Abstract
Objectives:
this study aims to identify levels of physical activity (LPA) and their association to alcohol consumption in a university population, as well as explore their association to gender.
Methods:
data about 288 first-year medical students (144 female and 144 male) from Universidade Estadual de Campinas ( UNICAMP), São Paulo, have been collected for three consecutive years in a serial transversal study. Criteria for classifying LPA are as follows: LPA 1 - sedentary; LPA2 - irregularly active and LPA3 - regularly active. Analysis included comparisons ofproportions according to the x2 test at 5% level with respective "odds ratio " (DR) and confidence intervals.
Results:
main results show th.at: a) LPA is statistically higher for boys; b) there was no significant difference in alcohol consumption according to gender; c) LPA 3 females showed 2,03 more chance for consuming alcohol than LPA1 females, white DR for boys in the same LPA was 1,07 and d) LPA 2 was a factor ofprotection from alcohol consumption in both genders.
Conclusions:
females are doubly vulnerable: they have lower LPAs than men, white the more physically active consumed more alcohol than the sendentary.
Key words
Alcohol drinking; Exercise; Students; medical; Sex