Risk factors for non-communicable diseases in nursing students from Ribeirão Preto-Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to study the risk factors prevalence to chronic diseases among students from the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Brazil, and evaluate the association among those risk factors and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Methods: The population was formed by 305 nursing students registered in 1995, the data
collection was based on an standardized interview carried out between August and December 1995. Besides social-demographic conditions, familial history for non-communicable diseases, blood  pressure, smoking, obesity and oral contraceptive consumption were also investigated. The prevalence of risk factors was estimated with 95% confidence limits. The association among them was evaluated by multiple linear regression at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The prevalence of two or more familial antecedents for chronic diseases was 65.6% (CI: 59.9%¾70.8%). The smoking prevalence was 15.4%(CI: 11.6%¾20.1%) and oral contraceptive consumption prevalence was 48.6% (CI: 42.7%¾54.6%). The Body Mass Index (BMI) adjusted by age and smoking was an important predictor to systolic and diastolic pressure levels (p<0.05). Among females BMI adjusted by age and contraceptives use or duration of contraceptives use showed association with systolic and diastolic pressure levels (p<0.05). Among individuals with two
or more familial antecedents for chronic diseases, BMI, duration of smoking and daily number of cigarettes consumed showed association with systolic pressure levels (p<0.05). BMI was associated with diastolic blood pressure among individuals with two or more familial antecedents or those with hypertension antecedents only (p<0.05). The daily number of cigarettes consumed showed
association with diastolic blood pressure among individuals with familial antecedents for cardiovascular diseases (p< 0.05).
Discussion: Authors make considerations about the influence of environment and genetic risk factors for chronic diseases and recommend some strategies in order to control smoking, obesity and oral contraceptive use in this population stratum.