Increased cardiovascular risk associated with poor nutritional habits in first-year university students

First-year university students represent an important target group for health promotion and disease prevention programs. However, few studies have been carried out to evaluate the relationship between the nutritional pattern of late adolescence and health parameters related to cardiovascular risk, such as body composition and blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to compare the dietary habits of first-year university students with those of the general population and to evaluate if poor nutritional habits are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Daily food consumption over 3 consecutive days was recorded; nutritional analysis was performed; and blood pressure, body mass index, and body composition were measured in a group of first-year university students (n = 111; mean age, 18.6 years) attending the University of the Basque Country (Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain), which is representative of a developed country. Almost a quarter of students were found to be overweight (19.3%) or obese (4.6%). The contribution of macronutrients to total energy intake was very low for carbohydrates but very high for fat and proteins. The study revealed that some nutritional behaviors have a short-term effect on the cardiovascular health of the adolescents. Thus, milk intake was negatively correlated with obesity and intake of fiber, and intake of beans was negatively correlated with BMI and blood pressure in females. We conclude that first-year university students in the University of the Basque Country have poor nutritional habits, which are associated with increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Greater resources should be allocated to the nutritional education of this type of youth group, not only to prevent problems in later adulthood but also to improve the current health of adolescents.