While the bulk of UCRH’s focus on Australian health and wellbeing, we are always mindful of opportunities to contribute to global knowledge and understanding. Recently one of our researchers, Mohammad Hamiduzzaman, was co-author of research looking at Bangladeshi university students.
The work has now been published in Health Science Reports and revealed a high rate of obesity among the university students, with a particular focus on how sleep patterns and lifestyle choices contribute to this issue. The research aimed to understand the link between being overweight or obese and sleep habits, such as how long and how well students sleep.
The study involved 330 students from a public university in Bangladesh. Researchers collected information on their body mass index and sleep quality using a detailed questionnaire. They found that students aged 22-25 were most likely to be overweight or obese. Notably, 67% of the overweight students reported poor sleep quality, compared to 53% of their healthier-weight peers.
Key findings showed that female students, those who slept less than 7 hours a night, and those with poor sleep quality were more likely to be overweight or obese. Physical inactivity also played a significant role.
These results highlight the importance of promoting better sleep habits, increased physical activity, and healthier lifestyles to combat obesity among university students in Bangladesh.
Read the full publication here.
Image above is a building on campus at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
