Tina Prevc
Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za živilstvo, Skupina za humano prehrano, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Evgen Benedik
Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za živilstvo, Skupina za humano prehrano, Ljubljana, Slovenija in Pediatrična klinika, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Tanja Pajk Žontar
Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za živilstvo, Skupina za humano prehrano, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Chronic non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of premature mortality in the developed world, with unhealthy dietary habits and lack of physical activity as key behavioural risk factors. The transition from secondary education to university is a critical period for young adults, marked by significant changes in their lives. The university environment often leads to unhealthy dietary habits and reduced physical activity. Contributing factors include psychological factors, among which academic stress plays an important role, financial constraints, place of residence and eating and limited cooking skills. Inadequate diet and insufficient physical activity are associated with higher body mass index and poorer body composition, increasing the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases. Future research should include students from different faculties, longitudinal follow-up, a multifactorial approach to contributing factors and objective measurements. This approach will provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the university environment on student health and form the basis for developing targeted prevention programmes.

Key words: young adults, higher education environment, lifestyle, risk factors, health indicators, prevention programmes