking biochemical measurements with food diet and behaviors. This article is the first step of our research for establishing new (or adopting current) methods to draw general food and behaviors’ profile. The final step will be the integration of those methods in preventive health care institutional/governmental strategy. We believe that preventive medicine is important in well-developed societies, yet it is vital in developing countries.