Health behaviors of Korean female nursing students in relation to obesity and osteoporosis

Objectives: It has been reported that young adults' dietary habits and health behaviors have significant effects on obesity and bone health. However, there is a lack of thorough understanding of the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors and potential relationships to obesity and osteoporosis among young females. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined dietary habits, health behaviors, anthropometric measurements, and bone mineral density of 160 female nursing students. Results: A relatively large number of students had vitamin D (n = 104, 65%) and calcium (n = 84, 52.5%) deficiencies but displayed excessive cholesterol (n = 86, 53.8%) and sodium (n = 137, 85.6%) intakes. Unhealthy dietary and health habits such as nighttime snacking, coffee drinking, low milk drinking, and lack of exercise were also noted. Conclusions: Despite their knowledge on health, a large portion of nursing students displayed unhealthy dietary habits and health. Tailored strategies and education to narrow the gap between health behavioral knowledge and practice are urgently needed.