Int J Adolesc Med Health 2015; aop *Corresponding author: Abdulrahman O. Musaiger, Head of Arab Center for Nutrition, P.O. Box 26923, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, Phone: +00973-17343460, Fax: +00973-17346339, E-mail: amusaiger@gmail.com Muyssar S. Awadhalla, Muneera AlSawad and G.V. Asokan: College of Health Sciences, University of Bahrain, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Mariam Al-Mannai: College of Science, University of Bahrain, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Abdulrahman O. Musaiger*, Muyssar S. Awadhalla, Mariam Al-Mannai, Muneera AlSawad and G.V. Asokan Dietary habits and sedentary behaviors among health science university students in Bahrain DOI 10.1515/ijamh-2015-0038 Received May 4, 2015; accepted July 2, 2015 Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary patterns and sedentary behaviors among univer- sity students in Bahrain. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with students of the College of Health Sciences in Bahrain using a self-reported questionnaire. All the stu- dents enrolled in this college were included in this study (642 students; 90 males and 552 females). The mean age of the sample was 20.1±2.0 years. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on the students’ breakfast intake, snacking, food frequency intake, and sedentary habits. Results: More than 50% of the students did not consume breakfast on a daily basis. A statistically significant dif- ference (p < 0.003) was found between males (19%) and females (35%) in relation to the intake of an afternoon snack. There were no significant gender differences regarding frequency of food intake, except for carbon- ated beverages (p < 0.001) and nuts (p < 0.047) consump- tion. Females were more likely than males to spend time watching television, use the Internet, use a mobile phone and sleep; however, the only significant difference found was for Internet use (p < 0.003). Being physically active on a daily basis was more prevalent among males (41.6%) than females (16%) (p < 0.001). Females (42.9%) were more prone to sleep for less time ( < 7 h) than males (34.4%) (p < 0.08). Conclusion: The findings indicated that a high percentage of health science students in Bahrain had unhealthy die- tary habits and sedentary behaviors. Thus, an intervention program to promote healthy dietary patterns and lifestyle habits among university students is highly recommended. Keywords: Arab; dietary habits; physical activity; seden- tary behavior; university students. Introduction Bahrain, like other Arab Gulf countries, has faced an epi- demiologic transition over the past five decades, with the result being marked changes in food consumption patterns and lifestyle behaviors. The traditional food habits have been replaced by more Westernized food habits, which are characterized by a low intake of dietary fiber, vegetables and fruit, and a high intake of foods rich in fat, sugar, and salt. Fast foods, which usually contain a high amount of calories, fat and salt, have become essential items in Bah- raini meals (1). Physical activity has been diminished due to this transition, especially among women. The preva- lence of sedentary behaviors, including watching televi- sion, using the internet and playing computer games, has increased steeply (2). Such a health situation has contrib- uted to the high occurrence of non-communicable dis- eases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Therefore, understanding the current dietary habits and lifestyle patterns is fundamen- tal for establishing intervention programs to prevent and control diet-related non-communicable diseases. Data from the Western regions (3, 4) and from Arab countries (5, 6) indicated that adolescents and young people have poor dietary habits, such as the tendency to skip breakfast and having a low intake of fruit, vegeta- bles, milk and fish, and a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, fast foods and sweets, and they also skipped breakfast. Furthermore, inactivity and sedentary habits have been highly prevalent among adolescents and young subjects (5). It is well documented that sedentary behaviors, as measured by total screen viewing time, are Brought to you by | Stockholms Universitet Authenticated Download Date | 8/11/15 8:57 AM