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. 2024 Jul 31;16(15):2489.
doi: 10.3390/nu16152489.

Body Mass Index, Adherence to a Healthy Lifestyle, and Breakfast Consumption Associated with Religious Affiliation in Peruvian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Luis Lévano-Matos  1 , Jacksaint Saintila  2 , Norma Del Carmen Gálvez-Díaz  2 , Yaquelin E Calizaya-Milla  1
Affiliations

Body Mass Index, Adherence to a Healthy Lifestyle, and Breakfast Consumption Associated with Religious Affiliation in Peruvian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Luis Lévano-Matos et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Despite evidence suggesting a relationship between religiosity and health habits, there is a paucity of studies specifically examining this association in the context of Peruvian university students. This study compared body mass index (BMI), adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and breakfast consumption in Peruvian university students of four religious denominations: Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), Catholics, Baptists, and Evangelicals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online among 4557 students from a Peruvian university. The BMI and the frequency of breakfast consumption were evaluated, and the Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS) was applied. The variables studied were associated using simple and multiple linear regression and Poisson models with robust variance.

Results: Baptist (B = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.10-0.78; p = 0.011), Catholic (B = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.12-0.47; p = 0.001), and Evangelical (B = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.64; p = 0.014) students had a significantly higher BMI compared to SDA. Baptist (B = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.37--0.05; p = 0.017) and Evangelical (B = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.28--0.03; p = 0.012) students exhibited a lower mean score on the measure of healthy lifestyles compared to SDA students. Additionally, Baptist (PR = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.92--0.12; p = 0.035) and Catholic (PR = -0.3, 95% CI: -0.99--0.19; p = 0.016) students exhibited a lower probability of eating breakfast regularly compared to SDA students.

Conclusions: Health professionals should consider these findings when designing and implementing health promotion programs that are culturally sensitive and respectful of the beliefs and practices of all religious groups in university settings.

Keywords: Adventists; Catholicism; Protestantism; breakfast; healthy lifestyle; obesity; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

Most of the authors of the manuscript are members of the SDA Church, except Norma Del Carmen Gálvez-Díaz. Furthermore, Luis Lévano-Matos and Yaquelin E. Calizaya-Milla are employed at the Peruvian Union University, an educational institution affiliated with this religious denomination. It should be noted, however, that neither the church nor the university exerted any influence on the design, methodology, analysis, or interpretation of the results of this study. The authors certify that they have no financial or personal conflicts of interest that may have influenced the work presented in this study.

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