The Frequency of Occurrence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Awareness оf Them Among Young People in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CV RF) development and awareness of them among young people studing at University.

Material and methods: Сross-sectional study study included 1182 young men and women studying at Lomonosov Moscow State University (age 18-44 years), with no history of chronic non-infectious diseases, who underwent a screening in April-June 2022. All participants filled out the standard "Questionnaire for citizens under the age of 65 years to identify chronic non-communicable diseases, risk factors for their development, and the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances without prescription", a specially designed questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for CVD development, and a questionnaire on nighttime sleep status. Results. In young men, the most common FRs were low fruit and vegetable intake (46.8%). Sleep disturbances were reported by 28.8% of men and 34.5% of women. Low physical activity was present in 1 in 5 young people. Obesity was found in 5.0% of the study participants. Young women in general showed greater awareness of CV RF. The most frequent factor mentioned in the questionnaire was smoking. More than 60% of respondents mentioned low physical activity and nutritional factors , while obesity and overweight were mentioned by only 16% of respondents.More CV RFs were named by natural science students, and more smokers were identified among them.

Conclusion: The obtained data allow us to speak about the high prevalence of behavioral CV RFs and insufficient awareness of their adverse health effects in young people, even with a high level of education. The effectiveness of preventive measures can be largely determined by their precise targeting. Raising awareness of the need for greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, sleep norms, the dangers of arterial hypertension, hypodynamia and obesity, in our opinion, is an important component of preventive work among students in universities.